Non Traditional Family Essay

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If you see an ad in the paper for a family friendly SUV, you might get the idea that today’s families are made up of a Mom, a Dad, and a couple of children. Ads make you believe that you should have something, such as a family friendly SUV and the perfect family to go along with the SUV. However, in all actuality, today’s families also consist of unmarried couples with children, single mothers or fathers, foster parents, same-sex parents, or stepparents. Some people may believe that any departure from the “traditional” nuclear family is an indicator of a social problem, but I do not. To begin, a traditional nuclear family can be defined as a family unit that consists of two married parents of opposite genders and their biological or adopted children living in the same residence (Definition of a Nuclear Family. 2015). We cannot deny the fact that there are not as many nuclear family households as there once were. In 1970, 40 percent of American households were considered to be a nuclear family, whereas in 2013, only 19 percent were considered to be a nuclear family (Census: Big Decline in Nuclear Family. 2015). This is a major decline in nuclear family households and it is …show more content…

Everyone has different opinions on how children should be raised and what should be allowed in family households, which leads to social problems. For example, some single parents have low incomes and cannot provide for their children, people are having children out of wedlock, and same-sex couple are marrying and adopting children (Kendall, D. 2012). However, no matter what some people might say about how these families interact, many of these families are doing quite well and develop well rounded individuals. Family is not all fun and games. It derives its strengths from standing together as a group, struggling through difficulties, and standing for something (Redfield, M. P.

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