Being that I am an African American female who has worked closely with teen mothers who were raised by another teen mother, I have seen firsthand the advantages of having an extended family. Berk (2014) discusses why extended families are critical in the African American community, which I found extremely interesting since I have personally seen the importance of extended families in all ethnicities. One of the advantages Berk (2014) discusses is how extended families can relieve stress and burden versus a single family. In normal extended family situations, financial obligations and other responsibilities are shared, therefore lowering stress off the main caregiver’s plate. Additionally, there is usually an adult who has a higher maturity
