National Families Week: Families in Australia Today
What are some key family issues in Australia today?
What are some of the key issues for parents?
What are some key youth issues?
What is a family?
Families are diverse in their composition and forms. There are many definitions of family. Families Australia believes that families are what people define them to be. It is helpful for people to reflect about whether ‘family’ refers, for example, to a group of people living under one roof, to people who are related, to people with shared emotional bonds, or to other things.
What are some key family issues in Australia today?
Based on the way the Australian Bureau of Statistics gathers information about families, there are over five million families in Australia.
Australian families are very diverse in terms of composition and size, and they have been through a lot of change especially in past 30 years. Four particular issues facing many families are: balancing work and family life, finding time to be together, ensuring that children get the best start in life through effective parenting and child care, caring for older family members including grandparents, and keeping relationships strong.
What are some of the key issues for parents?
One of the key challenges for parents is staying connected with children. Some ideas are: spend time together, notice and applaud the positives, use encouragement, share the jobs and responsibilities, and involve children in solving problems. A helpful website about parenting is: www.raisingchildren.net.au.
What are some key youth issues?
Having a strong and supportive family is a major priority for youth. Three big issues for young people are suicide, violence, and substance abuse – these deserve special attention by the community as a whole.
Youth face particular challenges as they experience many transitions, including going from primary to secondary school and from secondary school to work or tertiary studies. The need for strong, supportive families at those junctures is especially vital. Even though they may be having problems, it is never too late to help young people.