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What is your definition of family? What we have learned so far is that westernized culture has conditioned us to believe that a family is comprised to a set of parents (mother & father) and a pair of children, preferably a male child being born first followed by a female child, which was referred in the 70s as a nuclear family (Whitehead, 2023) The “Ideal” Family. However, is that an actual definition or representation of family? Is that an accurate description today?  (1)

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It certainly isn’t mine, and for a lot of others who come from different backgrounds, cultures and believes that’s not what family represents for them either. For the better part of my life, I was in a home with a mom, dad, two brothers, and my grandfather. This kind of family dimension is referred to as collectivist Family. “A multi-generational household, (where)there are generations living together; the grandparents are expected to live under the same roof as their adult children and grandchildren. (Whitehead,2023, class 2, slide 12)
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As a young mother I have made my own immediate family comprised of just three. Family in general to me is a combination of Friends, cousins, godmothers and fathers, grandparents etc... My two children and I complete the “family” representation in a diverse and modern way. Growing my children in an environment where not having a father or father figure in the home is subsequently different then children they are around at school.
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Having a mommy and daddy at home is something that is normal to some children, but very taboo for mine. Growing up reading books like Braids by Robert Munsch, which specifically represents single African American home, like mine.  A beautiful brown skin girl with long thick coyly, hair running away, causing a fuss to brush her hair. This mimics what its like in my home.

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In other families like the story of David’s Father, which is about a boy who has a father who happens to be a giant. David befriends a girl named Julie and invites her to his home so they can have dinner. Davis father was nothing like him. Didn’t look like him was not the same size as him and they ate completely different foods. Julie obviously questioned David on the obvious difference between them. “Julie said, very softly so (his) father couldn’t hear, “David, you don’t look very much like your father.” “Well, I’m adopted” David said”. (Munsch, 1980, p 7, pp 1)

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This author from the 80’s, has been debunking the stereotypical views of family. Books like A Promise Is a Promise which highlights an aboriginal family and their beliefs in different sprit gods, or Something Good which highlights a biracial family. This type of belonging and understanding over the years has continued to be transparent in all his books. In an era where the value of family meant marriage, a home and children.

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“How do we still reinforce nuclear ideals about “family” in children’s literature?” 

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“How do we still reinforce nuclear ideals about “family” in children’s literature?” 

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Unfortunate to some, the ideologies about nuclear families are completely absent in a great number of Robert Munsch books. With constant access to technology, content on different ways of life and points of views as well as more acceptance of single parent homes eliminates the need for acceptance if you fall short there of. Same sex marriages, race equality, and this ultra feminist movement of strong willed opinionated independent women that seems to be in the air right now will continue to drive out this outdated view of family. These personalities are displayed in books like Smelly Socks and Wait and See. I have been fortunate to be around differ people, cultures religions. Toronto on a whole is a very diverse city with the view or idea of family.

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In my opinion one of the most diverse cities in the country. Family is wherever you call home and who ever you invite in it. Family can me big or small. The books that we read to children are shapeshifting the idea of family for better.