Family Relationships
Primary 6 · English
Family Relationships
Lesson 2 of 5
40 min
Two sisters can share the same parents, the same house and even the same school uniform, and still be completely different people. One is careful, the other careless. One is patient, the other quick to get angry.
Today's story is about a family with five children, and parents who found a wise way to help them live together. You will learn words to describe people's personalities.
This story by Beatrice Kache comes from the African Storybook.
There once lived a father, a mother and five children. The first-born was a boy, then came two older daughters and two younger daughters. They all lived together in their big house in Stone village.
The two older girls were almost the same age. They always competed with each other and argued about who would cook or wash the dishes. They wondered why they had to wear similar clothes and go to the same school. Their fights never seemed to end.
The two younger girls were five years younger than their sisters. From the time they were small, they formed a strong friendship. They did their tasks together and played with their friends together.
Father and Mother watched how the older girls behaved, and they were worried. They decided to call a family meeting to help their children learn to live together in unity. Father talked about how important it is to respect one another's views.
He went on to say, “Always ask for permission if you need to use someone else's clothes or shoes. This will reduce the quarrels that I have to deal with in the evenings.”
Mother added, “I have made a duty roster for each of you to follow.”
The duty roster listed all the tasks each child was supposed to do every day. The tasks included cooking, washing clothes, cleaning the house and fetching water. If anyone needed help, they were to ask the others politely.
Each child was asked if they were happy with their duty. They were also asked if they wanted anything else to be added to the duty roster. Father and Mother also made some family rules. All the children were happy with the new arrangements.
Father ended the meeting by saying, “We should always help one another. Let's try to understand one another, so that we can be a happy, united family.”
Answer each question in your head or in your exercise book first. Then tap Show answer to check.
How many children were there in the family?
Five: one boy and four girls.
What did the two older girls argue about?
About who would cook or wash the dishes, and why they had to wear similar clothes and go to the same school.
How were the younger girls different from the older ones?
The younger girls were close friends who did their tasks and played together. The older girls competed and argued.
What two things did the parents make to help the family?
A duty roster and some family rules.
Would a duty roster be a good idea in your home? Why or why not?
Your own opinion. For example: yes, because everyone would know their jobs and nobody could say it was unfair.
| Positive | Negative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kind | unkind, cruel | A kind brother shares his food. |
| careful | careless | A careful girl checks her homework twice. |
| hardworking | lazy | A hardworking boy fetches water without being asked. |
| patient | impatient | A patient sister helps her little brother read. |
| polite | rude, impolite | A polite child says “please” and “thank you”. |
| generous | selfish | A generous person likes to share. |
| friendly | unfriendly | The younger girls were friendly with each other. |
| calm | quick-tempered | A calm person does not shout when things go wrong. |
| cheerful, joyful | grumpy | A cheerful aunt makes everyone laugh. |
| responsible | irresponsible | A responsible child follows the duty roster. |
Some words can be good or bad. Competitive people want to win. That helps in a race, but not when two sisters compete over who washes the dishes!
-ful means “full of”, and -less means “without”: careful / careless, useful / useless. But be careful: the opposite of helpful is unhelpful. Helpless means something different: not able to help yourself, like a newborn baby.
Don't just name a personality. Show it:
My brother Ishimwe is generous. For example, he always shares his mandazi with Keza.
To be polite about a fault, soften it with a bit or sometimes: He is a bit lazy on Saturday mornings.
Tip
Name it, then prove it. Personality word + a real example: Keza is patient. She helps our little brother read, even when he gets it wrong ten times.
Write your answers in your exercise book, then check.
What is the opposite of careful?
Answer: careless
What is the opposite of patient?
Answer: impatient
Which word describes a person who likes to share: selfish or generous?
Answer: generous
Choose: The younger sisters were (friendly / competitive) with each other.
Answer: friendly
Describe one member of your family with a personality word and an example.
Answer: Example: My grandmother is hardworking. She is in her garden every morning before six o'clock.
What you learned today
Quick check
Match each personality word to its opposite.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
