• A family unit that extends past the nuclear family to

include other relatives such as aunts, uncles, and

grandparents living in the same household or keeping
close ties and taking on responsibilities for that
household.
• It can be also called a complex family, joint family,
or multi-generational family.
• There are multiple adults in the family that are not
parents of the children, they share in the
responsibilities for providing for the whole family,
either by contributing financially or in other ways.

* Nuclear family- a couple and their dependent children,

regarded as a basic social unit.
• Also called as dispersed extended
family , includes family members who
don’t live in the same household, or
even the same area, but keep close
ties with each other.
• Include one or more members who
regularly send money to each other.
• The leader may be the oldest,
most senior family member, or the
most prominent breadwinner of the
family.

• The head of the family depends

whose home it was initially.
1. Economics
 The entire family may be in a better financial
situation with more individuals contributing to
living costs.

2. Health
 This can be alternative to nursing home care or
assisted living facilities.

3. Divorce
 After a divorce, the parents may return to their
parents’ home, often bringing their children along.
They might depend on finances, career changes, child
care, and other factors.
Benefits of
Extended
Family
• Greater security
for family
members to feel
connected

• Greater
financial
security with
multiple working
adults

• Increased
sharing of
cultural and
cross-
generational
family values

• More role models

for younger
family members
• Wrong education or discipline
• Too much love
• Misunderstandings
• The family knows all your business.
• Grandparents may interfere when not needed
and correct what you are doing.
• There may be too many visitors in the home.
• Lack of privacy and may be disagreements
about how to bring up a child.
 When two families join together after
one or both partners have divorced
their previous partners.

 This is also referred to as the

blended family or step family.
1. Persons with children marries a spouse with NO
children.

2. Divorced parent with kids marries another

divorced parent WITH KIDS.

3. WIDOW or WIDOWER with children remarries.

4. Divorced or widowed parents of ADULT CHILDREN

marry.
 Different parenting and discipline styles
 Development of new relationships
 Strong or conflicting emotions
 Becoming a new parent in a blended family
 Relationships between ex-partners and
stepparents
 Relationship between child and stepparent.

 Relationship between child and stepsiblings.

 Visitation and Parenting plans.

 Grief and loss after divorce.