Write About Families

I think that the family is very important. In my country children live with their parents until they are married. When women are working and have small children, there are people who help us. The grandmother always takes care of her grandchildren. I think women can work, but it is necessary when the children are small that the mother is with them. I believe that it is better to talk to your children than to spank them.--Carmen

Hi. My name is Jenny Cao. I'm from China. I don't have a big or a small family. I have three siblings. I have an elder brother. My elder brother is already married. He has a daughter. His daughter's name is May. May is twelve years old. She's a student. I have one elder sister and one younger sister. I live with my parents. We live on 23rd Avenue in the Richmond in San Francisco. In my opinion, if I married someone and I lived with my mother-in-law, I would like her very much.--Jenny

I have a small family, only my husband and two children and I. When they were very young, I took care of them at home by myself. When they got big I found a job and worked outside. I don't think the grandparents can live with a small family because each different generation has different choices about teaching the kids, so they would have a lot of arguments. In my country, there are some families with three generations living together. They have many problems with this. In the United States, families mostly do not live with their mother-in-law or father-in-law. Their life is better than in my native country.--Amy

I have a small family in San Francisco. I have two children, one girl and one boy. I think working for women with small children is not good. As for my parents living with me, sometimes I feel happy and sometimes I feel angry.--May

I have a small family in San Francisco. In my native country, I think women working outside the home is okay because it always helps to increase the standard of living in general for a better life, education, health, etc. for the family. I agree that women with small children shouldn't work. It's better that they stay with the baby. It's my opinion. I think it's not a good idea for adult children to live with older parents because they need to live their own experiences and responsibilities. People shouldn't spank children if they are frustrated by them. The stereotype for mothers-in-law in my country is negative, because people always talk about them.--Julia

My family has my wife and two daughters in San Francisco, but I have my mother, brother, and sisters in my native country. Women in my native country work because they can make money to help the family members live. Often older parents live with adult children. They wish the adult children can help their father and mother finish some housework. Sometimes parents should spank their children while they are very angry--Bing

My family is a Chinese style family. My husband and I go to work. We have three children. They go to school every day. Our older parents don't live with us because they are in China. We always phone our parents. Sometimes my children don't finish their homework. I am angry, so I can spank them but I don't abuse it. In my country, women work outside the home and work inside the home too. They take care of children or clean the house and cook for families. They work very hard. Their husbands don't do any housework because if a man does it, he will be laughed at, especially in that country.--Yue Hua

My partner's name is Amy. She has two children. One child has two children. Amy lives in San Francisco. Her family is small. She says in her native country women have jobs. She thinks a woman with a small family can have a job. She says it's a good idea to live with adult children because it's comfortable--George

I have a medium-sized family. I have a son and a daughter. My son has two children. My daughter has two children. They live in San Francisco. We are from Hong Kong. My wife is retired. She doesn't work. Sometimes she takes care of our grandson, from 5:00 to 6:00 P.M. In the daytime he goes to a day care center. My wife never spanks children. My favorite is my grandson. We are used to living in S.F. now. I have a wonderful family.--Keihung

In San Francisco, I have a small family. I have a son who is 13 years old. He came to the United States last month. Now he's studying in middle school. My husband is a businessman. He speaks English very well. He is very busy, but he often helps us, so my family is very happy. In my country, China, I have a big family. I have one sister and four brothers. My mother and father are very kind. They're retired and live at home. They usually walk to the park in the morning. They do exercises and enjoy the fresh air. My young brother is a high school teacher. He is tall and handsome. He's married and he has a daughter. My parents and my sister and brothers are very friendly. I love them. I often miss them and dream about them.--Kendy

I have a small family. My family is all in San Francisco. I think older parents living with adult children is good. If not, the older parents will be lonely.--Yan Hong.

In our country, women have to work outside the home. Their parents take care of their children or they take them to a children center, because young people have to work and get money. It is a problem for women. They can't take care of their children well. If they have free time, many parents take their children to learn other subjects, for example, to study art.--Hao Bo

I don't have family in San Francisco. My family is in Macau. My mother doesn't work. She stays home. I have three sisters. One sister goes to work. Two sisters don't work because they take care of their children. My husband has a big family in San Francisco. He has a mother and sisters and brothers. They go to work in a hotel.--Vai

My family moved to San Francisco in 1992. My wife, two children and I live together. My wife and I have a job. My children studied in middle school, high school, and then university. Now they are young men and are engineers. My wife and I gave them so much to raise them. Now my wife and I are older. I think my son must give back something to my wife and me. I hope that my wife and I will live with my son when they have a big house. I like a happy family.--Ci Dian

We talked about families. In America the culture is very different from China. Most Chinese families like all the people to live together. The grandparents, parents and grandchildren live together. Some families want to take care of each other. But in America, they don't like the people in the family to live together. They like children to be independent. After the children are 18 years old, they want the children to get out and take care of themselves, so in America the children are very independent. I like that--Xiao Li

I have a small family. My wife and I are living in San Francisco. My wife's son lives in S.F. too. My son and my sister's family are living in St. Petersburg now. In my country, women usually work outside the home. I think women with small children shouldn't have a job. I think it isn't a good idea for older parents to live with their adult children because older parents usually interfere in the life of their adult children. The adult children don't like it. I think parents should sometimes spank their children. In my native country there is a negative stereotype for mothers-in-law, particularly for daughters.--Aleksandr

I don't think it's a good idea for older parents to live with their adult children because the adult children are independent. They have their own interests, such as the music that they like, the sports, etc. Also, they talk, think, and play differently than the older parents. The older parents always like it quiet and want to spend more time to rest. If their interests are different, sometimes they are going to argue. Then the family is not happy. They will both be upset in the future.--Zhong Yee

