Having more than three or four people in your family provides you with an extra dosage of unconditional love and support. This can include your grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and, of course, your parents. Children who grow up in a combined household tend to be more mature and compassionate. They also have better communication skills and are less likely to get involved in violence. Joint families are common in many Asian countries including India. In this type of family, all the children share the responsibilities and givebacks from their parents' lives. This keeps the balance of power equal between each family member while still providing security for all of them. In Western cultures, having a family business or name to carry on after you die will most likely not happen. So it's important to provide for your children whether that's through education or jobs. At the same time, you should try and find a way for them to take over the business or role within the family without giving up everything they've worked for. The choice of whether to have a single parent family or a joint one depends on what kind of lifestyle you want to lead. If you are looking for some quiet time by yourself, then a single parent family is the way to go.