Twinkling lights, crisp winter air, and holiday cheer—it’s that time of year—time for food, gifts, and traditions. But the most important part of it all is family. With that, comes family gatherings, holiday dinners, and those sometimes dreaded social interactions. Teens often avoid these events while adults look forward to and anticipate them.
Should these gatherings be mandatory for teens and kids? Instead of holing up inside your room, should parents require that you spend time with family, friends, and relatives?
The resounding answer from the parents interviewed was yes.
“Yes, they should be mandatory,” Debora Jacobsen, an AHS English teacher, said. “My kids aren’t expected to talk constantly, but they are expected to be present and not stay in their room or leave when family is around.”
Many adults feel they lost a lot of time with their family as kids and want to make up for it. As people age, they realize spending time with each other is important.
“As I have gotten older and lost a lot of family members, I see now that I wish I’d spent more time at family events because it’s time I can’t get back,” Steven Hoffman, an AHS science teacher, said. Hoffman also noted that while family events should be mandatory, people should modernize them to appeal to everyone.
AHS Spanish teacher Kelly Fernandes mentioned that kids should be required to attend as it is part of their development in society. “And when they’re little, I think it is important that they learn how to sit at the table and learn good manners and how to be a part of adult society.”
Fernandes also stated that when her daughters were in high school, they would miss events due to too much homework. Because of this, she prefers not to give work over break, with the expectation that students spend time with family.
While parents agree that kids and teens should be present for family gatherings, do students feel the same?
In general, students thought family events should not be mandatory. Many also agree that it depends on who will be there and the connection between the attendees.
“It really depends on your relationship with people and what kind of family you have,” freshman Edolie Chacon said. Senior Autumn Hudgens agreed, saying that she prefers to spend time with one side of the family over the other.
“If you want to go you should go,” freshman Ankit Panta said. “If you don’t want to, then don’t because if you don’t want to be somewhere it’s going to be worse for everyone cause you’re not going to want to talk to anyone.”
While many students admit to not always wanting to partake in holiday gatherings, they also said they have fun attending and enjoy spending time with their families at these events.
“Mine’s not that many people but it feels like a lot for me,” sophomore Magnolia Kelley commented. “We cram a lot of people into my tiny little house and it’s mostly family friends that we’ve known forever so it’s fun. I really like it and there’s always good food.”
Students and parents both agree that family is important and spending time with family should be prioritized over the holidays. “Family is highly encouraged in our culture so [the kids’] presence is required,” Kelly Helms, an AHS tech teacher, said.
