Family Story Matters
November is a month full of holidays for families to get together. That may be why people proposed this family stories month in November.
Research has shown that parents sharing more family stories with their children benefits the family in many ways, which includes the interaction children have with their parents or grandparents. The activities children share with their guardian family can help them grow into a teen who feels more connected to people. Those activities are not limited to story-telling but other activities together, such as cooking or crafts-making.
However, the family structure in the United States has evolved, and I wonder if the family story needs to be retold by more than one ancestry. We have been taught that technology has changed our family structure. The average family size declined from 9 persons (with seven children) in 1800 before the peak of the Industrial Revolution to 5.5 persons (with 3.5 children) in 1900. After the progressive era, the household size decreased from 3.29 persons per family to 3.13 persons in 2020. Not only does the family size shrink, but their children also live in a more diverse living arrangement. In 1960, 73% of children lived with two parents of their first marriage. In 2014, this number reduced by a third to 46% of children living under the same parenthood condition. Today, almost a quarter of US children (under 18) live with single parents, plus an estimated 2.3 million stepchildren live in all household types, according to the 2019 American Community Survey.
In addition to the change in the family structure, family life has also been greatly affected by societal values: more mothers with children went into the workforce. This increase in labor force participation is a century-long trend: In 1975, less than half of mothers (47%) worked outside the household. By 2000, 73% of mothers were in the labor force. This tendency stands at 70% among all mothers in recent years. Moreover, a similar study from the Pew Research Center finds that Americans largely support paid leaves, and many respondents say employers rather than the federal or state government should bear the costs.
Intrigued by many statistics and findings of family caregiving from Pew Research Center, reading their report reminded us of a WELL feature:
“Support working parents and caregivers so that they are able to properly care for members of their family.” — WELL C10 Family Support.
On the Month for Family Stories, we want to dedicate this card to our family and those caring for them. Because of them, we can focus on our daily tasks and enjoy quality family time after work.
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By the way…
A question we found interesting in the research is that the survey asked what age children should be left alone without adult supervision. Most responded parents agreed that kids should be at least ten years old before they are allowed to play in front of the house. Their responses reminded me of the ranch-style home, which was the most popular from the 1940s to the 1970s.
After WWII, the booming of the U.S. economy and the Veterans Administration home loan program guaranteed millions of single-family and mobile home loans. This authorization increased housing construction following the war, leading to suburban area growth. Many of the ranch-style houses were built during that period. By 1950, nearly nine out of every ten homes built was ranch-style. In the same period, more than three-quarters of children lived with their parents in their first marriage.
Besides ample front and back yards for kids to spend their time, is there other characteristics of this house that gain American’s favor? Ranch-style homes have many distinctive features, such as low-pitched roofs, attached garages, open floor plans with one-level (or split-level), etc. But when we look closer at their layouts, we speculated that designers at the time had planned out their ideal family life: many of the kitchen and dining rooms were facing side yards or back yards with sufficient windows.
It is suitable to place ranch houses in a lot that requires a minimum of 75 feet of frontage. By placing so, there will be 8 to 15 feet width on each side yard to set up a small play area. And at least 25 feet by 75 feet of rear yard for the family event. The ranch house with less than 40 feet is good for the lot with at least 60 feet of frontage requirement. The household could set up one side for the driveway or parking and leave the other side yard more room for a smaller playground or planting zone.
