We Are Family: Family Dynamics 2.0

Kim Anthony • March 15, 2022

Different Family Types Have Unique Dynamics

The time wherein nuclear families (mom, dad, and one or more children) were seen as normal in the United States has long gone. Different family types are now much more acceptable than they were in the past, in addition to being more common. Being raised by a single mother or belonging to a mixed household is not as unusual now as it was before. The family dynamic has changed, and in this article, we’re going to talk about it. 

What’s even more fascinating is that each type of family—there are six main ones on which everyone can agree—has a different family dynamic. If you’re currently experiencing family issues or are going through a significant change in your family structure, learning about your family type and considering how it influences your family dynamic might help you make sense of the situation. You can gain a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses that your family is likely dealing with by taking a look at the type and dynamics of your family. To better understand family dynamics, some people may decide to start taking parenting courses or using online therapy.


Let’s Look at the Six Different Family Types

1. Nuclear Family 

Two parents (often married or in a legal relationship) and their children form nuclear families, also referred to as primary or traditional families. Nuclear families may have one or more biological or adopted children, but the main focus is on the parents raising their children together in the same home.

Although it appears that nuclear families are decreasing, the 2016 U.S. Census data reveals that 69% of kids are still raised in atomic homes. Even if it doesn’t often happen that way, most people consider this the ideal family setting for raising kids.

Strengths of the nuclear family

  • Now that the economy is stable, both parents generally work.
  • Children brought up in a safe family environment
  • Consistency 
  • Put communication first

Weaknesses of nuclear families

  • Exclusion from the extended family can cause loneliness and stress and make it more difficult to resolve conflicts.
  • Nuclear families may become overly concerned with their children and overlook other important matters as a result.

Strong and successful nuclear families can exist when both parents set excellent examples for their children. These kids frequently have a lot of advantages over children from less privileged families, which can help them succeed in life. However, like any family, nuclear families have their own problems to face. For instance, if parents exclude grandparents and other extended family members, their support system won’t be strong, making it difficult to go through difficult times.

2. Single Parent

Single parents and one or more children make up single-parent homes. In these situations, the parent is either divorced, widowed, or has never been married. In a paper published in 2004, Ellwood, D.T., and Jencks, C. discuss the rise of single-parent families since the 1960s, when divorce rates began to rise (and so did births happening out of wedlock). They propose that several factors include letting go of traditional gender norms, being comfortable with independence, and achieving the goal of parenting a child whether or not a partner is there.

Nowadays, it’s not unusual for a mother, father, or parent to raise a child alone, and single-parent households have their advantages as well as disadvantages.

Strengths of the single-parent family: 

  • Family members can grow super close.
  • Learn to split home tasks.
  • Both kids and parents can develop great resilience.

Weaknesses of single-parent families

  • Families find it difficult to survive on one income, and some are dependent on social assistance.
  • For parents who need to work full-time, finding affordable, high-quality childcare can be challenging.

Raising children alone can be challenging. Being a child can also be challenging if your parents are divorced or if you only knew one parent growing up. Families in this situation must make the most of their means and depend on one another for love and support.

3. Extended Family 

Although most Americans would consider nuclear families to be the “traditional” family, extended families are significantly more prevalent and have been present for a long time in other cultures. Extended families are those that typically include children as well as two or more adults who are connected by blood or marriage. This frequently involves cousins, aunts, uncles, or other family members residing under the same roof.

Typically, extended families share a home to encourage social stability and advance common goals. Parents might, for instance, reside with their kids and their grandparents. As a result, the grandparents may be able to help with child care while the parents are at work. This enables the family to care for their parents in old age.

Strengths of the extended family: 

  • It’s essential to show the elderly respect and attention.
  • More family members are close to helping with housework, caring for children, emergencies, etc.
  • Social assistance

Weaknesses of extended families

  • If parents are paying for multiple other people and children without receiving any more money, financial problems may arise.
  • Depending on the setting, a lack of privacy

4. Childless Family 

Families without children are those when both couples are unable to have children or do not want to. These families are usually ignored or excluded in the area of family types and dynamics (even though you can still have a family without children). Growing up, getting married, and having kids used to be the norm, but in the modern world, more people are delaying or giving up having kids altogether.

