American families have experienced a change in lifestyle between the 1950s and today. With constantly updating technology, drug or alcohol use or stress caused by the generation gap that has formed, it can be assumed that families are no longer the same. The American family has recently been tested by multiple problems; there aren't many relatives between parent and child to help form the bond required for a loving relationship. The home environment may not always be the cause of a child running away, but in 90% of cases it is. Only by improving communication, finding a better solution to manage stress and more personal time between parent and child can the number of runaway children be reduced. The United States may not have direct control over families, but without help in family communication the American family could fall apart as we know it today. A warning on TV interrupts the most popular show of the year. All the fans are upset because there are 5 minutes left, but the alert is amber. The viewer might miss 5 minutes of a show, but this family misses their son completely. This is a real terror for approximately 2,185 families a day (Sedlak 5), and since 1997 only 512 have been found via amber alerts. To solve this problem it is necessary to examine the reasons why the children decided to run away. Unfortunately the main reason kids don't live with their parents under 18 is because they get deported. In fact, the top ten search results for “Getting kicked out of your house” are forum posts asking for help on what to do. The most likely justification is that parents do not approve of their children's behavior. The question now is who is to blame, the child or the parent... middle of paper... negligent party. This involves a community of people reviewing appropriate expectations for child well-being and teaching basic parenting skills. Alongside this treatment should include family counseling aimed at communication skills and appreciating the expression of affection within the family. Another popular issue among Americans is the level of stress caused by families, school or otherwise. Everything can cause stress: household bills, children, household chores, relationships... everything can cause stress in the family. In addition to everyday stressors, a crisis such as death or a tornado in the home can place high levels of stress on family relationships. An article titled Managing Family Stress looks at some simple solutions to stress. He states that it is easy for each individual to isolate themselves from each other with careers and different extracurricular activities.