Pros And Cons of Nuclear Family

Joint families were a common scenario few decades ago. But family circumstances where the earning member had to leave the hometown for winning bread for the family had given rise to a new family concept, popularly known as nuclear family setup. Being a universal social phenomenon, nuclear family is basically composed of husband, wife and their unmarried children. 

It has become a common ritual these days, where children leave their parental home after finding source of employment to establish their separate household. This is how nuclear family has emerged to be an autonomous unit that is free from any control of the elders. Most cities across the globe are mostly composed of such nuclear families as despite having some demerits, the advantages of nuclear family are overshadowing. Every family structure has its own merits and demerits and even nuclear family has its below listed pros and cons:-

Pros

1. Greater Financial Stability

Nuclear families are studied to be more capable of handling their needs and wants while providing children with better educational opportunities along with certain other luxuries. Apart from providing a safe environment, children of nuclear families are easily capable of accessing dance, karate, music, swimming or other such classes when their parents are working. These children get more opportunities to get educated and be successful on academic and social grounds. 

2. Stability And Strength

Being small in size, members of a nuclear family spend more time with each other and share great bond. Parents get the opportunity to act as role models for their children by creating a loving, caring and supportive ambience at home. 

This helps the children in understanding the importance of living in a family setup and they start cherishing the value of maintaining positive relationships with people in their circle. Children see their parents working together in fulfilling household responsibilities and handling conflicts arising in day to day situations. 

3. Better Upbringing Of Children

Nuclear families are in a position to provide consistent caretaking of their children. Stability and consistency in overall upbringing of children in nuclear setup improves their chances of exhibiting positive behavioural traits and scoring better grades in school. 

This kind of results is possible when members of a nuclear family eat dinner together, go for picnics or vacations, involve in community work and attend social functions together and hence, have strong relationship.

4. High Value For Education

Children born to parents who are well educated get motivation from family to attend and complete college. Since educated parents in a nuclear family have more resources dedicated for proper upbringing of their children, they understand the value of education at an early age which in turn, helps in shaping their bright academic future. 

5. Better Communication Lines

One of the most noteworthy advantages of nuclear family is that there are fewer distractions and obstacles when it comes to communicating within a nuclear family. With better relationship bonds, parents can easily communicate about the ongoing situation in their personal and financial life with their children. Even kids get the opportunity to share their concerns, queries and discuss other matters due to the friendly home atmosphere. 

Moreover, with technological advancements, parents can have control over the internet exposure available to their children and if kids carry mobile phones, then they can easily communicate their location and any schedule changes to their parents from time to time.

6. Less Number Of Children

Nuclear families understand the importance of attaining financial stability and how resources can be better channelized with less number of children. Family planning programme is therefore found to be more successful in case of nuclear families. They understand the need to limit the family as bearing all the responsibilities and expenses in upbringing of their children lies solely on one or both partner’s income.

7. Better Living Standards For Women

It has been surveyed that women in nuclear families enjoy better facilities and status as compared to those in joint families. Women in nuclear families get enough time to dedicate to children and home management without being interfered by elders or family rituals. They even enjoy more attention from their partners and children.

Cons

1. Isolated Family Setup

For the immediate family members, the nuclear family setup offers high level of bonding since parents and children get that necessary individualised attention. But many studies have found that members of nuclear family can eventually get isolated from relatives and social groups. 

Additionally, such kind of small family setup often has to face hard times alone. Uncles, grandparents, aunts and cousins have their place in the family structure but nuclear family runs disregarding all these relationships, making the children bit narrow minded and less empathetic. 

2. Physical & Mental Exhaustion

Studies have revealed that family members in a nuclear setup are largely prone to suffer from burnouts in an attempt to meet each other’s needs and expectations. Especially women can suffer from more physical and mental exhaustion in tending for the children while ensuring that they are moving right on academic, social and behavioural front. 

In absence of extended family, parents will solely have to take care if any family member gets sick. The struggle of attaining balance between work and life without assistance of elders or siblings can lead to stress, depression and inter family conflicts.

3. Poor Conflict Resolution Skills

Though one of the main advantages of nuclear family is less stress and conflicts, it also poses as a demerit at one point. Facing conflicts is a part of life and one must be adept at conflict resolution at every sphere in life. 

Since the bond is stronger in case of nuclear families that develops like-minded thinking within the family, there may come situations when children may find it uncomfortable living with guests, relatives or family friends. They may have conflicts with outside people and instead of having an adjusting nature, they may end up arguing with elders due to poor conflict resolution skills.

4. Weak Support System

Nuclear families find it difficult to cope with situations where any member suffers from illness or accident. Emergency situations like these are better handled when there is support from the extended family. In a nuclear family, where both parents work and have young kids, they find it less feasible to solely meet all responsibilities and expectations of the family. 

5. Thought Process Becomes Self Centred

As per some researches, the conventional nuclear family is more child-centred and all the focus of the parents is directed towards upbringing of the children. A nuclear family works in order to fulfil its own needs and doesn’t prioritise the needs of extended family and friends. This kind of thinking teaches their children to be self centred and they lay less consideration towards betterment of the society.

6. Unsafe For Widow, Old & Divorcee

In a nuclear family setup, the old, widow and divorcee have to lead neglected and isolated life. They are left to feel insecure both psychologically and physically. Moreover, the narrow mindedness of the children in a nuclear family can compel them to drift away from the nuclear setup to live life on their own. 

The pros and cons of the nuclear family clearly indicates that the modern society has given birth to small family setup and despite its demerits, there are increasing number of people who are advantageously living in a small family. 

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