For a lot of people, there seems to be constant pressure to be “normal” in some way or another. There are few places where this pressure is stronger than when you’re thinking about starting a family. There’s a traditional idea of the nuclear family, and it’s often seen as any deviation from that is somehow wrong or weird. But is that the truth? Are we supposed to only live in what people consider to be “normal families”? Do “normal families” even really exist? Well, the answer is pretty complicated but, simply put, no it doesn’t. This is because no two families are alike, even if it might seem that way from the outside.
Here are just a few ways that every family is different, and yet equally valid.
Everyone’s circumstances are different
Before you decide to judge anyone else for the way that they’re living their lives, remember that they might be in a totally different circumstance to you.
Some people might be in a position where they can only afford to raise one child, or perhaps they wanted another but were unable to. That doesn’t make their family any less valid than the typical 2.5 kids household.
The same goes for people who either choose to adopt or find that adoption is their only option.
From both sides, adoption is something that’s sometimes looked down on, but fortunately, organizations like www.adoptionadvocates.com are helping to break down some of those barriers.
No matter what your personal situation is, always remember that not everyone is living their life the same way as you.
Your choices are just as valid as anyone else’s
Of course, the same applies the other way around.
Don’t let anyone try and tell you that you’re living your life incorrectly in some way.
Anyone who tries to tell anyone else that their family is wrong in some way because of things like personal circumstances, sexuality, or race should spend more time thinking about their own problems than projecting them onto other people.
Happiness is what’s most important
The most important thing is that a family is happy.
You might think that a family needs two parents to be complete, but if a couple is arguing every single day, then that’s not going to create the best environment for a child.
Instead, they might be much better at co-parenting as friends rather than feeling stuck in a frustrating and unhappy relationship.
In this case, a single-parent family may be much more stable and secure than one with two unhappy parents.
There’s no rule telling you what a family is supposed to look like and no one has the right to tell someone else whether or not their family is valid.
The most important thing to remember is that, whether or not it seems “normal” to you, the only thing that’s really important is that a family is able to love, support, and care for each other every single day. As long as you have that, then your family is going to be just fine.
Find out more parenting tips on the following links:
My name is Andrea Thompson and I’m a home based freelance writer. I’m 23 years old, married to my best friend, and mother to a wonderfully independent and opinionated 3 year old girl and step-mother to a sweet seven year old boy. I live in a tiny, little town in Kentucky, where I spend my free time fishing with my kids.
Writing has always been my passion, which I followed through high school, and for a while in college. Life happened, and once I discovered we were pregnant, I switched directions; opting for the healthcare industry because of the stability.
Finally, years later, I was in a place where I could leave the day job that never truly made me happy, and pursue my dreams. I’ve built, and am still building, my writing career from scratch. But, I’m passionate and I’m good at what I do. And, in the end, I can prove to my daughter that she can do anything she wants with this life.