I have a small family. I live with my father, mother and brother in San Francisco. My family is very warm, but I always miss my grandparents (my mother's parents), because they are both in China. I miss them every second. I have 4 uncles and one aunt. I miss them also. They are very nice and I really love them. I want to go back to China and live with them, but I can't. I must stay here because my family is here. I love my family.--Tracy

I have 2 children, one girl and one boy. My son is 3 years old now. I want to take care of him until he is 6 years old, but my daughter is 12 years old. She is independent of her parents. I think she will be out of the home soon. She is planning to come back to America and go to the university. No problem, it's okay! My husband is a typical Japanese. He doesn't do any housework, so I do all the housework. This is okay. I'd rather stay at home than work outside. Sometimes I get angry...--Emi

I have a model family, three kids--2 girls and one son. They are in elementary school. All of them are in the same school. Actually, I haven't seen my family and my relatives in other countries for a long time. I miss them very much but now I can't see them. Anyway, I have a few friends here and I have my husband's family. My relationship with them is good, not too bad, and I hope my children will stay with me when they grow up. I don't want my children to go far away. I want to come to them until the last day in my life. This is my job for my family.--Soad

I have two children, but the two children are married. My son has three sons. My daughter was married in August, 2004. I live alone. My parents live in San Francisco near my house, and my sister's family, my brother's family, my son's family, and my daughter's family do too. All of the families live in the Sunset. My daughter lived together with me, but after August, 2004, she worried because she left my house. In China, children who don't marry live with their parents. My third grandson is one year old. My daughter-in-law doesn't work. She takes care of the baby. I think the baby's health is very good. In China all women work outside now. My daughter was married. She lives with her husband, his parents, and his sister, who is 26 years old. She told me his family is okay and she doesn't have problems.--Doris

I have a small family, my husband, my son, and I. My son's name is Arthem. Arthem is 17 years old. I don't have a mother and father, sisters or brothers. My mother and father died in 1999. My son studies in Newcomers School. My husband and I work outside the home. I work in a Russian store on 22nd and Geary. My father-in-law, two of my husband's cousins and my husband's brother live in San Francisco.--Laura

I have a small family, one son, a daughter-in-law, and two grandsons. I live in San Francisco, and my son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons live in Daly City. My son and daughter-in-law work in San Francisco. My first grandson is 14 years old. He studies in 9th grade and he studies karate. My second grandson is 9 years old. He studies in 4th grade, and he studies karate. In my native country, women worked outside the home.--Raisa

When you talk about family, I think you have to be careful because there are many different opinions. However, I like a small family and my husband does too. I think the family is only the husband, wife, and children, not including older parents, but I can make exceptions. As for working, I think it is very healthy that women work outside the house, not for all day, but it is necessary because when a mother sees her children and her children see their mother they are very happy and they have many things to talk about. The mother's mind is very ready to think about her children. Spending all day with the children is very hard.--Elizabeth

My name is Minh Nguyen. I don't have my family in San Francisco, but I have my parents-in-law. They live together with me in a house. My father-in-law takes care of his grandson and my mother-in-law cooks for the whole house. They're retired now. My father-in-law usually plays with his grandson. Sometimes he takes his grandson outside and goes to the toy store. My family lives far away from me, but I call them every month. They miss me too much. I went outside of my country about 1 year ago. My parents-in-law are usually good to me. That's about my family. I'm happy because I have a good family in San Francisco--Minh

I have a small family. I live together with my parents, uncle and grandmother in San Francisco. Also, some relatives live in my native country. In my country women work outside. If women have small children, they don't go to work. They just take care of their children in the house. Sometimes parents spank their child when their child does something bad.--H.Z.

In my opinion, older parents should live with adult children, because when the people are at an old age, they don't have much more energy to live by themselves. They need more help, so I think the adult children should take care of their old parents and give them a comfortable life. Maybe you have hard work, but if your parents really need your help, please try your best to make your parents more and more happy. I'm sure no person doesn't love their parents.--YuSheng

My family has a father, mother, little sister and me. My father is a waiter. He works in Chinatown. He works 6 days a week. In my country my mother didn't need to work, but after she came here she had to look for a job. My little sister and I are students. She is a high school student. In my country, small children don't work at all. They just need to study. I don't have a job now because I have to study more English.--Jason

I have a small family. I'm living with my parents, but my grandparents are living in Hong Kong, China. In my native country, women usually work outside, but if the woman has children, she usually works at home. Sometimes if the children do something bad, their mothers should spank them. I think this is a good idea. In China, after childhood, children live with their parents, but when they become a man or woman, they get married to make a family. Usually they don't want to live with their old parents. A stereotype for mothers-in-law in my native country is negative.--A.K.

I have a small family in San Francisco, my husband, my daughter, and me. I also have three siblings, two brothers and a sister. They all live in San Francisco. They are all married. In my native country, many women work outside the home. Some women have a good job. They hire people in their home to do their housework and take care of their small children. I think it's a good idea for older parents to live with their adult children because they have good experience to teach them. I don't think parents should spank their children.--Susanna

I have a big family. Half of my family lives in the United States and half still lives in my native country. The women usually clean up and cook at home. The small children just study and sometimes help do something at home if they can. The older parents live with their adult children. Sometimes they spank their children when they are angry at their children.--Duc

Speaking about family, I think all families have some people living in other countries. It's an interesting thing. Speaking about women, going to work is okay, but small children working is not a good idea. Children should go to study and learn so they can have a good future. I think parents living with adult children is good. Sometimes parents spank the children when the children make some mistake. It's not a big problem. Mothers-in-law shouldn't have stereotypes. Some are good and some are bad. --Natalie