These unique families include working couples who like to sometimes care for other people’s children (such as nieces and nephews) rather than have their own children. They might also be adventurous couples who don’t think having children will fit well with their way of life. These relationships can exist between a husband and wife, a husband and wife, a wife and a wife, or a partner and partner.

Strengths of the childless family: 

  • Typically, they have more money available.
  • There are no children to support.
  • You get greater freedom to travel, go on adventures, and seek careers or education of your choosing.
  • More time is spent together as a couple.

Weaknesses of childless families

  • When all of their friends and family start having children, couples may feel alone or excluded.
  • If you enjoy children, you could feel as though something is missing.
  • Being childless due to infertility can be difficult for couples.

5. StepFamily 

A stepfamily is made up of two different families that unite to become one. One divorced parent with children may marry a person who has never been married and has never had children, or two divorced parents with one or more children may combine their households.

Step-families have increased in popularity over time, much like single-parent households. Stepfamilies, like all of these different kinds of families, have their own set of strengths and problems that they must work through.

Strengths of the step families: 

  • The advantages of having two parents closely benefit children.
  • Strong relationships can develop between kids and their new siblings or stepparents.
  • Advantages of two incomes over single-parent households

Weaknesses of step families

  • Adjustment can be challenging for both parents and children.
  • Problems might arise when parents try to discipline each other’s children.
  • Possibly chaotic or inconsistent.

It can be challenging to move from a nuclear or single-parent family to a stepfamily. It might be difficult to adjust to new members of your family, especially if they are part of another family. However, some children will eventually grow to accept their stepparents and step-siblings as members of the family and develop close relationships with them. 

6. Grandparent Family 

The grandparent family is the last category of family. When one or more grandparents are raising their grandkids, that situation is referred to as a grandparent family. Despite their uniqueness, grandmother-headed families are becoming more widespread. They said that in the United States, almost 2.4 million grandparents are raising 4.5 million children, according to census data.

This situation arises when parents are either unable or unwilling to properly care for their children. For instance, the parents may be ill, too young to care for the child, struggling with a substance use disorder, or even dead. Thankfully, grandparents step in and take on the role of parents for their grandkids in these situations.

Strengths of the grandparent family: 

  • There is a strong bond between grandparents and grandkids.
  • Avoids putting children in foster care or other settings.

Weaknesses of grandparent families

  • Grandparents may struggle to make ends meet if they work part-time or not at all.
  • It may be challenging for them to keep up with young children or discipline them as they get older.

The upbringing of grandchildren by grandparents can be challenging. But it can be beneficial to both children and grandparents to have support.

Conclusion

Whatever family type you identify with, each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. This is usually most obvious to persons who have gone through one or more changes in family type during their lives and can relate to how unique each family dynamic can be. Whether you are part of a same-sex family, an interracial family, a binuclear family, a multigenerational family unit, or have polyamorous parents, each family is unique in its own way.

Individual or family therapy can help persons dealing with changes in family type/dynamics. BetterLYF, an online counselling service, can provide an outlet for people who are having difficulties with their relationships.

Seeking help is a sign of courage. Don't let self-limiting beliefs hold you back from a life you deserve. Avail online therapy to become happier and better. Learn how


This article originally appeard in BetterLyfe.

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Living in the Future First: Will.i.am on Dreaming, Building, and Becoming

