Written by Editorial Team
.
Indian culture is known for its age-old traditions and beliefs in the joint family system. With the rapid growth of the Indian economy, there have been considerable changes in the lifestyle of newer generations. The Indian joint family system is also undergoing changes.
Geographical relocations for work and better opportunities have forced people to break away from their families and live away from home. This brings a huge change in eating habits, style of living, perspectives, and communication patterns. Yet there is a constant yearning to go back to the old ways and get connected with the cultural roots.
For centuries, the joint family system successfully prevailed and parents with their children and grandchildren lived under one roof. However, the age-old tradition of a joint family is a passing phenomenon these days, and wherein rare cases it is still prevailing, it is showing signs of decay. Most Indian adults have an inherent desire and preference to stay with their parents owing to their cultural upbringing.
From the time of birth, we see our grandparents, uncles, and aunts staying together. However, increased independence and mobility have paved the way for many joint families to collapse. The Indian joint family system has had the blow of modernization, urbanization, and industrialization as well. Though some economic reasons have made it seemingly impossible to stay together under one roof, most Indians still understand and value the importance of grandparents and extended families in our lives.
When a child is born, the first help for the mother is usually from an older woman in the family. She is the one who guides the mother of the newborn on how to take care of the child, recounting her own experiences. As the child grows and matures, s/he feels secure and confident in the environment which is made safer by the presence of caring grandparents.
The grandparents love their grandchildren unconditionally and are usually willing to do things that they missed out on doing for their own children. In an era when both the parents might be going out for work, the grandparents may offer solid support at home. Parents can completely trust the grandparents being in charge of their children.
Children tend to show affinity towards the older generation and are often found more receptive to ideas coming from the ever-trusted grandparents. So, grandparents can make great teachers at home by using their rapport and sharing their experiences with their grandchildren.
The learning and values imbibed in this association at a tender age can go a long way towards turning them into better adults. On the other hand, it could become a great stress-buster for grandparents who love to spend time with their grandchildren as this gives them a chance to bring out the child in them.
If a child grows up in a large family, s/he learns to share, treating everyone respectfully, and caring for others. S/he understands the importance of staying united. It would be rare for such a child to feel lonely as they have a lot of people around to communicate and spend time with. They might have cousins of the same group as friends to play and share their feelings with. This may provide greater emotional security to the child.
Grandparents and other elders of the house bring with them experience and knowledge. The kids get to know about the world through their eyes. They also learn the rich Indian history and culture through the constant stories that grandparents share.
When both the parents are working, a child can come home to their grandparents and skip the creche. All your security concerns should be put to rest!
Children who are raised under the same roof as older members of the family have an enriched lifestyle. Love, care, and affection will lavishly pour over them. Such kids lead a sheltered life amongst their loved ones. They value sharing, caring and relationships, and are more affectionate towards their families. This helps in raising sensitive adults.
On the other hand, children staying away from their grandparents might never get emotionally attached to them. They might get to see their grandparents only once or twice a year. And for such a short period that would hardly be good enough to strengthen the emotional bonding. Even the grandparents might choose to stay detached to avoid the pangs of separation.
Of late, with modernization and urbanization, the Indian family system has often been a topic of debate. As with anything and everything in life, there are advantages and disadvantages of joint family systems. However, the advantages seem to outweigh the disadvantages. You can seriously think about it.
Few advantages of a joint family are:
Few disadvantages of a joint family are:
Nevertheless, a wise and sensible leader of the family who can keep discrimination at bay can still run a joint family efficiently. With changes in society and ways of thinking and living, a little compromise now and then can make everyone avail the wonderful benefits of a joint family system.
Read Also: 10 Tips To Unspoil Your Child From Doting Grand-parents
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
How to Choose Pregnancy and Parenting Books?
Fun and Nutritious Smoothie Recipes for Kids
How to Choose Nasal Strips During Pregnancy?
Growing Your Family’s Wealth: Investing Tips for Parents
Classroom Roots: Building a Strong Foundation with the Family Tree Project
Top 10 Best Tricycles For Kids in India, 2023
Get regular updates, great recommendations and other right stuff at the right time.