The Definition of Family Many things have changed in the traditional American family. Years ago, the word family was easily defined as a mother, a father, and children. Today, things are so much different than they used to be. To be considered a family, there does not even have to be two parents. Single parent homes are a common thing these days. It is also common for a home to consist of two parents of the same sex. Though different from traditional ways, these households still make up families. A family is what a person makes of it.
It does not matter if there is only one parent in a household. As long as that parent supports, loves and nurtures his/her children, that one parent can be the child's family. If a child has two mothers or two fathers, it does not matter as long as the child is getting what he/she needs both physically and emotionally from both of the parents.
Castro Street in downtown Mountain View
City Hall, Mountain View, CA
Official seal of City of Mountain ViewWhen there is a mother and a father, it does not matter which one of them stays home and which one of them works. Someone has to support the family, and someone has to take care of the family. It is possible for one person to do both at the same time. Family is what we make of it. Everyone has their own opinions as to the definition of a family. As long as there is love and support in a household, there is family.
Work Cited Decter, Midge. "The Madness of the Family."� The Aims of Argument. Ed. Carolyn E.
Channell and Timothy W. Cruius. ed. Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing Company, 2000. pp 440-449.