An Extended Family Unit Is Characterized by ________ Living Together.

Relationships in the Extended Family

For the purposes of this article, an extended family may be defined equally a mini-society of individuals consisting of grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, and possibly great-grandchildren; while there may be fifty-fifty more generations represented, it is rare. It is not necessary for these individuals to live together in a unmarried housing unit of measurement, or even in the aforementioned geographical area, only simply that they originate in the same family unit unit started by the grandparents or corking-grandparents.

There are a variety of relationships between the individuals and the separate nuclear families, merely in today's globe, these relationships seem to exist fading. Geography plays a large part every bit siblings motion apart from each other and from the grandparents of their children and distance makes a close relationship much more than hard. Interests of different families inevitably change and take different directions and one-time family traditions ofttimes die off as new members join the extended family in the form of spouses, often bringing their own ideas of family traditions into play. The question to be addressed is "Are these fading relationships betwixt the various members of the extended family important, or should they be, in our changing world?"

Grandfather and granddaughter

Public Domain

Maintaining a Relationship Isn't Easy

Maintaining an extended family relationship isn't piece of cake—whether over long distances or from side by side door. It takes work on the office of all the parties involved, just like whatsoever other good human relationship. Siblings often take to overcome a good deal of sibling rivalry from the childhood and sometimes thwarting in or dislike of their parents. Child rearing concepts are frequently a point of contention as siblings differ in their own methods and with the methods their parents used. As people grow their interests and desires alter; a state boy that wants aught more than to camp in the peace and quiet of the forest may have to find a mutual point of interest with a city girl that won't consider setting one elegant high heeled shoe into a woodlands meadow - she isn't interested in anything outside of the hustle and bustle of the city.

Grandparents must realize that their now grown children are non children but adults in their own correct, with their own responsibilities and concerns. New family members, both in the form of spouses and grandchildren must be welcomed into the extended family, not merely tolerated or accepted. Old family traditions that grandparents may have inherited from their ain grandparents may well disappear into history equally their children want to make their own traditions. Child rearing techniques again come into play as grandparents may know, deep in their hearts, that their grandchildren are not beingness raised properly merely nonetheless must conform to and work with the concepts that their children are using.

Religion can exist a massive bone of contention equally different beliefs and systems come up into play. An atheist may well find that her sibling has become an evangelist and the catholic grandparents may discover their grandchildren being raised as Buddhists. Different beliefs must be accepted in everyone and everyone must absolutely have that information technology is OK for their sibling or parent or child to be of a different faith. The road to good family relationships does non include the path of denigrating the organized religion of other family unit members, nor does it allow for the constant preaching of your ain belief system.

Information technology is not the family member with the abrupt tongue demanding that everyone accommodate to his wants and desires that will have the all-time family relationship; rather it is the member that makes a witting effort to be laid back and take that people are unlike while refusing to sweat the small-scale stuff that will have a far more successful family society. Information technology is necessary to "go with the crowd" most of the fourth dimension instead of requiring that the crowd go with you. Remember, it doesn't thing that you lot don't go your way—what matters is the time with, and the quality of, your extended family gild.

Grandpa as instructor

Public Domain

OK, And so What Are the Benefits?

So the costs of a skilful extended family lodge can be both loftier and difficult, only what about the benefits? What might the benefits be, and of what value?

"No man is an island." This annotate, attributed to English author John Donne is certainly true. Everyone needs, or will need onetime, friendship. The friendship of a close family society can be enormous - it tin can accept elements that no other friendship can and is worth well-nigh any effort necessary to gain it. Sometimes all it takes is a few words of encouragement or consolation to make the world right once more, and who better than a lifelong friend to provide those words? Someone who actually knows you lot and cares for you can be far more help in troubling times than a casual acquaintance or fifty-fifty a close friend.

The love of a grandparent for a grandchild tin be a wonderful boon to both, and the love of a parent for a child, even an grown adult child, never goes abroad. Sibling beloved can exist enormous; i must only watch a petty girl as her smaller blood brother gets into a fight to run across that; she is likely to become mama tiger defending her young. Don't let this familial love wither or sideslip abroad from you lot - information technology can have exist a truly awesome power in your life.

Financial assistance is often available between members of an extended family order. This might range from a identify to stay to a few dollars to pay the rent, and well-nigh people will need, at sometime in their lives, some help financially. A note of circumspection might be to not corruption this perk of your family; you lot could lose it all past trying to become too far whether on the giving or receiving end.

