What’s more, to keep that space peaceful, each family member needs to respect the rights of the others to whatever degree is possible.įor example, an infant is a member of the family, but they aren’t capable of understanding how to respect other family members. You compete for the other family members’ attention. You must share certain belongings, such as dishes, appliances, and furniture.
Privacy is limited because of your proximity. Living in a family unit usually means sharing a living space. You Face the Challenges of Living Together It isn’t always healthy love, but it is a deep connection, nonetheless. Despite these limitations, family love still flourishes. You don’t get to choose your siblings, and you certainly don’t get to choose your parents. You might choose children to adopt or bring into your family.īut children have no choice about who is in the family group. You typically choose the person you want to start a family with when you’re an adult. The following characteristics of family love set it apart from other types of love relationships. Family relationships are different from other types of bonds. In the context of family love, the term refers to bonds characterized by deep affection, respect, loyalty, and healthy attachment. Love is of course commonly used to describe romantic or sexual feelings and behaviors. We may say we love ice cream or skiing when what we mean is that we enjoy it. Love is a word that’s been used in so many ways, it’s nearly lost its meaning. However, when we speak of family love, the love you have with your friends might or might not fit, depending on what type of relationship you have. Some people consider their friends like family. Often, but not always, this includes parents and children.įamily can also mean all the descendants of a common ancestor. A family isn’t necessarily about blood relations-it’s a group of people that function as a unit.