My Chaotic Norm The ideal American family consist of one father, one mother, and two children; usually one boy and one girl. The male figure would probably be the bread winner or money maker, supplying the household with the majority of its income. The mother would primary be the care giver to the children and house. She would supply the children love and food while doing a majority of the household chores from dishes to laundry. The two children would go to school and receive an allowance for putting in some efforts around the house. This would be a very stable lifestyle to promote a positive environment for the kids to grow up in. My family, compared to this norm, would be its yin and yang, black and white, it’s complete opposite. My household consists of my father, mother, uncle, grandma, little sister and me. My mother has one hundred percent of my respect, we own a respectable two story house and she is our primary money maker, bring in around eighty to ninety percent of the income flowing into our house. She is also known to doing more than her fair share of house hold chores. My dad on the other hand is cooped up in his room, isolated from the family. He was recently placed under arrest and tossed into jail for drug possession. He received a felony on his record so he is completely dependent on my mother to care for him, so you could say my mom has to take of three children. My uncle would best be described as our mechanic, he does own a room in our house, but for the majority of the time, he’s out and about doing his own thing unless he’s sleeping, eating, or repairing something around the house. My grandma, being around 60 years of age, is so fixed with eh idea that she is still living in Vietnam. Using what I’ve learned in Sociology, I could say that she’s still experiencing culture shock, not being able to adapt to the American society. My little sister is only 10, so normally she’ll go to school and attempt to help around the house. I have practically detached myself from the family due to the fact that I’m a full time student and a full time worker, managing a store. Below is a chart displaying how each individual operates within the family. You can clearly see a representation of how much effort is put in by each member, my mother being the most dedicated and my father showing minimal energy.

My mother works six days out of the week, receiving Thursdays off and a shorter shift on Sunday. She works at a nail salon so her job is very labor dependent. Her shifts are usually from ten to eight at night, so she’s pretty much exerted most of her energy by the time she gets home. Even though that’s the case, she is still able to cook the family dinner and food for the next day. After eating she usually attempts to relax and enjoy some Asian Dramas, but my dad usually interrupts her relaxation by ranting on about the thing that’s bugging him that day, it’s usually about me, but I’ll get to that later. On her days off, she enjoys preparing a full meal for the family and a couple of my relative will usually come over on these days and enjoy some bonding time, my dad usually doesn’t participate. Besides cooking for the family, my mom usually does the dishes and cleans the kitchen, as well as the restrooms. My father, a hot head and up tight maniac, has a hard time communicating with the family. He grew up in a military family, my grandfather being a Vietnam Veteran, so I guess that could have played some sociologically effects on his personality. He’s usually cooped up in his room, having very little contact with the rest of the family. My grandma and he can’t stand each other, it’s like fire and fire, both of them has to have it their way. Contact between the two usually results in some sort of verbal argument leading to my dad smashing a hole in the wall or slamming the front door behind him as he storms out of the house. For the best intentions, it’s better for the two not to see each other, so my father