An extended family social club is an excellent way to combat loneliness. Even people with their ain nuclear family tin be alone at times and can simply need a visit or chat with someone else and a parent or sibling can make a nifty partner for a simple phone phone call, chat or maybe a quick luncheon together.

Younger members of a family club tin benefit from having close cousins to play with while older children tin can find a like mind, peradventure, to aid with teenage stress. Children that are in close contact with each other will oftentimes develop a "best friends" camaraderie that tin last a lifetime.

The varied skills, abilities and cognition base of a large family society can exist of great assist. No one person can know information technology all or have nearly all the skills and abilities of the society as a whole. Help is usually bachelor from the family social club when needed in an emergency or even pre-planned projects and activities.

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My own family unit lives in the northwest US and when I moved to the due east declension I did not realize just how much I missed the benefits of the family unit gild I gave up. I had my own family there, and it was just when I moved back to the northwest that I realized what I had given upwardly. I will non repeat that error and strongly encourage yous, the reader, to place a loftier value on good extended family relationships; they can be a jewel beyond compare and are worth a very high toll indeed.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author's noesis and is non meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2010 Dan Harmon

alh on October 21, 2015:

Extended family boundaries seem to me to gravitate into place naturally. Family bounds / boundaries may include cousins and even friends from various generations. I exercise not consider my sibling nor first, second and third cousins to be a office of my extended family. Our parents' held to airtight personal styles. Nosotros each are now laser focused within on our respective straight lineages. Information technology is but that way and it came almost naturally.

Dan Harmon (author) from Boise, Idaho on August 16, 2013:

I had non thought of extended families in view of the smaller nuclear family size today, only I think your are admittedly right - the extended family relationships become even more than of import when there are few to no siblings. Cheers for your insight.

Grace Marguerite Williams from the Greatest City In The World-New York City, New York on August 16, 2013:

Read this article with bated interest. Extended family unit members are indeed enrichening. That is what I have said previously in a forum post. I love my family unit to death. Likewise my loving and honey parents, I have warm and wonderful relationships with my aunts, uncle, and cousins, both near and distant. Ii of my distant cousins are my all-time friends and we do things together. Love' em.

Extended family is of MORE value today, especially as families are getting smaller. Children who accept no siblings tin have such peer relationships with their cousins Yes, I see immense value in extended families. Inspired me to write a hub on the discipline. As I have stated, family is family, whether near or far. God bless and go on y'all ever.

Dan Harmon (author) from Boise, Idaho on July 18, 2010:

It is a lovely concept, and I wish anybody could share in it. Our recent family reunion served to re-emphasize this as we once more managed to gather and family I hadn't seem for 3 years attended.

It was likewise a little thought provoking to see new life, in the class of our 6th generation, commencement to appear at the reunions. Grandma and Grandfather are long gone, nonetheless they live on.

Rafini from Somewhere I can't get away from on July eighteen, 2010:

You don't miss what yous've never had...notwithstanding, knowing it exists encourages desire. Don't take extended family for granted - information technology's a lovely concept. :-)

Dan Harmon (author) from Boise, Idaho on June 23, 2010:

We practise this every 3 years, but I'm non certain how long it volition last. The beginning generation is getting on up in years, while the third and fourth aren't interested equally much, preferring to stick with their ain 2nd generation on downwards. I'll miss it when it'southward gone - family history lessons from our elders tin can be awesome. Ane of them presented us all with a small volume by my chiliad'great uncle about my great grandmother, who was the outset white woman in a little valley north of Boise Idaho - it was truly fascinating.

oscillationatend from a recovering narcissist. on June 23, 2010:

That sounds crawly. Enjoy! I really miss it. Information technology was huge, too. Maybe non a hundred, but e'er pushing betwixt 50-75. =)

Dan Harmon (author) from Boise, Idaho on June 23, 2010:

It is adept times. I have a family reunion next calendar week and expect to encounter 5 generations there, with over 100 people attending from all over the country. Four days of Actually extended family!

Cheers for the annotate, it is appreciated.

oscillationatend from a recovering narcissist. on June 23, 2010:

I come up from a line of hillbillies. As it is now, that side of the family is spread far and wide anymore, whereas my father's side has all kinda congregated either in California or Florida.

Simply, we all used to get upward to West Virginia on my mother's side..several generations of us, and it was good times to be had by all.

joneswasonever.blogspot.com

Source: https://wehavekids.com/family-relationships/Are-Extended-Family-Relationships-of-Value-in-Todays-Society

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