Learning objective: Identify members of a family and describe the different roles or jobs they do to help the family.
A family is a group of people who care for and love each other, often living together. Families can look very different from one another — some are big, some are small, and they can include many different kinds of people.
Family members often help the family in different ways, called roles. Someone in a family might cook meals, someone might go to work to earn money, someone might care for younger children, and someone might help clean the home.
One family member can have more than one role at the same time. A grown-up might both go to work AND cook dinner. A child might both go to school AND help take care of a pet.
Look at the diagram above: families come in many different shapes and sizes. Some families have two grown-ups, some have one, and some include grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other relatives living together. There is no single "right" way for a family to look.
Think about your own family. Who is in it? What role does each person play in helping your family? Everyone's family is a little different, and that's completely normal.
Every family is different, but family members often help each other with different roles — like cooking, working, or caring for young children.
What is a family?
What is a role in a family?
Can two families look very different from each other?
Draw your own family. Label one role that each person plays to help the family.