Zaynab Akbari - 4

Some people think that it is best for extended families (including grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc.) to live together. Other people think that it is best for the nuclear family (parents and children only) to live away from the extended family.

Which type of family living arrangement do you think is the most beneficial?

Use specific reasons to support your response.

Both the extended and the nuclear families have pros and cons. However, as a person who has experienced both, I can say that living together with your grandparents, aunts, uncle and maybe your cousins can be fun sometimes, but living in a nuclear family is indeed better. There are some problems such as disagreements and conflicts and inconsistencies that can be seen more distinctly in extended families.

First of all, it is obvious that as the number of people increases anywhere, conflict becomes unavoidable. The same applies to families as well. The reason is that a family with a large number of members means various views and differing beliefs sharing the same roof, which may lead to arguments and disapprovals. As a result, individuals in a joint family may not always have the freedom to live their lives in any way they want and make their own decisions and mistakes. Moreover, misunderstandings which are the root of many conflicts are more common in extended families. All in all, these issues can trigger family stress which may cause serious problems over the long-term.

Secondly, I believe that family arrangements have impacts on shaping personality of individuals, especially children. That is why, consistency is one of the most important things that should be taken into account when raising a child. Consistency means that parents should follow through their routines and do as they say. It also means resisting to give their kids second and third chances when they break the rules or behave poorly around others. It allows boundaries and expectations to be set, which actually provides children with a sense of safety. However, in an extended family, this is not always considered. For instance, when parents prevent their kids from watching television for so long, grandparents cannot refuse their wishes and thus the rules get broken.

To sum up, all the problems mentioned above are almost always part of a joint family, while they are out of question in a nuclear family. Therefore, I think that nuclear family model is more beneficial. No doubt, the choice to raise a family by the nuclear model does not guarantee success or happiness but it can provide a basis for obtaining those ideals.