By Kim Anthony • December 26, 2025
There’s a difference between working to survive — and working to build something that doesn’t yet exist. Will.i.am understands that difference intimately. Known around the world as a member of the Black Eyed Peas and a hit-making producer who has collaborated with artists like Nas, Ariana Grande, John Legend, The Game, Macy Gray, and Chris Brown, he is now also a tech entrepreneur with a traditional 9-to-5. But even with corporate structure in his life, his focus hasn’t changed. He is still building on his own terms — and encouraging other creators, builders, and founders to do the same. As he told Black Enterprise,“ Work-life balance means that you’re working for somebody else’s dream.” He’s not dismissing self-care. He’s reframing the idea entirely. Because for people who are designing something new — leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, visionaries — balance looks different. Dream–Reality Balance vs. Work–Life Balance Will.i.am says the conversation shouldn’t always be about work-life balance. It should be about dream–reality balance . “If you’re trying to build something that doesn’t exist, it’s about dream-reality balance. Work-life balance means that you’re working for somebody else’s dream. But if it’s dream-reality balance, then it’s not work. It’s a dream you’re trying to put into reality.” In other words, people who are building something new are not simply clocking in and clocking out. They are taking the vision they see in their mind — and pulling it into the world. And that requires a different level of focus, sacrifice, and persistence. Structure First — Creativity After There was a time when Will.i.am made music all day and tried to squeeze tech work into the margins at night. Now he has flipped that rhythm: structured work during the day creativity and dream-building from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. intentional discipline around both Not chaos. Not hustle culture. Not burnout. Structure in service of purpose. He encourages young people — especially those who want to create impact, launch businesses, build movements, or innovate — to think the same way: Build your future intentionally. Design your schedule around what you’re becoming — not only what you’re currently doing. Architects of the Future Think Differently Will.i.am is clear: people who are materializing visions cannot always think like people who simply maintain stability. “I’m not really paying attention to this reality., said Will.I.Am to Black Enterprise. "I’m trying to bring that one here… and to do that you have to sacrifice. Work-life balance is not for the architects that are pulling visions into reality.” He isn’t glorifying exhaustion. He is naming a truth: Creators, founders, and visionaries live in both worlds — the world that exists now, and the world they are birthing. And there are seasons when that requires staying committed long after the clock says “stop.” Learnings / Takeaways You must decide which reality you’re committed to. The current one — or the one you’re building. Purpose requires structure — not chaos. Discipline, schedules, and boundaries actually protect the dream. Sometimes “balance” isn’t the goal. Sometimes the goal is alignment: making sure your time reflects what you say matters. Builders think long-term. Entrepreneurs and visionaries live partly in the future — and pull it forward piece by piece. Sacrifice isn’t punishment. It’s investment. You’re trading comfort for creation.  Photo Credit: Will.i.am at the 2023 World Economic Forum by Foundations World Economic Forum is licensed under CC BY 2.0 .

Rise, Build, Reinvest: A Blueprint for Courageous Prosperity

By Kim Anthony • December 26, 2025
Dr. Rachel Laryea grew up as the daughter of a Ghanaian immigrant single mother — shaped by resilience, education, and deep curiosity about how people survive, thrive, and build. Her path took her from Goldman Sachs into the heart of global finance, and then into academia at Yale University, where she earned a dual PhD in African American Studies and Sociocultural Anthropology. She walked into Wall Street as both insider and outsider. And that tension — belonging and questioning at the same time — became the catalyst for her new book, Black Capitalists: A Blueprint for What Is Possible. Laryea describes her early corporate experience as a kind of “culture shock.” Goldman Sachs exposed her to wealth, privilege, speed, and power — but also to contradictions. The environment raised more questions than answers and set her on a path of asking: How do Black people navigate an economic system that has often profited from our labor — while rarely inviting us to benefit fully from it? That curiosity didn’t push her away from capitalism. Instead, it pushed her deeper into understanding how it works — and how it could work differently. Challenging the Story: Are Black People Only Labor — Never Beneficiaries? Much of academic conversation about capitalism and race assumes one truth: that Black participation inevitably leads to exploitation. There is history to support that view — slavery, discriminatory banking systems, and a racial wealth gap that remains wide. But Laryea noticed something striking during her time on Wall Street: Black people — and people of color — were not only surviving inside the “belly of the beast.” They were navigating, negotiating, growing, and sometimes redirecting resources back into their communities. Their relationship with capitalism wasn’t simple. It was: complicated strategic layered sometimes contradictory That realization reframed her work. Instead of asking whether Black people “belong” in capitalism, she began asking: What happens when Black people learn to reposition themselves inside the system — intentionally, ethically, and purposefully — to create social good? What Does It Mean To Be a “Black Capitalist”? In Black Capitalists, Laryea distinguishes between two ideas. A Black capitalist is someone who identifies as Black and deliberately repositions themselves within the economy to benefit — and to create social good. This isn’t about greed. It isn’t about replicating harm. It is about strategy, power literacy, and responsibility. Meanwhile, Black capitalism itself, she argues, is race-agnostic. Anyone — individually or collectively — can practice it, if the intention is to use economic tools to build, heal, strengthen, and expand opportunity. This way of thinking disrupts the traditional narrative that capitalism is either villain or savior. Instead, it becomes a tool — one that can be shaped. When Access Becomes Agency Laryea highlights real people using capitalism differently. Like a Goldman Sachs employee and Ifa priest who sees himself as a “spy” — gaining access, gathering resources, and redistributing them into Black communities. Nigerian-born entrepreneur Wemimo Abbey , co-founder of Esusu, whose company allows renters to build credit through their rent payments while preventing evictions. Abbey calls it a “win-win-win” because renters build credit, landlords stay paid and society reduces homelessness. This is capitalism leveraged — not blindly accepted. Choosing to Tell Her Own Story Many women Laryea interviewed feared exposure, even anonymously. Their experiences in corporate spaces mirrored hers: ambition, isolation, ceilings, contradictions, and the emotional costs of navigating systems not built for them. So she chose to stand in the gap — and tell her own story. By naming her experience, she honored theirs. Because so many Black professionals know this tension. We are invited to participate — but not always welcomed to benefit. Not Dismantle vs. Endorse — But Transform Laryea is realistic. Capitalism isn’t disappearing tomorrow. And ignoring it will not shield anyone from its impact. Her question becomes deeply pragmatic: If the system exists — how do we learn it, navigate it, use it, and reshape it toward justice? She calls for collective clarity and alignment. Lock arms. Get on the same page. Use tools wisely. Build equity wherever possible. Choose agency instead of reaction. Not assimilation. Not blind participation. Learnings / Takeaways Here are the deeper lessons her work invites: Power is not evil — but unmanaged power harms. Understanding economic systems is part of community protection and advancement. Access without purpose is empty. It’s not enough to “get in the door.” What matters is how resources flow once you're inside. Capitalism is a tool — not an identity. Tools can build homes — or burn them down. The hands using the tool matter. Participation is not betrayal. Black participation inside systems does not equal complicity when the intent is repair, uplift, and reinvestment. Storytelling matters. Naming our journeys gives others courage to step into power thoughtfully and responsibly. The work is collective. Transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when communities align — intentionally, strategically, bravely.

