Information Related to "What's so Special About Families?"
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Some people say that families today come in all shapes,
sizes and configurations. Because of so much divorce, it is no longer
unusual for children to be raised in households apart from their biological
parents and with siblings who are their half brothers or half sisters,
or with other children and teens who have no biological relation to them
at all.
Likewise, it is no longer unusual for men and women to have several marital partners throughout their lifetimes. Some believe that such arrangements are simply the product of enlightened individuals seeking happiness. Many justify their divorces saying: "It's better for the kids to see us happy rather than fighting. The kids are strong and resilient. They'll get over the divorce and eventually have a new family."
This kind of reasoning assumes that families are only temporary relationships until the happiness ends or something better comes along. This, of course, is a monumental change from previous generations, which generally viewed families as fixed and stable for life. It used to be commonly understood that while new inventions would undoubtedly come along changing our lives, we could always count on our families to remain stable. We would always have each other—for better or worse. But now the idea of disposable family relationships—ones that only last as long as everyone is happy—threatens to overwhelm the former perspective.
Some young people may even be pleased with the idea of rearranging their families. Like re-choosing sides for another neighborhood baseball game, some kids may relish the thought of trading brothers or sisters for someone easier to get along with.
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