Family Life of 1960 Compared to Today Families

Many experts cite the weakening of the family as one of the causes for some of the problems that society faces today. I agree with this statement. In this paper I will answers questions regarding this concern.

Since 1960, what are some important or significant changes in families? What factors are responsible for this change? The early part of the 1960's the family life was supported together by the roles of the mother and father in the home. Mothers stayed at home to take care of the household and children, while dad worked and earned the income (enotes.com, 2011). Mainly this senerio was mainly in the suburbs with the middle white class, while the inner city families dealt with a single family home. The significant change is that even in the suburban family the mothers started to go to work to help with bills and to support the family also. The inner city families still deal with single parent families, mainly the mother raising the children while the father is either in jail or is a dead beat dad that doesn't want to help support the children. The economy has also changed since the 1960's, so making it hard for the mothers to stay at home. Children are also forced to be left alone at home to take care of themselves after school until one of the parents come home. Then you also have it that the mothers may have a position that is allowing them to bring in a better income and the fathers are staying at home. But that's not in all households. Plus you have marriages that are ending in divorce, which causes a lot of tension between the children and the parents. Parents are now deciding to keep the kids so busy that they don't have quality time to get to know their children and what's going on in their loves. I have a friend like that, she had been married 3 times and her third husband was killed in Iraq. Well her fourth husband is so picky that she decided to put the kids into activities that they don't want to do. But that's to keep the new hubby happy and the kids out his hair. Just too much for the children since they love spending quality time with their mom.

Families are becoming different and not weaker. Really what makes them different is that each family member is developing more and more into their own person. They are not trying to follow the ways their older generations raised their families. I wouldn't say parents are being weak but compromising with the children more instead of punishing them like I was brought up. Like myself, I was brought up with strict punishment and I got my behind tore up by my father if I did wrong. My children get what's important to them taken away if they do wrong and it's for a time period. Punishments are totally different. So of my friends think I am too lenient with my children.

I agree with experts. Families are losing the bond with each other. They are so tired up with careers and doing their own thing. Teenagers who are