Types of Families

The nuclear family is the most common family type in the world. It consists of two parents and their children living together. Some say that it is the best type of family because children can feel safe with their own parents. The parents in a nuclear family also invest a lot of their time and money in their own children’s future.

A single-parent family consists of a parent (mother or father) and the children. There can be different reasons why there is one parent, for example the death of one of the parents or divorce. Experts say that this kind of family makes life difficult for both the parent and children. The parent works a lot to support the children, and the kids don’t spend enough time with him or her.

An extended family is a family group that includes not only parents, but also other relatives, for example aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. Extended families are usually big. People in extended families come together because they may have financial problems or the older members can’t live alone. This family type is common in poor, farming societies, but it is becoming more common all over the world.

When two adults come together and bring in their own children from their past marriages, we have a blended family. As we have lots of divorces these days, blended families are very common, but they have some problems. The children of the two parents may not accept each other at first and may not listen to the other parent. However, they can learn a lot from each other.