The Washingtons

Learn about each family member. Select any family member to read more about them.

 

Riverbend City –Meet the Washingtons

The Washingtons are a five-generation family living in Riverbend City, a mid-sized city in the Midwest.

Betty Washington – 83 years old

Betty Washington is 83. She lives with her grandson Bob and his wife Lorraine in Riverbend City. Her son, David, lives across the street.

David Washington – 64 years old

David Washington is a 64-year-old man who lives in Riverbend City. He has a son named Bob, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He lives alone, across the street from Bob. His mother lives with Bob and his wife, Lorraine.

Bob Washington – 44 years old

Bob Washington is a 44-year-old man who lives in Riverbend City. He and his wife Lorraine have four children: Tyler, Ava, Emma, and Kyla. Bob’s grandmother, Betty, lives with them.

Lorraine Washington – 43 years old

Lorraine Washington is a 43-year-old woman who lives in Riverbend City. She and her husband Bob have four children: Tyler, Ava, Emma, and Kyla. Bob’s grandmother, Betty, lives with them.

Ava Washington – 9 years old

Ava is a 9-year-old girl from a large family. She is the youngest child with two older sisters and an older brother. Her brother Tyler is married and has two children of his own. She and her two sisters live with their parents and their great-grandmother. Their grandfather lives across the street.

Ava loves her family but feels left out. She used to be close with Tyler, but that changed when he got married. Her oldest sister, Kyla, ignores her, which is a change from the days when Kyla spent time playing with her when she was much younger. She fights often with her other sister, Emma.

She spends most of her time playing with her friends or on her own. She has close-knit friends; three other girls in her class who live nearby. They often try to get together in the evening and on weekends if their parents will agree to it.

Ava has a collection of stones that she likes to sort by color, size, or texture depending on the day. She has also developed an interest in maps and tries to figure out different routes for her mom to take when they run errands. Google Earth has become a favorite of hers. Her father often asks her to help him find new routes to places.

Ava describes herself:

“I’m pretty smart and do well in school, except in English class. I’m not good there. But I’m really good at math.”
“I’m well-liked by friends, but not everyone likes me.”
“I have good friends; we always help each other.”
“I like horses but not other animals. My friends think that’s a bit weird.”
“I’m pretty flexible, so I want to be in gymnastics, but my parents say they don’t have the time.”
“I’m not as pretty as my sisters; my nose is too big.”

Emma Washington – 13 years old

Emma is a 13-year-old girl from a large family. She has one younger sister, one older sister, and one older brother. Her brother Tyler is married and has two children of his own. She and her two sisters live with their parents and their great-grandmother. Their grandfather lives across the street.

Emma gets along well with her father but often argues with her mother and grandfather. She alternates between being close to her sisters and wanting nothing to do with them. Recently, she and Ava, her younger sister, have been fighting a great deal.

More and more often, Emma takes every comment made personally—believing the speaker means it negatively about her. Her arguments with everyone in the family have left her isolated at home. She spends most of her time on the phone or Internet with friends.

She spends an hour and a half getting ready every morning and is never satisfied with her appearance. She has taken up three extreme diets in the past year, giving up on them after a few weeks. When she has done well on a diet, she’s received positive comments from boys her age, but otherwise they ignore her.

When considering what classes to take at school, her parents told her which ones would be most useful for getting into college for a degree to teach elementary school children. But in the end, she chose classes taught by the teachers her friends told her were the best.

Though she wants to be a teacher, her parents have repeatedly told her they cannot afford to send her to college. They will support her decision if she can figure out how to pay for it. Lately, she’s been saying that she is not sure she will be a teacher. She has stopped making plans for her future and instead spends her time texting with her friends and watching YouTube videos.

Emma describes herself:

“I’m always social with my friends, but I try to avoid talking to my family.”
“I’m overweight and likely to get fat.”
“Only my friends like me. Everyone else thinks I’m stupid.”

Kyla Washington – 16 years old

Kyla is a 16-year-old girl from a large family. She has two younger sisters and an older brother. Her brother Tyler is married and has two children of his own. She and her two sisters live with their parents and their great-grandmother. Their grandfather lives across the street.

Kyla is close to her mother; they both share in interest in cooking. Since she was little, she has loved the time in the kitchen when she had her mom all to herself. She has been thinking of learning to be a chef after she graduates high school.

She babysits her niece and nephew to earn extra money and saves some of it toward the costs of a culinary school. Whenever someone will let her use a kitchen, she practices new techniques and makes new recipes. The whole family compliments her on her cooking and thinks she has great talent.

Kyla argues with her dad constantly, certain that she knows the truth and her dad knows nothing. Most recently, they have been debating censorship and the Internet. Though she is constantly on the Internet, she firmly believes that online content should be controlled, whereas her dad believes in the freedom of speech and expression.

She posts selfies on social media and then worries about the number of responses she gets. Her parents have provided her with several studies and statistics about the possible dangers of being so heavily involved with social media, but Kyla refuses to reduce her time spent online because she fears she would miss out.

Kyla describes herself:

“I’m really great in the kitchen, but not good with school learning.”
“I’m pretty introverted but can be extroverted if the situation is right, like around my family.”
“I’ve got a great plan and know I’ll do well as a chef.”
“I’m pretty in a girl-next-door way, very nice, and talented.”
“I’ve got a great group of friends and we’re going to be friends until we’re old and gray.”

Tyler Washington – 23 years old

Tyler Washington is 23. He lives in Riverbend City with his wife Anna. They have two young children, Liam and Mia

Anna Washington – 24 years old

Anna Washington is 24. She lives in Riverbend City with her husband Tyler. They have two young children, Liam and Mia.

Liam Washington – 5 years old

Liam Washington is 5. He lives with his parents, Tyler and Anna, and his sister, Mia.

Mia Washington – 2 years old

Mia Washington is 2. She lives with her parents, Tyler and Anna, and her brother, Liam.