Family, a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings. The family performs various valuable functions for its members. Perhaps most important of all, it provides for emotional and psychological security, particularly through the warmth, love, and companionship that living together generates between spouses and in turn between them and their children.

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What makes a family? 

Family is not just about some people being related to each other. Family is not about people living together. Family, in its essence, is about trust and affection between humans and their offspring. It is not necessary that family only consist of blood relations. 

Support; love and caring for other family members; providing security and a sense of belonging; open communication; making each person within the family feel important, valued, respected and esteemed.

Treating everyone with respect. Everyone has his temperament, his way of viewing and interacting with the world around him. Parents may love their children equally but naturally will have different sorts of relationships with each of them. Individualize your relationship with everyone, reinforcing their strengths and talents and avoiding making unflattering comparisons.

Have regular routines. Everyone benefits from having some predictable day-to-day routines. Morning schedules, mealtimes and bedtimes are easier for everyone when they follow a pattern. Children also appreciate family rituals and traditions around birthdays, holidays and vacations.

Why do we need a family? -

• Family is the single most important influence in a child's life. From their first moments of life, children depend on parents and family to protect them and provide for their needs. Parents and family form a child's first relationships. Families are quite essential for the survival of humankind as they are the means of bringing new humans into the world. To give birth to a child and to take care of the child for as long as required, family is vital and causes the healthy growth of any child.
• Family is our first teacher; as we learn to walk, read, write, and speak with our family. They are our primary caregivers providing us with food, shelter, clothes, and food. Besides these they also fulfil our psychological needs like affection, safety and security.
• For a healthy growth of any infant these physiological and psychological needs have to be met.
• The positive and negative aspects of relationships can have a large impact on the well-being of individuals. Family relationships provide resources that can help an individual cope with stress, engage in healthier behaviours, and enhance self-esteem, leading to higher well-being. However, poor relationship quality, intense caregiving for family members, and marital dissolution are all stressors that can take a toll on an individual’s well-being. 
• Sibling relationships are often the longest lasting family relationship in an individual’s life due to concurrent life spans. Some suggest that sibling relationships play a more meaningful role in well-being than is often recognized.
• As a grandparent, Grandparents’ relationships with their grandchildren are generally related to higher well-being for both grandparents and grandchildren. Most grandparents engage in activities with their grandchildren that they find meaningful, feel close to their grandchildren, consider the grandparent role important, and experience lower well-being if they lose contact with their grandchildren 

Who is a Father?

A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive father is a male who has become the child's parent through the legal process of adoption. A biological father is the male genetic contributor to the creation of the infant, through sexual intercourse or sperm donation. A biological father may have legal obligations to a child not raised by him, such as an obligation of monetary support

Who is a Mother?

A mother is the female parent of a child. A mother is a caregiver and unconditional love giver, housekeeper, cooker, baker, taxi driver, psychologist, doctor and discipliner. They are the ones who bear the burden of everything good and bad as the days grow on. They are the ones who might get left behind; as they do so much they don’t get as much appreciation. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilization in the case of gestational surrogacy.

How to be a good family member?-

• Love.  Choosing to demonstrate a selfless love for each family member, and showing this love through action.
• Patience.  When we are patient with one another, when we tolerate pains or trials calmly without complaining, we demonstrate love.
• Kindness.  This almost goes without saying.  When family members act in a friendly, generous, and considerate way it encourages everyone to do the same and makes choosing joy and showing love easier.
• Goodness.  Clearly defining what your family values are and how everyone is expected to live according to them precedes this. When family members practice making right choices and taking right actions everyone benefits.
• Faithfulness.  When you commit to something individually or as a family, make sure you do it! There is no greater breaking point than to lose the trust of a family member by not doing what you said you would do or by not following through on family commitments.
• Gentleness.  Another word for gentleness is humility. When family members put other family members above themselves then honour comes to the entire family.

• Self-control.  When individuals practice self-control, then acting on the points above is possible.  Another word to be used here is discipline, which can be defined as taking actions to improve a skill or something.  When families are disciplined in taking the actions above the family unit becomes better.
• Spend time together– Relationships are somewhat like a garden. Without proper care and attention the weeds take over. Find activities each person enjoys and participate enthusiastically. If you cannot actually engage in the activity be sure to support one another’s interests through attention and encouragement.
• Effective Communication– Emphasize that each person’s ideas are valid and everyone should have the chance to share happy news as well as what’s bothering them. Being a good listener is essential in the communication process. Listening displays respect. It shows family members you care about what concerns them.
• Appreciation– Every day family members contribute in ways that are worthy of appreciation. It is important to be aware of their efforts and express your gratitude with meaningful words and gestures.

What is parenting?- Good parenting aims to develop in children character traits like independence, self-direction, honesty, self-control, kindness, and cooperation. To that end, good parenting creates a foundation for a child's healthy, positive development. Good parenting also involves parents living their lives as role models.

Different types of parenting?-

Authoritarian Parenting-

• You believe kids should be seen and not heard.
• When it comes to rules, you believe it's "my way or the highway."
• You don't take your child's feelings into consideration.

Authoritative Parenting-

• You put a lot of effort into creating and maintaining a positive relationship with your child.
• You explain the reasons behind your rules.
• You enforce rules and give consequences, but take your child's feelings into consideration. 

Permissive Parenting-

• You set rules but rarely enforce them.
• You don't give out consequences very often.
• You think your child will learn best with little interference from you.

Uninvolved Parenting-

• You don't ask your child about school or homework.
• You rarely know where your child is or who she is with.
• You don't spend much time with your child.

Benefits of family:- 

• Improves Mental Health
• Helps Children Perform Well Academically
• Lowers Risk Of Behavioural Problems
• Boosts Self-Confidence
• Helps Kids Learn Future Parenting Skills
• Teaches Effective Conflict Resolution
• Reduces Stress 
• Promotes Adaptability And Resilience
• Enhances Physical Health
• Lengthens Life Expectancy