| Families of the 21st Century come in all shapes and | | | | attend church and therefore the support of the |
| sizes. Divorce, remarriage, parenting out-of-wedlock | | | | congregation is non-existent for many families. |
| and a host of other variables have turned nuclear | | | | Commuters and tele-commuters reduce the |
| families into the exception rather than the norm. As little | | | | opportunity to interact regularly with the people from |
| as a half-century ago, children were typically raised in | | | | our own neighborhoods. Instead, we drive 30, 60, 90 |
| homes with two biological parents, and chances are, | | | | miles to work with people from nearby cities. This in |
| those two parents had the support of extended family | | | | itself is not a bad thing, but it further diminishes our |
| members nearby. When one questioned their own | | | | sense of community and the support network we |
| parenting, they had only to turn to one of these | | | | once took for granted. |
| supporters for reassurance and advise. | | | | Stepfamilies are the most common form of |
| Fast forward to the first decade of the 21st Century, | | | | "non-traditional" families, but think of the many variables |
| and you will find that the traditional, nuclear family is on | | | | within stepfamilies: everything from two partners with |
| the Endangered Species List. Even in nuclear families, | | | | custody of their respective children to households |
| homemaker and breadwinner roles have evolved into | | | | where one partner has children and the other doesn't. |
| something that makes it impossible to define and | | | | There are still even more types of families: single |
| designate an "average" family. In fact, the stereotypic | | | | mothers, single fathers, grandparents raising |
| breadwinner and homemaker roles rarely exist; most | | | | grandchildren, multi-generational households, the list is |
| households require the income of two full-time wage | | | | endless. Custody arrangements following separation |
| earners just to get by. | | | | and divorce are almost as unique as snowflakes; no |
| Another significant change is the support network | | | | two are the same. Legal and physical custody are no |
| parents once enjoyed. It was not uncommon for | | | | longer automatically awarded to the mother. More and |
| extended family members to reside in close proximity | | | | more, kids are bouncing back and forth between two |
| to each other, if not under the same roof. Today, more | | | | households on a weekly basis. |
| and more grandparents are flocking to Florida, Arizona, | | | | Family educators and coaches are well suited to help |
| or similar location to spend their retirement years while | | | | parents meet the changing demands of family life. |
| young adults are leaving the nest in search of greater | | | | While counseling and therapy may be necessary in |
| career opportunities. This trend of stretching families | | | | some cases, generally speaking, people are in need of |
| around the globe means that there are fewer and | | | | resources that will assist them in major transitions, to |
| fewer built-in support networks in our communities. | | | | move them forward, to balance work and family. A |
| Extended family members not only served as mentors | | | | family coach can support parents in aligning their |
| and role models, but often as a sounding board or | | | | personal goals with their values and priorities. Family |
| emergency caregiver. Parents and grandparents were | | | | educators/coaches can also address a wide range of |
| respected and looked to for guidance during tough | | | | issues, from parenting toddlers to teenagers, childcare |
| times. As a society, we admired and respected their | | | | and elder care and resources and referrals to connect |
| stories of endurance; surviving economic challenges, | | | | to existing community services. With a sea of services |
| marital troubles and a myriad of other circumstances | | | | available, it can be difficult and time consuming to |
| associated with their times. As our role models they | | | | identify exactly which one is best suited to meet your |
| inspired us to work hard and persevere. | | | | needs. A family coach that is familiar with both the |
| In addition to the extended family, we have lost our | | | | community and the family's unique needs can take the |
| sense of community. Our neighbors today are | | | | time and guesswork out of the search. |
| essentially strangers. Fewer and fewer Americans | | | | |