Table of Contents
21. Families can be Different
• Tell How Many
Come, let us play a game together. You must be familiar with this game. All the children stand in a circle.
Let one child stand in the centre and play a tune. Everyone must run in a circle as long as the music plays.
The child who is playing the music, will suddenly stop it and call out a small number like ‘five’, ‘four’ or ‘two’ loudly.
Children have to form groups according to the number called out.
The children who cannot join any group will have to leave the game.
Continue to play this game till only two children are left in the circle.
• Come, let’s talk about this game
• How did you feel when you could join a group of the required number? Why?
• How did you feel if you could not join any group? Why?
• Do you like to be with people?
• With whom do you like to be more?
• How would you feel if you always had to be alone?
• In the game ‘Tell how many’ playing the music and calling out the numbers can be done by anyone. Depending on the number of children, the number called out to form groups can be more or less.
All of us prefer to live with people than to live alone. We always live in groups. Let’s see one such group - Gurleen, Nagarajan and their children Tanya and Samar.
• How are these people related to each other?
The people in the picture you saw belong to one family. We often see pictures or photographs of such families. Where do we see such a family? Are all families similar to this one? Let us read about a few families.
Sitamma
Sitamma lives in her ancestral house in a small city Guntoor. Her dada, dadi, younger chacha and bua live on the ground floor. In one portion of the first floor, Sitamma lives with her father, mother and younger sister Gitamma. In the other portion live her tauji and his three children. Her taiji died just a few months ago.
• It would be good to keep in mind the discussion done in Chapter 4, about the children’s families. The lesson can be introduced by talking about the diversity in the families of the children in the class.
Her elder chacha and the new chachi live in one of the rooms on the terrace. They are newly married.
Before dinner, Sitamma’s mother teaches all the children.
Food for the whole family is cooked in the same kitchen on the ground floor. They all make special effort to be together at dinner time. Nowadays, tauji’s younger daughter sleeps with Sitamma’s mother at night. In the morning Sitamma helps her get ready for school.
• Who all are there in Sitamma’s family?
• How is the relationship between the different people in the family?
• In the last one year what are the changes that happened in the family?
Tara
Tara lives with her amma and nana in Chennai. Her amma Meenakshi is not married. She has adopted Tara. Meenakshi goes to the office in the morning and returns in the evening. When Tara returns from school, her nana takes care of her. He is the one who feeds her, helps her to do homework and also plays with her. During vacations, the three of them go to far off places and enjoy themselves. At times, Tara’s mausi, mausa and their children also come to their house. At such times they play together for long hours and also chit chat.
• You may be very careful and sensitive to deal with children if they wish to share problems related to drug addiction of their family members. The harmful effects of drugs/narcotics may be discussed in the class. Such issues should also be discussed in the inservice training programmes.
Sara and Habib
Sara and Habib live in a city. Both are employed. Habib is a clerk in a government office and Sara teaches in a school. Habib’s abbu is retired and lives with them. In the evening, the three of them sit together and watch television or play cards. Abbu enjoys watching television with the others. He enjoys the discussion as well. On holidays, the neighbour’s children come to their house and create a lot of fun. Everybody enjoys together. They play games, go out and at times go for plays and movies.
• Who all are there in this family?
• Abbu enjoys watching television with the others. Why?
• How do the family members enjoy?
Totaram
Totaram lives with his father, uncle and cousin brothers in a colony in Mumbai. Totaram and his brothers have come to Mumbai to study. His father and uncle work here.
Everybody does the household work together. Food cooked by Totaram’s chacha is liked by everyone. Totaram’s father does the shopping.
• It may be possible that children from such families (Drug addicted members) may fall victim to such habits/practices. A timely action needs to be taken to prevent them. On these theme, charts and posters can be prepared by the children with the support of teachers and discuss in the class.
A part of the money earned is sent to Totaram’s dada in the village. Totaram’s mother, dada, dadi, chachi and younger brothers and sisters live in their parental house in the village. Once a year, Totaram goes to his village. He misses his mother very much. He writes long letters to her.
• How do Totaram’s family members keep contact with each other?
• Which members of Totaram’s family live in the city and which live in the village? Why?
Krishna and Kaveri
Krishna and Kaveri live with their father. In the morning, all the three leave home together. Krishna leaves Kaveri at school and goes to college. Their father goes to the shop for the day.
Kaveri returns from school in the afternoon. She unlocks the house and waits for Krishna. On returning from college, Krishna and Kaveri, eat food together.
Kaveri goes out to play after doing her school work. On returning she either plays carrom with her brother or watches television. When father returns home, they cook food and then eat together.
During vacations, Kaveri goes to stay with her mother. Krishna also stays there for a few days, but he likes to stay in his own house - all his things and his father are here.
• How does Krishna take care of his sister?
• What activities are done together in the family?
You have read about some families. You discussed some questions also. What is a family? What are the different types of families? You must have formed your own opinion about this by now.
• What are the things that happen in a family?
• Put a ‘OK’ on those sentences which tell the various things that happen in families.
• Members of a family often resemble each other.
• The family members love each other very much.
• One becomes a part of a family by being born or getting married into that family.
• Family members often live together in the same house.
• Elders in the family earn money for the family.
• Family members stay together even if there is a fight amongst themselves.
• In a family, children and the old are taken care of.
• In the lesson, we have talked about certain families. Besides these, there are other kinds of families as well. To understand this diversity, ask the children to talk about their families.
Think of some other things about your family and write in the space provided.
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Sitamma’s family tree
Can you imagine a family in the form of a tree? Sitamma’s family tree is drawn here.
Draw your family tree in the notebook. For this, take help from your elders. For help you can refer to Sitamma’s family tree.