Family Members in My Family

A group of people who are living together and are related to each other by birth, marriage or adoption are called family members. There are different types of family namely- nuclear family, joint family and extended family. In this concept, the young learners will know more about family.

After reading the concept, students will be able to:

Explain about different types of families.
Answer what is joint family?
Discuss about how the maternal relations are different from the paternal relatives.
Define what is a family tree.

Each concept is explained to class 4 students using descriptions, illustrations, and concept maps. After you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page.

Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept Family Members in My Family provided in PDF format.

What Is a Family?

A unit of people related to each other is called a family.
A family comprises parents, their children, and grandparents.
The individuals of a family are called the family members.
The members of a family belong to different age groups.
The oldest person of the family could be a seventy-year-old man or a woman, and the youngest member of a family could be a few months old.

Types of a Family:

Families can be broadly classified into two categories—

Nuclear Family: This type of family consists of two parents, children, and sometimes grandparents.
Joint Family: It is a big family consisting of parents, children, grandparents, cousins, uncles, and aunts.

What Is a Family Tree?

A family tree is a tree-like structure that helps us understand the relationships among different individuals of that family.

A family tree represents the members of the family from different generations.
The older people of the family belong to the first generation or generation I.
The younger family members represent the family's last generation, which is generation III or IV.

Nine family members are present in this family tree, but they do not belong to the same generation.
Paternal and maternal grandparents are older than their children, i.e., father and mother.
Younger sisters, older sisters, and sons are younger than their parents.
This family tree represents three different generations of family members.

Relationships Among the Family Members:

Paternal grandfather	Your father’s father is your paternal grandfather.
Paternal grandmother	Your father’s mother is your paternal grandmother.
Maternal grandfather	Your mother’s father is your maternal grandfather.
Maternal grandmother	Your mother’s mother is your maternal grandmother.

Roles of Grandparents in a family:

Grandmothers and grandfathers are called grandparents and play a vital role in a family.
They properly shape our parents’ life by teaching them the values of life.
Grandparents support the family by helping with household activities, caring for the grandchildren, and playing with them.
Their experience and wisdom help in the proper functioning of the family.

Role of Parents in a Family:

Your mother’s husband or the male parent is your father. Your father’s wife or the female parent is your mother.
Parents play a key role in a family and are also our first teachers in life.
They teach their children various life skills and help them in education and career development.
They provide both financial and emotional support to their children.
Parents prepare their kids for future challenges.
They help them make important decisions and make them self-dependent.

Role of Brothers and Sisters in a Family:

Brothers and sisters are called siblings and form an integral part of a family.
They grow together in the same household and may share common habits, likes, and dislikes.
During adolescence, elder siblings support younger ones mentally and emotionally.
One also learns many skills from their siblings.
We learn to share and care while growing up with siblings.

Know About Your Extended Family:

Uncle and Aunt:

The brother of your mother or your father is your uncle.
The wife of your uncle and the sister of your father or mother is your aunt.
Both uncles and aunts belong to the extended family.
Your mother’s brother is called maternal uncle, and your maternal uncle’s wife is called maternal aunt.
Your father’s brother is called paternal uncle, and your paternal uncle’s wife is called paternal aunt.

Cousins:

We may have a cousin brother or sister but overall, they are called cousins.
Cousins share the same grandparents or great-grandparents.
We usually meet our cousins at family functions like weddings and birthday parties and during family get-togethers like family picnics.
The son of your father’s brother or sister or brother-in-law is your father’s nephew.
The daughter of your father’s brother or sister or brother-in-law is your father’s niece.

New Words:

Adolescence: It is the phase of life that comes between childhood and adulthood, from ages 10 to 19.

Wisdom: It is the ability to make the right decisions.

Did You Know?

The study of family history and family relationships is called genealogy.
The use of a tree to represent the family ancestry started from a piece of art called 'The Tree of Jesse,' which shows the ancestors of Jesus Christ in a tree.