Parenting In Joint Vs Nuclear Families: Which Is Better For Raising Children

In India how to raise a child, in a nuclear or joint family has always been a subject of debate, here traditions, modern lifestyle and with time changes often have clashes and blends in together. Earlier parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all used to live under the same roof together, sharing clothes, responsibilities, meals, emotional support, and meals. They were the foundation and backbone of joint family culture. Growing up in such a structure of family embedded values, bondings, cultures, and a sense of belongingness and security.

With rapid change in lifestyle, rapid urbanisation or city life has divided the families and broken it into nuclear families, with only parents and children. Though this family gives full freedom, flexibility, and freedom but with this also brings in loneliness, stress, anxiety, and limited family support and values. Looking at both the type of parenting in the joint and nuclear system will give you insightful details about what is better and what to go for according to your mindset.

Raising Children in Joint Families: What Are the Pros and Cons?

• Technology: Sharpest divisions between the generations has been caused due to the rapid growth in technology. Younger people are quick learners who often adapt digital tools, social media, and online learning fast, while older generation may take time and view them with caution. This type of differentiation leads to conflicts over online safety, screen-time, and the impact of these technology use on mental and physical health.
• Social and Cultural Shifts: There are vast changes happening in society, and the values are changing too. Younger generation often prioritise equality, freedom to speak, explore, and express, while on other hand older generation may hold on to traditional values, customs, family hierarchy, and authority. Generation gaps become bigger when social justice, gender roles and work life balance adds in.
• Different Perception: Career choices also highlights the generation gap. Nowadays, younger generation prefer to seek jobs that are flexible, match their likes, align with their passion, involves creativity and what fulfils their personal needs, whereas older generations often value and prioritise jobs that are stable, respected and gives long-term financial security. This leads to disagreements between them when career expectation do not match.
• Traditional and Relationships: Younger generation often prefer independence and modern style of living, while on the other hand older ones believe in family traditions, joint family with set of rules and collective identity. Exposures these day have influenced younger people, leading to comparisons with less traditional cultures.
• Communications: These day communication style has become the major cause of misunderstanding and major barrier. Younger generation prefer not to socialise and often rely on texting, and social media, while older ones mostly favour face-to-face discussions. This can create feeling of disconnection from both the sides.

In short, the generation gap is caused due to changes in values, lifestyle and expectation that often clashes and creates a conflict due to different choice in career, relationships and beliefs.

Understanding Different Generations

According to social and cultural environment, each generation grows in a different manner, which shapes their way of thinking, communicating, and behaving. Such differences lead to gaps between the generation.

Gen Z vs Millennials:

Millennials are born between 1981 to 1996. They have grown up during the time when internet was rising. They are more loyal to employers and align quickly. The major focus is to get stability.

Gen Z are born between 1997 to 2012. They have grown up with proper internet and smartphones and technologies. They quickly move on if their values does not align. The major focus is to get authenticity, flexibility and independence.

Gen X vs Millennials

Generation X are born between 1965 to 1980. They often value career security, believe in marriage and had higher marriage rates. They show more different view on political aspects. They dominate hold on management roles.

Millennials often delay marriages. Look up for more flexibility, and prioritise their work and career. Their views are more progressive on political aspects. In workplace they are more in number, as an employees.

Baby Boomers vs Millennials

Baby Boomers are born between 1946 to 1964. They believe more in stability and work structure that is traditional.

Millennials are more in favour of remote work and personal growth opportunities. They are more educated. Face more financial, and career challenges.

Generation Alpha

These are the younger generations, born from 2010 onwards. They are true digital people. They are more into new technologies, online learning, and series streamers. All this shape their world, making them totally different from older generation, who just had access to TV, or radio in the form of technologies.

Understanding these differences can help you to understand the gaps and help in building a stronger bond.

Final Verdict: What the Blogger Has to Say About it?

With each new generation, future kids will be totally different mindset and exposure. The generation gaps is a never-ending cycle which will not stop and grow as time passes. So, it is better to stay open to new changes and values and blend in with time.