Question

What statement could the author add to strengthen her argument?
Leave It to Beaver is an older television show that shows families too busy to have dinner together.
The Frankly Families Group says that only 50% of families sit down to dinner together each night.
Many kids are too busy with after-school activities to make time to have dinner.
Families that play video games together are more likely to want to have dinner together.

Answer 1

Family time is important. There are things that get in the way. But all families should make time for something this important.

My family and I spend a lot of time together. We eat every dinner together. Even when my father is away on business, my mother, sister, and I sit down at the table to eat and talk about our day. We don't watch television together. There is no way to talk during a television show. It's distracting. Instead, we talk at the dinner table and have fun together. As a teenager, hanging out with my parents is not the most fun thing I do. I do feel it is necessary. I learn from them every time we talk. I learn about my dad's job. I learn about my mother's day.

I did a little research on the "family table" idea. Time with parents makes kids more stable. Kids have better behavior. They have a larger vocabulary. They are also less likely to smoke, drink, do drugs, or have eating disorders. It gives them a sense of belonging and safety. On top of all this, they learn better manners.

Not that long ago, eating together was a requirement. On old TV shows like "Leave It to Beaver," missing a family dinner table was not an option. My grandparents said that eating dinner together as a family was the only way they could eat dinner. With many single-parent families or homes where both parents work, this has become harder.

Even if the family cannot get together for dinner, there are other ways for the family to spend time together. Take 20 minutes out of the day. Turn off the television. Turn off the video games. Turn off the music. Sit on the couch and talk about each other's day.

We all lead busy lives. We are always running around to finish homework. We are watching a sports game. We are shopping. We are volunteering. That being said, we should all take 20 minutes each day to eat dinner together. We should take a page from the television we like to watch so much and, like the Beavers, have a dinner together.