All throughout my life, family has always been my first priority. When high school came around, I found that it was much more difficult to manage my time and make sure that I had enough time for my family along with friends and activities.

When I started high school, I realized I would have to deal with many obstacles such as studying for tests, getting homework done and participating in extracurricular activities. Some students have to juggle all of these responsibilities along with work. By the time I get home, the only time I have to see my family is at dinner, but I have to finish my homework and get ready for bed. Having minimal or no time to spend with my family was a big concern for me, so I knew that I had to find a way to spend more time with them.

Over time, I realized that it was not that difficult to make time for my family. I had just made the mistake of moving them down on my priority list without even noticing. I began to get the majority of my homework done at school so that I could spend time with my family instead. On days where I wanted to hang out with my friends, I looked for activities that I could do with both my family and my friends. I tried to make sure that my schedule on the weekends was clear so that I could catch up with them.

Often, I would begin to feel like I had no one there for me, and that is why I am so glad that my relationship with my family is so strong. Whenever I felt like I had no one else to go to, my family was always there to cheer me on and be a support system for me. By altering my life in these simple ways, I have realized that I am closer to my family than most teenagers because I took the extra step to adapt my schedule to them. Spending more time with my family has been extremely eye-opening to me and has shown me the true importance of family.

Although it is very difficult to manage your time as a high schooler, it is necessary that teenagers prioritize their families along with everything else in their lives.