Family structures are formed by generations of people sharing a feeling of commonality and kinship. The family structure that we have maintained as the cultural norm for the last half century has, in fact, been a disaster for so many. Now it is time to discover better ways to survive together as a family. In this article I will list five steps that can be taken for developing a better family structure.
The first step in the family unit’s formation is to determine the number of adults, kids, parents and grandparents in your household. This will help you decide on a household plan. In fact a recent study showed that only 33% of American households are family units that include both adults and children. A further survey showed that a minimum of a third of all families are households with just parents and no children. If you are a part of an extended family, it makes sense to determine how many of those types of households you actually belong to or have close members in your household.
Next determine if you have one of the two types of extended families mentioned above or a combination of the two. A recent study by the University of Michigan indicates that a minimum of 35% of all households consist of two groups that are, in fact, related. Those two groups are the extended family comprised of both parents and children, and the single parent household. An alarming statistic is that only one out of two households that contain at least two adults consists of a joint family. One of the interesting patterns discovered in the research was that there is a much higher incidence of both grandparents and grandchildren living in households that have a shared family structure.
Next determine if your household would be better served by a nuclear family or a blended family. A recent study conducted by the Economic Research Service has determined that there are a minimum of three people who are present in a nuclear family. Narrowing this down to a traditional family consisting of a mother, father, and two or more children, shows that there only three people who fit into this definition. Although it is not common, it does happen that grandparents also fit into this category. With a nuclear family the childless parent(s) does not necessarily have to participate in the children’s life. If the children are older, they may well participate in the household, but this is not always the case.
In order to determine what type of household you are, you need to understand the characteristics of extended families. Extended families typically have a set of adults who are married with children, with one adult child being the primary caregiver. There are some differences between a blended family unit and a nuclear family unit. Although it might seem like the traits of an extended family unit fit closely with that of a nuclear family, they do not necessarily follow those same guidelines.
Extended families can be very diverse, with children of different ages being involved, from teenagers to grandparents. For purposes of the Family Structure Study, extended families are generally classified as “Nuclear” families when there is a biological parent, stepparent or adopted child, or child or children who live primarily with the non-parent or caregivers. In contrast, a blended family is comprised of individuals who may not share biological parents, depending on the definition used for that particular population.
As a result of the Children’s Lifestyle and Parental Factors study, many changes have been made to the FHS. Many questions remain about how the modern parent is different than their parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents. Gaps in understanding about grandparents, especially those who live away from their families, needs to be addressed in future studies. It is hoped that the use of a more flexible measure, such as interviews or a citation needed, will better identify the varying family structures that are prevalent today. The current FHS may need to be updated with future research.
In keeping with the emerging studies, future FHS revisions could include an extended focus on children living in nuclear households where both biological parents and non-credentialed caregivers act as primary caregivers. In addition, future studies could add citations regarding extended households with grandparents who live with the non-credentialed caregiver, as well as extended households with teenagers, gay families, single mothers, and working families. Researchers also need to make a clearer distinction between children of two-caregivers and three-caregivers and all other types of multigenerational households. A final revision might also emphasize the need for a multigenerational household analysis for low-income families and children with special needs.