In the last couple of generations, the definition of “family” has changed for many people. For some, “family” is much more than blood-relation; it is people for whom we care deeply, people we have in our lives by choice, rather than by perceived obligation.
My perception of family frequently includes other families with whom I interreact on a very close level. Some families interact with each other to such a great degree that there is actually interactive child-rearing. Like minded families can contribute a lot to the raising of children when the parenting styles are aligned.
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"Family: A Personal Perspective".
Family – in my world – is not just my parents, siblings and extended family, but those people who understand, support, empathize and love on the same level. Sometimes, friends who have been brought into a family circle are able to provide moral and emotional support in ways that are more realistic and less judgmental than blood relatives, who might have some issues with control or with having their own agendas. For instance, attending college might not be supported in a blood family, while it might be much more so with the family/friend.
As young children, we are bonded to our parents and siblings. When we enter school, things change. And things have changed a lot since I was an elementary age child. Now, we see that friendships don’t always last as they used to. We see a public education system rife with bullying and other nefarious behaviors. While those early friendships are sometimes fleeting, it is the friends that we choose to be in our “family” as adults that make this extension of the family valuable. A very rich individual will have a solid blood-relation family as well as an array of family-like support, as I do.
