The family is changing in the US as in many other countries in the world. About fifty years ago in the traditional families the father was boss. Now in a modern family both the father and the mother are equal partners.
There are some great differences between the traditional family and the modern family. The first important difference is in the man's role. The traditional husband was the head of the household, because he was the only one who worked outside the home. If the wife worked for pay, then the husband was not considered to be a good provider. In many families today, both husband and wife work for pay. Therefore, they share the role of head of household. In addition, the traditional husband usually made the big decisions about spending money. However, the modern husband shares these decisions with his working wife. Also, the traditional husband did not help his wife with the housework or meal preparation. Dinner was ready when he came home. In contrast, the modern husband helps his working wife at home. He may do some of the household jobs, and it is not unusual for him to cook.
The second difference is in the woman's role. In the traditional family, the woman may have worked for pay during her first years of marriage. However, after she became pregnant, she would usually give up her job. Her primary role was to take care of her family. In contrast, in many families today, the modern woman works outside the home even after she has children. She's doing two jobs instead of one, so she is busier than the traditional mother was. The traditional wife learned to live within her husband's income. However, the modern wife does not have to live within her husband's income because the family has two incomes.
The final difference is in the role of the children. In the traditional family, the children were taken care of by the mother because she did not work outside the home. However, today preschool children may go to a child care centre or to a baby-sitter regularly because the mother works. The school-age children of a traditional family were more dependent. Their mother was there to help them to get ready for school and to make their breakfast. In contrast, modern children are more independent. They have to get up early in the morning and get ready for school. Their mother is busy getting ready for work, so they may even have to make their own breakfast.
In conclusion, the American family today is quite different from the family of fifty years ago. In the modern family, the roles of the father, mother, and children have changed as more and more women work outside the home. The next century may bring more important changes to the American family structure.