Extended family

An extended family includes other relatives, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles. These relatives may share a home or live separately while remaining closely involved. For example, grandparents might help to look after grandchildren, while adult children help an elderly parent with shopping or appointments.

An extended family includes other relatives, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, who may share a home and caring responsibilities. Single-parent families, couples without children and reconstituted families involving step-parents and stepchildren are also part of modern family life. The structure describes who belongs to the family; it does not, by itself, tell us how caring or responsible its members are.