The joint family lifestyle vastly differs from the current rising trend of nuclear families. Joint families involve grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins living together under the same roof. Nuclear families simply consist of parents, children, and maybe some pets.
Both have their respective ways of living and suit different kinds of people. Joint families make sure that your kids are never alone, while nuclear families give you the freedom to bring your kids up on your rules and principles. Nuclear families often consist of one or two working parents with kids returning home late after tuition.
They get to live life on their own terms with little restrictions. However, nuclear families usually hire household help or do their household chores independently. Children often grow up with an independent mindset in such families. But everything has advantages and disadvantages. Nuclear families often grow distant during the hectic demands of a modern lifestyle.
Financial problems are also burdensome on the family, with nobody to rely on or ask for help. Nuclear family kids often lose touch with their traditional and cultural side due to a lack of adequate contact and exposure to extended family and relatives. Similarly, joint families have their respective pros and cons. Here’s a quick guide to it.
A great advantage of joint families is the sharing of household chores. As a result, one single family member, such as the mother or the grandmother, is not burdened with all responsibilities. Kids also learn to join in and help in the kitchen and around the house from a young age. This helps complete the tasks faster and more efficiently as well.
Usually, when one member of the family is earning, the social unit manages to remain afloat. But in a joint family, parents, uncles, and aunts all join in and shoulder financial responsibilities together. As a result, no single family member feels pressured, while the entire family thrives in abundance.
Living in a joint family teaches kids important details about moral values, ethics, and traditions. While some may be outdated and superstitious, many such lessons are commonly doled out to kids hailing from joint families. They usually make children better individuals who wish to be good humans and keep their family values and morals.
A joint family is an entire ecosystem of love and support. In emergencies, your family will always have your back. Also, working parents usually get to keep their children at home with their grandparents for the day. This would have been impossible in nuclear families without hiring a babysitter or full-time household help.
Living in a joint family teaches kids how to adjust and share their belongings with others. It also makes children flexible and accommodating from a young age as they know there are multiple elders to correct and adore them.
Joint families do not allow much privacy for anybody, be it a rebellious teenage kid or a newly married couple. This can often create conflicts at home for people who are naturally more independent and individualistic.
Another con of a joint family is less independence as an individual. For example, your child may like practicing dance at the end of the day to unwind while you enjoy watching your favorite TV show and having cocoa. However, there is a greater likelihood of relinquishing these personal comforts on a daily basis for the greater good and comfort of the joint family.
In joint families, parents might get frustrated at the lack of privacy and constant interference while disciplining their kids. Often, certain parenting goals may also need to be altered to maintain a peaceful home ambiance. For example, you may not wish to let your toddler watch tv till they are 5, but you will not be able to prohibit others from watching TV or letting them join.
Financial contributions often determine who is higher in the power hierarchy in a family. For example, a conflict may arise between who has the final say in a matter, and between an unemployed person and a financially successful member of the family. This can lead to power imbalances, domestic conflicts, and animosity between children.
Joint families are just like any other regular family. They simply involve a lot of related kin living together and standing by one another in times of need and distress. A joint family lifestyle is not for everyone, and it comes with its own set of blessings and problems. If you are wondering whether it suits you and your kids, try the above guide now.