Emily Fleming
Higley
Teen Living­ 3
11 March 2015
Family Report
Families are the most basic unit in a society. They provide the necessary things for survival; food, water, shelter. They also, in most cases, provide emotional support, encouragement, and love. Families must be committed to each other, emotionally and financially, and they must be able to communicate well with each other. This was all applicable for the Gilbreth family in the movie
Cheaper By the Dozen
.
The Gilbreth family was a large one, and an outsider may say they were very unruly and rambunctious. This was not the case, however. The Gilbreths were strong in large numbers, and they lived in an organized structure. They communicated well with one another, and they were very committed. When they had troubles, they came to each other and made compromises that suited everyone. This can be seen when they had their family councils together. They are an excellent example of a good, strong family.
The Gilbreth family and families today are very different. While families today still love one another as the Gilbreths did, they are not nearly as respectful. This has a lot to do with technology that people didn’t used to have when the Gilbreths lived. Technology has separated people and made them very detached from one another, which is ironic as its purpose is to connect individuals. Because of this, we are less committed to one another, as seeing the world on our screens has become our priority.

Families have always taught societal norms to the new generation. The Gilbreth family used their connections to people they knew, like the teachers at the children’s school, while families today use social media and the new knowledge that the internet has brought the world.
This is used for the teachings of culture and traditions, but it is also paired with simple and fun things families can do together. Examples of this are playing on a sports team, singing in a choir, going to church, and going to family reunions.
The family, as the foundation for individuals getting ready to launch into the world on their own, helps to develop independence in said individuals. The Gilbreth family, for example, used the tragic loss of their father