The Extended Family (grandparents, Cousins, Aunts and Uncles) Is Less Important Now Than It Was in the Past.

I had a lovely childhood. My grandparents and uncles were important to me and fun to be around. We played games, watched cartoons together. Now I enjoyed being around my nieces and nephews. For me, the extended family is more important today.

Today some women do not have the advice they need when they have a baby, simply because they live too far form their extended family. Few women have been present at childbirth before having their own baby. Thus, it it their cousin-sisters who can provide financial support or practical guidance before and after the birth of their babies. Those experienced women are able to answer any questions asked by new mothers, helping new mothers recover from the childbirth, have enough rest, and take better care of their newborn babies. Certainly, some people might claim that parents can also be responsible for the childbirth, however, much knowledge about childbirth acquired by parents proves wrong. Hence, as medicine is becoming increasingly advanced, cousin-sisters are the ones who are more trustworthy and reliable, especially when new mothers get anxious or angry.

For many years, I worked as a journalist. How much do your extended family contribute to you lives? This is one of my favorite questions, with regard to the extended family. The answers sometimes exerted a peculiar fascination on me. A great many people told me that their uncles and aunts were more likely to act like good friends, compared to parents. Their uncles and aunts are more willing to listen, but less willing to criticize them. I can recall, Leo, one of my interviewees, spent most of his university days with his uncle and aunt. Never attempting to interfere too much or limit his independence, his uncle and aunt treated him with unprecedented respect as an adult as well as their nephew. I believe in this case for many other young people as well, so I do not suppose it is necessarily fair to say the extended family is less important