Nuclear Family and the need to be an Equal Parent

The culture which is commonly prominent in west is now dominating the Indian society due to changing requirements of lifestyle and needs be it financial or social

Nuclear Family or elementary family or conjugal family is essentially a family which has parents (mother and father) and children. It is a disintegrated subset of a joint family. This breakdown of the extended family unit has its own social landscape and perceptions. The culture which is commonly prominent in the west is now dominating the Indian society due to changing requirements of lifestyle and needs be it financial or social. There is an emerging trend in parenting, wherein with an increasing number of families going the nuclear way, fathers were getting more and more involved in sharing the parenting responsibility.

Naiyya Saggi, Founder and CEO, BabyChakra.com reveals what do nuclear families do in terms of modern parenting.

Work as a team: Members in a nuclear family function as a team. Parents function as individual contributors to the family and work in turns to share responsibility. This creates better bonds and understanding between the two partners resulting in a consistent discipline in the overall functioning of the household.

Social and Emotional Development: Children look up to Parents as a role model. When both parents share responsibility in all aspects of a household, children tend to grow up more responsible emotionally and socially. They also eventually get involved in sharing these loads as they grow to make them more independent and self- reliant. Did you know 30 percent Dads disregard gender biased when it comes to sharing responsibilities with the wife?

Easy and Clear Communication: Since the family size is limited to a few members, there is a better bond and relationships are more expressive. Father and mother both are involved in making decisions, sometimes involving children as well. This creates a free circulation of thoughts among members resulting in open and free communication. 70 percent dads spend more time at home in nuclear families making their presence contributive hence establishing better communication with children.

Better Stability: 30 percent Dads support wife resuming career post-baby. Nuclear families are less restricted when it comes to making financial decisions. This allows both mother and father to earn with equal ability and get better stability. This also means that both partners have better clarity of how they want to live and hence complement each other well by better support and understanding.

Make sound decisions: In nuclear families, since both parents are equally involved, decisions related to children’s development and future are mutual and sound. These decisions are not out of obligations and are healthy and unbiased. Data says, 20 percent Dads quit smoking and drinking alcohol after baby. Nuclear families can be a great way to bring up independent and confident children if both parents work as a team. However, the concept can fail completely if both Mother and Father move on separate tangents and refuse to get along. Parenting is always full of questions and concerns, especially when there is no experienced support from within the family. Parents in nuclear family setup tend to seek help from the outside like parenting forums, digital apps and social groups. However, all external support aside, the support that works best is the support of your spouse- a spouse who is an equal parent!

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