Which do you consider family????

Hi Vidhya, You are right, a family consists husband, wife and kids. Most probably husband's parents also stay with them. Earlier joint family was a common scene but now the picture is different and you can find nuclear family instead of a joint family. Both terms have advantages and disadvantages. My family includes my husband, me and our kids. Both of us parents are away in our native place. We are visiting them once in a year and stay with them almost one month. Family reunion is really a wonderful feeling.

If you mean who lives in your house hold then my family who lives in my house hold is just my husband and I. If you mean what do I consider my family then I have a broader sense of the word and include: My daughter and her in-laws as family, I consider some friends as family even they are not blood relations."

The immediate family is considered to be living together (wife, husband, children). Then you have the extended family of both of your parents, siblings of both parents - any people connected - nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles. That is all family to me. Parents may live with kids here if there is a need, or the kids may move in with the parents to take care of them in case of a sickness.

I live in the USA. I am divorced and live with my Mother, she will be 84 year old on Jan. 24th. My brother who is not married lives with us and so does my daugther who is not married and her 3 year old daughter. My father passes away in 1997. My Mother cannot live alone becaue she can just barely hear. Like she cannot hear the ringing telephone, tornado siren, smoke detector or buzzer on the dryer. If she is in the same room she can sometimes here a knock on the door. Some days she can hear pretty well when you talk to her and can sometimes read lips. It is very difficult but I am proud to still have her with us.