Family Members and their Roles

The roles of members of the extended family, i.e, great-grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, etc in the development of a child cannot be exaggerated. They determine the positive or negative development of a child due to their contribution to the socialization process of the child from childhood to adulthood.

The following are the roles according to the family members;

• Great Grandparents/Grandparents: They are the custodians of the family’s culture, practices, normsA norm is a rule, standard, or pattern for action. Social norm refers to shared standards of acceptable behaviour by a group of people. The norms in any society are based... More, and values and pass them down from one generation to the next generation. They know the family’s history, as well as the family’s, do’s and don’ts, and try to drive the family in the right direction. In some cases, they help take care of the children when the parents need to work.

• Parents: They have the responsibility of providing care for the grandparents who are weak and cannot work again. They send children to school, provide shelter and food, and sometimes, they take care of other members of the extended family who are unable to provide and care for themselves.

• Children: They are to respect the elders in the family, obey them and run errands for them (where appropriate). They also need to do their best to build a good name for the family.

• Uncles/Aunts: They support the family, financially, morally, and physically. Sometimes, the aunt/uncle lives in the parent’s house (that is, the aunt’s/uncle’s brother/sister) to help take care of their nieces and nephews. They can also provide care and support for other members of the family, e.g., grandparents.

• Nieces/Nephews: They have the same roles as the children of the house, that is, they run errands, obey their elders and try to ensure their actions build a good name for the family. In cases where there the nieces/nephews are older, they can help provide care and support for some family members.