Letter #1:
Dear Bruce,
I enjoyed reading your piece as articles about family is always fascinating. We live in a world where children seem so distant from their parents. Technology has consumed family bonds and this has taken a toll on how parents raise their kids. It’s amazing how much children can be so sucked in by the new gadgets and devices. Teens have more freedom now than they have ever had before. The idea in raising children through family stories, tradition and tightening bonds seem so important now, especially in our age. The most tragic events children now go through are when their smartphones or game consoles are taken away from them. They never went through anything drastic like the war or don’t remember things like the events in 2001. With knowledge of the studies conducted by Dr. Duke, why isn’t there any more information on this kind of knowledge? Something like this can help families build greater bonds and it will definitely help children fit in better in school. Knowing where they came from and being proud of who they are, children will be able to fit in to a bigger picture, which will help them get more involved in school activities. Hopefully, parents learn from this and take more of an effort to let their children know about how important family bonding is. Old photographs, family memorabilia and time with grandparents are things that should not be taken for granted. So many stories are lost in the generations that don’t seem to care. Most of the time, it’s not the children’s fault that they know nothing about their past, background or heritage. Parents should get more involved and take their time to really bond with their kids. I hope that this kind of information can help families strengthen their relationships.
Dear Bruce,
The article I had chosen can be found in this link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-life.html?pagewanted=1
It is about helping children fit in and feel better about themselves. The first letter that I had written included parts about children fitting in school and feeling like there are part of something bigger. It also had a part where I stressed that the study should be something that parents can learn about. It is really important to strengthen family bonds. The problem is that children are so wrapped up in their gadgets and the new technology that is available to them. I believe that the stronger part of my argument is how parents should know and understand how important family time is. Parents should stop blaming children for getting low grades, for misbehaving and for being rude. It is the role and responsibility of parents to teach their children about their heritage, past and background. Since it is so important for children to know about their past and their family, it should be the priority of the parents to teach it to them. Parents are so stumped on how to raise their kids and they end up with rude and apathetic children. This is because they allow their children to be raised by television or the internet. These are the arguments I stressed on the most in the two letters. I believe that the piece written by Bruce Feiler gave a clear argument on how these things are important. Parents should understand that they cannot give up on their kids and that they should spend more time with them.
Works Cited
Bruce Feiler. “Stories That Bind Us”. The New York Times. 13 March 2013. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-
life.html?pagewanted=1
