It Takes All Types of Families

Categories of families include:

Nuclear family: This is the type of home I grew up in – mother, father, children.  My parents are still married, over 50 years now.  The friends I had as a child shared the same family dynamic, for the most part.  This is what some term the “ideal” family, and used to be the norm.  

Single Parent Family: This is the atmosphere my daughter has grown up knowing.  Her father and I never lived together, so her father living in one city and us living in another is her normal. More often than not, single parent homes are single mother homes, although single father homes are on the rise.  

Extended Family: When my daughter was 3, I decided to go back to school.  We moved in with my parents for the two years I was attending college.  It was tough, and on occasion my parents and I bumped heads, but for the most part it worked out well all the way around.  

Stepfamily: Once I was on my own, living in Cincinnati, a number of my friends had a stepmother or stepfather in their lives.  At first, this was a completely alien concept to me.  Now it is more common than not.  Stepfamilies are almost as prevalent as the nuclear family today. 

Grandparent Family: Some children are now being raised by their grandparents, whether it be due to the death of the parents, abandonment or addiction issues.  I would think this would be the most difficult dynamic, for both parties.  

Adoptive/Foster family: Each year, 2% of all American children are adopted and about 6 out of a 100 children live in a foster home.  Adoption of children from other countries has become commonplace, and from what I understand, easier to accomplish (but expensive).  

No matter who your family structure consists of, no matter the number of people in your family, it is still a family unit. 

Written by: Allyson Johns