WJEC GCSE Home Eco - Child Development

A family is a usually described as a group of one or two parents and children living together in a household. They could be related to each other by blood, marriage, adoption or arrangement. Nuclear family The nuclear family is made up of a mother, father and their children. Parents in this type of family can bring up their children without interference from other relatives. They can choose to live in their own way with no rules set by older family members to follow. The family can decide when to visit other family members; therefore children may not see their grandparents often if they live far away. This can sometimes have an effect on the family bonds. Children might have to be looked after by someone outside the family when parents work or go out for an evening. Childcare therefore needs to be paid for, and in an emergency there may not be any close family members nearby to help out. Parents may struggle to balance the demands of work, family and friendships without outside assistance. W h a t w i l l I l e a r n ? • The many ways in which people live together as families • The care available for children who cannot live with their own family Key Terms Nuclear family – parents and children li ving together Extended family – parents and other relati ves li ving together or close by One parent – mother or father looking af ter children • 2 million single parents in Britain in 2012. • 8% of single parents (185,000) are fathers in 2012. • 3 million children living in a single parent household in 2011. • In 1971 8% of families were single parent families but in 2011 this had risen to 26%. Key Facts Nuclear family  Types of family 2 Topic 1: Family and Child