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There is no doubt that marriage and family in American society has been evolving. With half of all marriages ending in divorce, many more single parent families are present than ever before. Add that to the number of remarriages, single parents co-habitating, same sex marriages or partners, and families moving together for financial reasons and you have a large number of different family blends.

Many families have become blended as a result of adult children, with or without children of their own, moving back in with parents. Some families have taken in an aging parent due to health concerns or financial concerns or to help care for grandchildren. Still, families have moved in with siblings, either singly or with their spouse or child to help pay rent. The evolution of the American household is indeed changing.

Society and economics have made an impact in this cultural change in the American family structure. Surely the divorce rate has affected it, although the divorce rate has been about fifty percent for twenty years. So, the economy has affected that. The economy has also been a factor in households staying together when the adults do not get along or are unhappy, but simply cannot afford the financial hardship a divorce would ensue.

Still, and somewhat controversial, is the increasing number of openly gay couples living together, getting married in states where it’s allowed and adopting children. Some outsiders wonder how having two mommies or two daddies may effect children of these unions.

The fact is, like it or not, the American family is changing. There are still traditional families, with a mom and dad and two or more children and they are doing nicely. Some have grandmother or auntie living them.

Why judge when a family can share love and be emotionally healthy?Want to know more? Go ahead: Canadian Divorce Rates: Statistics Canada Will No Longer Collect Data On Splits, Unions

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