Family

To me a family is defined as having two parents and children.  This can include married parents or two people who are cohabiting.  It can also include adopted children or biological children.  However, I think a family does need to include children because if it were just two people I think that would be defined as a couple.  Family members care for each other and are there for you in times of need.  They are also there to provide emotional support and usually can be trusted.  There are many types of relationships which I consider family like a heterosexual man and women who have been married for 12 years and have two children, two gay men who have cohabited for 20 years who have an adopted son and man and woman in their second marriage who have 5 children from their previous marriage.  I think some of the relationships that don’t fit my definition of family would be a single man who has built a close relationship with friends whom he considered his family and a child-free lesbian couple.   However, now that I look at some of the relationships I see that my definition is very narrow.  I think a grandmother who raises her granddaughter and a single mom whose mother just moved in with her can also be considered a family.