In Vietnam multi-generational homes are common. In the past it may have been easy to bridge age differences within these households, but these days relationships have become more strained. Why has this change in dynamic occurred? What could be done to preserve family ties?

Multi-generational households are frequent in Vietnam. It may have been easier to reconcile age gaps among generations previously, but relationships have gotten more strained in recent years. This is mainly because of the lack of interaction between generations in the family. There are a number of solutions which can be done to build stronger connections between family members. Firstly, the most common reason is differences in opinion about certain issues of old and young generations. Society has developed that stereotypes such as gender discrimination, patriarchal ideology, etc. . . still only exist mostly among old generations. As a result, there is contrast in opinion which leads to arguments and conflict between family members. In addition, young generations majorly prefer jobs that are flexible and active, while older generations advise younger people to have stable and complex jobs which make lots of money like office work, doctor, lawyer, . . . Furthermore, the rising rate of change in society has had a significant impact on generation gaps. In the past, societal development was gradual. As a result, the lifestyles of two or three generations were quite similar. However, due to technological and social advancements in the twentieth century and twenty-first centuries, even one generation apart, people’s lifestyles are significantly different. Older generations are finding it difficult to catch up with the new technologies to which they have gotten used, whereas younger generations are the opposite. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is a huge gap in interest between generations. There are two possibly effective solutions to fill up the generation gaps. One way to solve this problem is making time for your family. Starting by choosing a regular night, perhaps once a week, to have the entire family gathers for a pleasant activity. We can also plan for family traditional vacation in summer, or on holidays and try to have fun activities and games to enjoy together. Another easy way to connect family members which people are sometimes to rush to bear in mind is eating meals together. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount of time, it can simply be at dinner time when we sit together, have dinner and tell your grandparents, parents or siblings about your day or obstacles that you are coping with. Emphasize, too, devices shouldn’t be allowed in this quality time that members can just eat a meal and have a conversation together. In conclusion, making time for family and eating meals together are the key solutions to preserve family ties. If each family member puts mind and heart into the family, there will be potentially no more distance between older and younger generations.