Usually family traditions and rules are passed from generation to generation. However, now young families have the opportunity to separate from their parents. At first glance, it seems right. However, life apart from older generations deprives young families from the benefits of the knowledge and wisdom in matters of child rearing. This way the influence of the older generation on children decreases with the strictness of the rules. Personally, I was raised in tough boundaries, I was taught to behave in a certain way and even now I can not cross some of behavior laws that were declared by my parents. Sometimes it seems that modern kids do not have any limits at all. At first, it looks like that they are just high fed, the truth is they are not limited as much as we are; they have more freedom.
A vast number of today's children from an early age are operating computer on a regular basis. Toys of my childhood were dolls and cars, modern kids have iPods, iPads and laptops to play. Because of all these gadgets and access to internet – unlimited source of information children in general is smarter than the previous generation was at the same age. They have more knowledge and skills in specific areas than previous generations. Actually, evolution of mankind is based precisely on the positive generational change.
Children nowadays have a huge selection of choices regarding every aspect of life, which was not available to their parents, let alone grandparents. They are effete with information and opportunities that are why they expect much more from life than we did. They have got the taste of it in virtual reality.
Likewise, today's kids are often at an early age know what sex, alcohol, drugs are. The internet provides almost unlimited access to any information. I would not lie that my generation was not curious about such matters. However the only source of ban information for us were stories from other kids, which was not considered very reliable information. That it why we were afraid to try some things that modern kids do without a second thought,. They are not restricted by so many worries and fears growing up as we were.
When it comes to a woman it immediately triggered cultural stereotype. Women areas of expertise are house and kids. This was a sacred role of women for thousands of years and remains this way forever. However, in today's world, women are no longer satisfied with a purely domestic role. They rightly claim much more active role. Over the past few decades, this situation has changed dramatically: more women work as much as men and earn the same amount of money.
The man in the family usually was the bread winner and defender, while the woman is the house and family keeper. However, this role division appeared at times when people hunted mammoths’ in order to survive. Modern life is much safer and more comfortable than it used to be even a 100 years ago. Today woman does not need man's protection or his money. In modern world women can and sometimes does earn more money than the man.
However, it is difficult to arrive at a final decision if it has a totally positive effect on the family. Economically speaking, it is much easier to support a family when both parents are working. Especially, in our time, financial stability is a very significant part of family happiness.
However, there is the other side of this change. If wife starts to gain more money than her husband, it may induce a crack in relationships. Despite the fact that we do not live in the Stone Age male has an urge to be the main supporter of their families. However, if a woman is smart enough and finds a way to convince her man that he is still a leader no problems will occur.
Another aspect that gets negatively influenced by this situation is kids. It is not a secret that children need mother's love in order to be mentally healthy. Working mothers, unfortunately, cannot spear enough time to provide proper care after their children especially in the first couple of years of life babies.
Women traditionally do all the housework by themselves. However, when they have started to work as much as men, household became a heavy burden. That is why most families split chores nowadays. These way men in the family perform housework, which used to be considered feminine.
I remember that my grandfather usually came back from work have dinner and watched TV or read newspaper. I cannot recall a memory of him cleaning up or even washing dishes left alone cooking. He never looked after the kids or took care of them. The reason is that at that time that was a regular man’s behavior. No one expected him to act differently because his main responsibility was earning money for the entire family. While the woman was in charge of the household and kids.
In contrast, in my family, both parents do their part of the chores and participate in kids' lives equally. Father usually takes care of yard and garage, sometimes helps to clean up the house and washes dishes after each meal. When I was a child, he spent with me nearly as much time as mother did. I cannot be sure that all families nowadays are just like mine; however, I am confident that most of them are close in matters of family roles. To my mind these changes are very positive, especially for children. Interaction with both parents provides feeling of love and security for little creatures.
Despite all the differences in male role that took place over last two generations, there are things that will never change. Man was, is and always will be protector and leader his family. The most important decisions concerning family have always been made by man. Even though in last years females begun to participate more frequently in family decisions, the last word is always male’s. Also, man is always problem solver. This is a heavy burden, however, this was through the history man’s responsibility to omit trouble and found ways to resolve all the issues.
In modern life greater number of people finds benefit I civil marriage. Men are mostly guided by their desire not to lose their freedom and have the right to live their lives as they want it. Even though it is only an illusion because usually in civil marriages both partners are still having responsibilities which they fulfill. The only difference is lack of documents to legally establish that they are a family. To my mind sometimes people have more materialistic reasons not to get married. For instance, in case of breaking up they won’t have to split the property.
Back in the days people were supposed to get married in order to live together and to be able to have sex. In modern life, we do not accept such standards anymore. So what is the point of participating in the contest when you can have the prize right away?
There are not a lot of aspects of family life that get influenced by the decision not to get married. There may be some problems in order for the child to get fathers last name. If the couple separated, it will be very hard for the father to get custody. In married couple, this issue is easier to resolve as both parents have at least some document that can prove their status. Also in case of an accident, one can make life saving divisions for his partner, unfortunately for civil marriages this right is not applicable.
Nontraditional families now have the same right as regular families. It is not uncommon to see a same-sex couple on the street or in any public place. As single-sex marriages become more common in our world they face a new issue – kids. American dream family is two parents and two and a half kids. The best way for non-traditional families to fulfill this dream is to adopt a child. Other ways like artificial insemination or surrogate mothers are very expensive and not always successful. This way authorities have faced new dilemma whether single-sex parents can be good and positive role models for adopted children. That is why adoption and education of children in same-sex couples governed by the laws in some countries. Traditional families, mostly do not have such problems, they are usually capable giving birth to kids. Despite all the progressive viewing of modem people, single-sex family will attract more public attention than traditional ones. To my opinion kids from non-traditional family will face some issues in communication with other children especially in school because of the background they came from. I do not thing that in everyday life this two types of family are any different they all do the same thing, care about their kids, and each other, work, do house chores.
Our world is progressing at a rapid speed, and we need to keep up with it in order not to be left behind. Traditions in child raising, male and female role, and even types of families and marriages changed a lot for over one generation. As for me, all this new factor of social life are not better or worse just different.
