'A family consists of a father, mother and one or more children' ?

I was born knowing only my mother. I met my biological father last november (I'm 21 years old). I was raised by my mother, with my little brother. That's how it was for about 8 years. My mom, my brother, and myself. She married when I was 8, then I had a stepfather. I'm not sure what's considered "normal" nor do I care. My father was never around, and he hasn't called me in weeks. Women are necessary in families. When the women leave or die, the men seem to fall apart. I don't think this "perfect family" is as prevalent as everyone wants to believe. There are mothers out there that are the best mother and FATHER a child has and ever will have. I'm appreciative of the strong woman I call my mother.

Todays world has created the extended family. In civil divorces where the parents are still amicable, the step-parent family has been created. With more children moving back home to their parents homes, that has created the grandparent family. Gone are the days of parents going on vacation because their children have moved on. The grandparents are becoming more and more of a solid, constant in their grand children's lives. The newest family unit is the gay/lesbian family. A family that has more than one mother or father living in the home. In all of this the main focus is raising the children. The word parenting and family, to me, are non-gendered words. The bible gave us an example of what a family unit should be. It does not say that the possibility of other types of family can not exist. Just my two cents. DCMerkle

A family consists of a parent or guardian and one or more children. Who says that a family should have a mother, father and children?? Some peple class their pets as their chidren, some dont have children but still class themselves as a family. I grew up with my mum, dad and two brothers. At the age of 10 we were sent to a boarding house while my parents went to Germany. Two years later they split up but I still class them as my family even though we dont live together.

I was brought up with a mother father and two sisters, my children have each other and me and their father we are a family. But even if I was on my own with my girls we would still be a family a family is about a lot more than just who it consists of its about caring and love and sharing all those special times, it doesnt matter who you share with them.

To me a family consists of a group of people that are brought together and stay together out of love and mutual respect for each other. That can be male & female, female & female, male & male, older relatives/friends, younger relatives/friends, with kids, without kids, etc. The possible combinations are unlimited, but the one common denominator is love.