What does an ideal family look like? There’s no right answer to this question, but we can often be left wondering about how our families are doing and if we’re reaching the mark of an ideal family that we set for ourselves and our children. From conversations at dinner to relationships between parents and children, how do you know if your family is where it needs to be? Our Houston family law firm have come up with metrics that you can use to quantify your own family in order to assess its state of affairs.
Number of kids
The number of kids in a household is also worth considering. On average, children tend to have stronger relationships with their parents than stepchildren or half siblings. They’re also more likely to behave well around each other. For these reasons, experts say it’s good for families to stick with one parent per child and avoid expanding too much beyond that ratio.
Parental age at time of conception
The age of a parent when their child was conceived is one indicator for health problems. Some diseases, such as Tay-Sachs disease, occur more frequently in babies born to older parents. Parents who conceive at an old age also tend to have children with delayed development, meaning your baby might reach certain milestones later than other children his or her age.
Parental age at time of child’s death
The average age of a parent when their child passes away is 40. More often than not, parents experience their child’s death in their 50’s and 60’s. That said, parents dying while they’re in their 20’s or 30’s can be emotionally painful as well. To put it plainly, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help if you find yourself experiencing any type of mental health issues after your child passes away.
Income level
What is an ideal income level for a family to function at its highest potential? The perfect income for you is not necessarily a perfect income for your friends, your in-laws, or any other person you’re close to. You can have it all; money and happiness, but you need to know how much all costs.
Education level
Most important is education. It impacts all other social and financial factors in a person’s life including their spouse’s income. The more educated a person is, statistically speaking, the higher their income level tends to be. That means that they can provide for their children better than less-educated parents can.