The term relationship means the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people

are connected, or the state of being connected. Relationship is the state of the state of being
connected by blood or marriage, and it is also defined as the way in which two or more people or
groups regard and behave toward each other. An example of a relationship is the relationship
between friends, acquaintances, and family.
Family is defined as a group of domestically relatable people with some form of kinship,
and it can be through blood, marriage, or adoption. Family is not only formed through blood, it
can also be form through adoption, and foster care. Family is important because it provides love,
support and a framework of values to each of its members. Family members teach each other,
serve one another and share life's joys and sorrows. Families provide a setting for personal
growth. Family is the single most important influence in a child's life. The family has very
powerful effects on the developing child, impacting attitudes, beliefs, opportunities, habits, and
personality traits. According to the perspective of Brofenbrenner, the child has an active and
passive role in its development as this model emphasizes the importance of relationships among
individuals and changes environments, leading to qualitative changes. According to the social
learning theory of Bandura (1971) and Bandura and Walters (1963, as cited in Mack, 2001),
children learn to behave by observing the behaviour of their attachment figures, shaping up to
these behaviours and imitating them. That means the child adapts to the family that he/she
belongs to. The family that an individual grew in have a large impact on the way that an
individual develops mentally, physically, and emotionally. The relationship of a family is crucial
to a child’s development. In contrast to other types of relationships, family affection is cultivated
during a long time by sticking together and blood related. The type of family that a child belongs
to also plays a critical role in determining who a child becomes and what he or she accomplishes.
According to a research by Kubilus P. et al (2008), the family has very powerful effects on the
developing child, impacting attitudes, beliefs, opportunities, habits, and personality traits. In a
family, the children are also expected to receive support, come to feel loved, valued, and taken
care of. Children are provided with companionship and learn to believe in a shared set of values
by the family that they grew in.
The relationship between family members can greatly impact an individual’s mental
health. For example, an increasing number of research demonstrates that negative family
relationships can cause mental stress, impact mental health and even cause physical symptoms.
Some research has also demonstrated that non-supportive families and abusive family
relationships can have a big impact on someone's mental health and or cause a mental illness to
worsen. Families that are also separated by divorce can have a negative impact on a child’s
development. Over the years, there has been a general consensus that single-parent families are at
a greater disadvantage compared to more traditional homes. According to a research conducted
by Behere A. et.al (2017), Single
parent families are also suggested to have less resilience when confronting stress. The stress of
the parents can affect their children as well. Still according to a research conducted by Behere A.
et.al (2017) the prevalence of poverty in single-parent family has been estimated to be as high as
50% compared to around 5% in two-parent intact families. This economic disadvantage can
further lead to higher rates of emotional and behavioural problems in children. That just shows
that there are a lot of factors that can affect the development of the child, aside from the
separation of his/her parents.
 Relationship between families is not the only type of relationship that can affect a child or
an adolescent’s growth and development. Relationship between friends also play a crucial role on
an individual’s growth and development. According to Erwin P. et al (2013), friendships, and peer
relationships, in general, serve a number of important functions for the individual. Aside from
family, relationship between the friends and peers of an individual can positively affect or
negatively affect his/her growth and development. Still according to Erwin P. et al (2013), peer
relationships give children the opportunity to learn and practice their social-interaction skills with
equals. In the case of friendships, this includes the skills required to co-operatively build and
maintain close relationships, to manage communications, conflict, trust, and intimacy.
Friendships also contribute to the improvement of social abilities, such as being aware towards
another person’s perspective, as well as learning age-appropriate behaviours. In comparison to
children who don’t have friends, children who have develop good friendships are shown to have
a higher self-esteem, and also act more socially. They can also cope with life stresses and are also
less bullied by peers. That is the reason why aside from good relationship between the families,
an individual also needs to have good relationship towards friends.
In conclusion, the importance of the family to a child’s development is immeasurable. The
relationship created between family members serves as the foundation for the overall
development of a child. The relationship that a family have, whether positive or negative will
impact the individual’s mental, social, emotional, and even physical health. The type of
friendship that a child also have will affect his development. Due to the fact that the children
tends to adapt what they see in their environment, it is important that the environment the he/she
grows up will help him/her to grow into the best of his/her abilities.