Vocabulary:
Discuss:
Discuss:
30 Part 1 Decisions About Parenting
In all societies, the family is the social
group within which the child is nurtured and
rooted. The family ensures the consistent care
that is not broken by changes for the child.
The parent-child relationship is primary for
the child—above all others. The family also
manages the child’s interactions outside of
the family, such as those with peers and in
child care programs and schools.
In this chapter, you will learn how the
family influences parenting. You will also
see how the community and the culture at
large impact parenting. Finally, you will see
the major effects of parenting on children,
families, and society.
Parenting Occurs in a
Family
What makes a family? Do people have
to live in the same home to be family? Do
they have to have a biological link? Does a
family need a certain number of people to be
a family? Does everyone in a family have the
same last name?
As you answer these questions, compare
answers with a classmate. Did your classmate
have all the same answers? Your classmate
probably sees family a little differently from
the way you do. No two families are the
same. People define the word family in many
different ways.
Basically, a family is a group of two
or more people who are related by birth,
marriage, adoption, or other circumstances.
When family is mentioned, many people
immediately think of the members of their
household. A family also includes relatives
who do not live in the same home.
Your family of origin includes the family
members with whom you lived during your
childhood, 2-1. You may have grown up
with one or both of your biological parents,
adoptive parents, or foster parents. If you
have brothers and sisters, they are also
included in your family of origin.
Families, like individuals, come in all
shapes and sizes. This is why the word family
has different meanings to people. Families
vary in the way they are formed and in their
structure.
How Families Are
Formed
As you learn about how families are
formed, think about the circumstances
that bring people together to form a family.
The ways some families are formed result
in special parenting challenges, such as
blending lifestyles and routines when a
stepfamily forms. Perhaps you can think of
some challenges as you read through the
paragraphs that follow. The common ways
families are formed include marriage, birth,
adoption, inclusion in foster families, and
inclusion in families with guardians.
2-1 This child’s family of origin includes her
biological mother and father. Some families of
origin include adoptive parents or foster parents.