From Bankruptcy to Blueprint: How Red Lobster’s New CEO Is Rebuilding From the Inside Out

By Kim Anthony • December 26, 2025
When Damola Adamolekun stepped into Red Lobster after its 2024 bankruptcy, he didn’t just inherit financial distress. He inherited exhaustion, confusion, and broken trust. This wasn’t only a balance sheet problem — it was a people problem. Instead of rushing into drastic cuts, he started with listening. He walked locations, asked questions, and acknowledged what employees were carrying. Many were simply “beat down.” That honest reset created space for real rebuilding to begin. People First — Because Culture Drives Performance Adamolekun treated employees as partners in the turnaround, not as line items. Town halls, conversation, training, and performance incentives restored dignity and ownership. As morale improved, customer experience improved. Recovery didn’t begin with marketing campaigns — it began with people feeling valued again. Restoring Order Before Chasing Growth Red Lobster’s decline had grown over time through high leases, outdated systems, and inconsistent operations. Adamolekun moved decisively but with discipline: renegotiating costly leases trimming unnecessary overhead tightening financial controls modernizing technology and data Speed mattered — but structure mattered more. Stability became the foundation for everything that followed. Modernizing Without Losing the Brand With systems stabilized, innovation was intentional. Menu refreshes, updated presentation, and more accessible pricing brought new energy while honoring the classics guests still love. The goal wasn’t reinvention — it was relevance. Innovation supported the mission instead of replacing it. Culture First. Numbers Next. Projected profitability by 2026 signals more than a financial comeback. It reflects alignment returning across the organization — stronger systems, motivated teams, and customers reconnecting. True turnarounds rarely start in spreadsheets. They begin with clarity, trust, and disciplined execution — and then the numbers follow. Leadership With Courage and Care At just 36, Adamolekun models a leadership style rooted in empathy and decisiveness. He acknowledged pain, took ownership, made difficult choices, stayed visible, and invited people back into purpose. He recognized that morale isn’t “extra.” It is infrastructure. Learnings / Takeaways Repair trust before fixing strategy. People cannot perform in survival mode. Morale is operational. Respected teams deliver better service and stronger results. Discipline beats drama. Order and systems must precede aggressive growth. Innovate thoughtfully. Refresh the experience without abandoning the brand’s core. Culture drives outcomes. Healthy organizations produce healthy numbers.
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