Family conversation questions

Family of origin

 * How many people are there in your family of origin? Parents? Siblings?
 * What are the advantages, if any, of being a single child as opposed to having siblings?
 * Do you still live in your family of origin, i.e. do you still live with your parents?

Empty nest

 * If you no longer live with your family of origin, at what age did you leave the "nest"?
 * Do you know of anyone who has suffered from the so-called "empty nest syndrome"? Have/would you?
 * Who do you think suffers most? Why?
 * Why do you think parents suffer this syndrome?

Boomerang generation
Mainly due to the general economic situation, i.e. recession, high unemployment, there has been an increase over the past few decades in the number of people who have moved back in to live with their parents.
 * At what age do/did people in your country typically leave their family of origin?
 * For what reasons? Has it changed over the years?
 * Do you know of anyone who has moved back in to live with his/her parents after having left the nest? Do you know why?

Nuclear family
The nuclear family, consists of two adults and one or more children.
 * Is the nuclear family the typical kind of family in your country?

Same-sex parenting
Are you in favor of same-sex marriage? Are same-sex marriages different from heterosexual marriages? How do laws that limit marriage to heterosexuals affect gay and lesbian people? Do same-sex couples make fit parents?

Single-parent families
With 2 million single-parent families, the United Kingdom has more single-parent families than any other country in Europe. In some areas of major cities in the UK, such as London and Manchester, there are now more single-parent families than "traditional" families.
 * Do you know what the situation is in your country?
 * Do you know many single parents?
 * People tend to generalise about single parents and their circumstances. Some of the causes include adolescent pregnancies, separations and bereavement and these can change depending on the historical moments in each country, due to emigration, war, etc. Discuss.

Extended family
The extended family may consist of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, etc. It can also include the in-laws.
 * Do you have a large extended family? How many people are there in your extended family?
 * How often do you all meet up?
 * Do you only see some of them at Christmas, christenings, weddings, and funerals?
 * When was the last time you all met up?
 * Are there any members of your extended family that you've never met? Do they live far away/abroad?
 * Are there any members of your extended family that aren't really members but are always included in family reunions, such as that aunt or uncle who is really just a very close friend of someone in the family?

Dinks

 * Dink stands for double-income, no kids. Do you know any dinks?
 * What are the advantages, if any, of being a dink?