BUT THE CONCEPT OF A FAMILY THAT CONSISTS OF JUST PARENTS AND CH...
1947, but the concept of a family that consists of just parents and children is much older. This basic
unit of a family’s structure has existed for millennia, but it wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that
the nuclear family became the majority situation. At that time, industrial economic booms and
rising wages made it possible for young parents to afford their own homes without living with
extended family members. At the same time, better healthcare contributed to the nuclear family, as
elderly members became more self-sufficient and independent for decades after their children
were grown.
Today, the era of the nuclear family is often glamorized, complete with mom in the kitchen,
dad out earning the paychecks, and the kids building a tree house or hosting a stuffed animal tea
party. In reality, there is no ideal type of family, and today’s definition of a nuclear family can
greatly differ from that it was a few decades ago.