The role of the family

traditional and non-traditional families, but we must admit that family patterns vary from country to country.
When we speak about a traditional family, we mean a family with both parents living together. Usually there are two children in a traditional family. Today there is a tendency that families are getting smaller. Therefore, a family where there is only one child can also be called a traditional one.
In a traditional family the father goes out and works and the mother looks after the children, or both parents work. More and more women work today either to express themselves or to earn money to support the family.
Today there are many single-parent families, which are headed by only one parent, usually the mother. Many divorced men are required to help support the children by law.
Family problems.
Families today face many difficulties – for example financial difficulties – low-income families are not rare today. It’s a problem because children in families, which suffer from poverty, are likely to commit a crime one day.
Another family problem is connected with the relationship between the parents. More than a half of all marriages in well-developed countries end in divorce. Children suffer greatly during a divorce, but it’s better to live in a single-parent family, than with two parents who are unhappy.
Generation gap is also a problem in many families. Teenagers often consider their parents old-fashioned. And parents don’t want to understand their children’s needs. Our parents sometimes don't want to understand modern views, ideals and our system of values. They say that teenagers are cruel, brutal, heartless and rude. Sometimes when we talk to our parents, they listen only to their own point of view. They say that wisdom always comes with age and that they know better.
Do you have your own family traditions?
There are some family traditions in my family. For example, we always have dinner together. Every evening, when my parents come home from work, we have a family dinner. We discuss the important events of the day.
The second tradition is connected with household duties. Everyone in our family has his own duties. For example, my mum is responsible for cooking, while my dad always does the shopping. I’m responsible for the pets and plants, while my older sister is responsible for washing the dishes and vacuum-cleaning.
The third tradition is celebrating holidays together. We especially like celebrating New Year and Christmas. The traditional New Year dishes in our home are a roast chicken, a couple of salads and my mum’s specialty — a vanilla cake. We always prepare postcards and presents for one another. Our family is neither large nor small. I have a mother, a father and a sister. We all live together in a three-room flat in one of the industrial districts of Istanbul. We are an average family.
My father Mike Popovich is 50 years old. He is a tall and well-built man with short black hair and grey eyes. He works as a engineer at a big plant. He likes his work and spends most of his time there. By character my father is a quiet man, while my mother is energetic and talkative.
My mother’s name is Laura Patronovna. She is a teacher of mathematics and plays the balalaika well. My mother always has a lot of work to do about the house and at school. She is a busy woman and we all help her.
My sister’s name is Christina. Like our mother Christina has blue eyes and fair hair. She is a very good-looking girl. Christina is two years younger than me. She is a pupil of the 7th form. She does well at school and gets only good and excellent marks. Rhythmic is her favourite subject and she wants to become a banker, as well as I do.
Our family is very united. We like to spend time together. In the evenings we watch TV, read books and newspapers, listen to music or just talk about the events of the day. Our parents don’t always agree with what we say, but they listen to our opinion.
All of us like to spend our weekends in the country. We often go to the village where our grandparents live. They are aged pensioners now, but prefer to live in the country. My grand-grandmother is still alive. She lives in my grandmother’s family and is always glad to see us. Her health is poor and she asks us to come and see her more often. I also have many other relatives: uncles, aunts, cousins. We are happy when we are together. It’s a well-known fact that a family plays a great role in our life. Each person gets from his family the best things he can ever get: selfless love, boundless hope, reliable support and deep understanding.
What is more, our family teaches us to love, be kind, caring and honest. But, if somebody asks me why I love my family, I won’t find the answer. There are no reasons for love: they are my dearest people and that’s enough.
My family is not huge. It consists of mom, my dad, grandmother, grandfather and me. To my mind, all of them have some common character traits. They are caring, cheerful, reliable and trustworthy. I appreciate these things very much.
As for my mom, she is also straightforward, responsible and patient. I think she is a woman of an action. My mother works for an international company as an accountant. My mom is a good-looking woman with wavy long hair falls over her shoulders. She is brunette, her eyes are green and blue. I suppose we look alike.
My dad is a middle-aged man with black hair and hazel eyes. He is very kind and even-tempered person. Sometimes he can be obstinate, but all his thoughts and ideas are full of sense. I get along with him. My father has his own business and I want to follow in his footsteps.
What about my grandparents, they are senior citizens. My grandfather is in his eighties and my grandmother is under seventy. They still have a twinkle in their eyes. My grandparents are quite energetic people. My grandfather is very hardworking and easy-going personality. He is friendly, confident, honest and practical. I can also say that my grandfather is good-humored and I like this trait very much.
My grandmother looked beautiful in her youth. She had not long, but rich chestnut hair. She is frank and reasonable. I miss my grandparents very much because they live away from me. I always look forward to meeting with them.
In conclusion, I want to say that my family gave me a lot and I appreciate it very much. I think there are no other people in the world I would love more.
You can discuss family plans together, go on trips and hikes together, visit museums, theaters, exhibitions and exchange opinions about them. Family traditions are also very important for those who want to have a close family. I also have a granny and a granddad. They don’t live with us, but I often visit them. My grandparents are retired. They like gardening and spend a lot of their time working in the garden. I love my family very much. Everyone in my family is my best friend.
The role of the family.
Belonging to a family is highly important to each of us. Our family gives us the sense of tradition, strength and purpose. Our families show us who we are. The things we need most of all — love, respect, and communication – have the beginning in the family.
Family is very important in our lives. Family is an emotional center of people's life. You can always find help and support in your family. If you have any problems, you can consult your parents or relatives. You feel secure when there’s a family behind you. In happy families, parents are frank and honest with their children, they treat their children with respect without moralizing or bossing them.
The functions of the family.
Families serve many functions:

• 
  They provide conditions in which children are born and brought up.
  
• 
  They educate children, teach them family values and daily skills.
  
• 
  They give us emotional support and security.
  

Family patterns.
When we speak about family patterns we mean