The Brady Bunch television show first aired in 1969 and became a top-rated show after airing for five seasons. It aired at a time when Americans did not consider blended families as the norm. It mainly depicted family unity about new parent along with child relationships and new siblings’ interaction. These siblings often have a mentality that shows their particular gender, which, for the most part, they are not aware of. Also, the show revolves around sibling rivalries, dating, new loyalties, as well as misunderstandings that can often occur in a blended family.
The Brady Bunch family portrays a new family dynamic that is very different from the previous periods in that it is a heterosexual blended family. It is a complex stepfamily which unites together when Mike, the widowed father marries Carol Brady who is interestingly a divorcee. Both Mike and Carol combine their families in a cozy house to form a large blended family. Mike has three boys, namely Greg, Bobby, as well as Peter. Carol Brady also enters into the marriage with her three girls, namely Jan, Marcia, as well as Cindy. This family is a Caucasian family going through the usual issues that can arise in a blended family setting. It is imperative to note that Greg is the oldest child in the family, and he is 13. At 12 years old, Marcia is the second, and Jan and Peter are both 11 years old. Bobby is 7, while Cindy is six years old, thus, making her the last born. Additionally, the family has a housekeeper named Alice Nelson.
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Notably, stepfamilies may lack clear roles for the members of the family to play, resulting in the strain as well as dwindled family functioning. This may, thus, negatively impact the development of the children. Further, as Powell, Hamilton, Manago & Cheng (2016) cite, in blended families, it is common for the parents to invest more in their biological children. For instance, in the case of the Brady Bunch Family, Mike may invest more in his sons than his stepdaughters. This may also be the case on Carol’s side. Consequently, family conflicts and sibling rivalry may arise, which may negatively affect the resilience of the children in the future. Resilience is typically the resistance to psychological risk experiences (Greeff & Du Toit, 2009) . Strained family relationships in blended families can often negatively impact the resilience of the children. In this regard, children may experience challenges in dealing with life difficulties in adulthood. Also, there are abuse and neglect issues in some blended families instances. This may adversely impact the children in such families as they may develop low self-esteem, aggression, as well as poor peer relations.
According to Pasqualini, Lanari & Pieroni (2018), transitions in the family structure can result in family instability which may, in turn, cause the children to engage in risky behavior, for instance, alcohol consumption. Moreover, many transitions in the family can result in high socio-emotional challenges in children. However, a single change in the family does not necessarily affect the children negatively. In stepparent families, the entrance of a stepparent does not affect the well-being of children. Nonetheless, when a new parent joins the family, the family routine is disrupted and may also lead to jealousy; hence, causing conflicting relationships. Njoroge and Kirori (2018) state that the development of a child is highly influenced by a strong physical and emotional attachment to at least one parent. Having a sense of attachment provides a child with a sense of security and stability fundamental in taking risks, develop and grow as a personality. In blended families, teenagers experience difficulties in building relationships and maintaining them. This can be attributed to low satisfaction, low trust in stepparents, as well as low interpersonal skills. This, therefore, shows that a blended family has troubles in constructing a quality family.
To sum up, Brady Bunch Family is a blended family that depicts several issues that may arise in such families. Family transitions may often result in family instability, henceforth, affecting the well-being of children, which will, in turn, affect their attachment and resilience.
References
Greeff, A., & Du Toit, C. (2009). Resilience in remarried families. The American Journal Of Family Therapy , 37 (2), 114-126. doi: 10.1080/01926180802151919
Njoroge, M., & Kirori, G. (2018). Blended family dynamics and academic performance outcome of the child in Kenya: Case of Kabete Sub-County in Kiambu County. Journal Of Culture, Society And Development , 41 , 18-23.
Pasqualini, M., Lanari, D., & Pieroni, L. (2018). Parents who exit and parents who enter. Family structure transitions, child psychological health, and early drinking. Social Science & Medicine , 214 , 187-196. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.08.017
Powell, B., Hamilton, L., Manago, B., & Cheng, S. (2016). Implications of changing family forms for children. Annual Review Of Sociology , 42 (1), 301-322. doi: 10.1146/annurev-soc-081715-074444
