• The New Nuclear: the idea of the nuclear family, that being mum, dad and two-point something kids living together, is being stretched and redrawn.

• Beyond Kin: more and more, people’s definition of family extends beyond kin to include kith, i.e. non-blood relatives, friends and even pets.

• The Waiting Game: the number of older mums and older dads is on the rise, as are ‘klingons’; post-teens not flying the nest as they did in previous generations.

• Blended Families: increasingly family means ‘blended’ arrangements that see multiple connections, multiple parental figures and multiple home locations. This is in addition to well-documented changes such as the rise of single and LGBT parents.

• Staying Connected: families are finding new ways of using technologies to connect more frequently and on an emotional level, both when they live nearby or far way". 

I guess looking at the above our family is a mixture of staying connected and beyond Kin.  My sister lives at the other end of the country and my Grandma lives abroad.  Like 54% of families in the modern family report my Mum and Dad provide fantastic levels of support and often help with the girls.  1/5 families consider pets as family members and we are no different with our 2 dogs.

Matalan is celebrating modern families with their new Made for Modern Families campaign

 "Since we first opened our doors 30 years ago, we've always focused on providing outstanding value and quality for families. We take the time to listen, understand and evolve, to ensure our products are the right fit for modern, happy homes. Our latest campaign, Made for Modern Families, is a celebration of family life today, in all its shapes and sizes."