There is a particular image of family life that has become so familiar that we rarely stop to question it: a mother, a father and their children, with the parents expected to shoulder education, formation, discipline, emotional support and entertainment within the confines of a single household.
It is often presented not only as the most stable, natural and efficient arrangement, but as the gold standard of family life itself – especially against the backdrop of so many broken homes. The assumption is that a mother, father and their children form a largely self-sufficient unit, capable of providing everything a family needs.
