Creating Harmony Within the Family : หน้า 93/216

Part Four: Harmony Within the Family In a large family, when people do not eat dinner together, there is a tendency toward disassociation and disagreement. For example, one day we cook a delicious meal that everyone enjoys and everyone eats more than their usual portion. In this situation, if we all sit down and have dinner together, the only problem could be a shortage of food. In such a case, if everyone eats at different times, those eating last will not have enough food. The child who eats last will be left feeling hurt and neglected. If that particular child helps out around the house, and this is the reason they were the last to eat, they will feel additionally hurt, neglected, or jealous. The lazy child can usually be found hanging around the kitchen close to dinner time, complimenting the chef on cooking delicious meals. Even before setting the table, they will take and sample the best parts first. They also tend to be the ones who eat the most! These chubby children are adored because they know what sweet things to say. The diligent children, whose work usually takes them past dinner time, end up being the last ones to eat. They are the most tired, yet sometimes they get to eat only the leftovers. Not only that, sometimes they end up washing the dishes, too. All this can affect their emotions. The more these situations occur, the more hurt they will feel. Minor disputes with siblings are followed by major arguments. If we do not understand these dynamics but simply pacify the situation, we are not addressing the actual problem. Anger will linger. If similar incidents occur regularly, we could misinterpret such situations and blame the misunderstood child. It is easy to be oblivious to rising Family Day By Day 91 Creating Harmony Within the Family