FOREIGN INFLUENCE ON NIGERIAN FAMILY LIFE | @vickyyakpan

Good day good people of @steemkidss community, I am here to share my knowledge about the "Foreign influence on Nigerian Family Life"

In the past, people from Britain, Canada, France and USA came to Nigeria. They came to trade with our people. After some time, they brought some religions to us which they believe are better than our own. Later, they set up schools where they taught our children how to read and write.

After many years, our people too started to go to Europe and America for more education and trade. There are many foreigners from different parts of the world who work and live among us.

Therefore, foreigners have influence on our family lives in the following ways:

• Language

It would not have been possible to have many inter-ethnic marriages in Nigeria if there is no common language which the couples understand and can speak together. That language is English. The British brought it to us.

• Food

Many of the foods which many people eat today are foreign foods. Beverages, cabbage, fried rice, salad, bread are some of the examples. Many families now eat their food together on the dining table.

• Dressing

Many people now wear European dresses. Men wear shirts and trousers while women wear gowns, blouses and skirts.

• Occupation

Many Nigerian women now work in offices outside their homes. Before, women were staying at home to take care of the children and do petty trades.

• Science and Technology

Foreigners have brought electricity to us. They have also made radio, television, electric iron, grinder, boiling ring, fridge, freezer and telephone which we use in our homes. All these make house work easier. They also bring pleasure to us at home.

• Tradition
  The tradition of marriage in Nigeria is that a man is free to marry as many wives as he can maintain with their children. But foreigners have brought three other forms of marriages to us. These are the Court,
  Christian and Islamic marriages. A man can only marry one wife under

TYPES OF FAMILY LIFE STYLES IN NIGERIA
There are four types of family life style in Nigeria. These are:

• The extended family life style.

• The polygamous family life style.

• The monogamous family life style.

• The single parent family life style.

THE EXTENDED FAMILY LIFE STYLE

This is an enlarged family. It is made up of several nuclear families which do all their things together in a big compound. The compound usually contains many houses where each nuclear family lives. The head of the family is the oldest man.

THE POLYGAMOUS FAMILY LIFESTYLE
This is a family made up of a man, his wife and their children. They all live together, eat together and do things together in one house. All the wives are expected to take care of any or all the children in the house. It can be described as a nuclear family. The standard of living is sometimes low when the head of the family is not able to provide most of the needs of wives and children.

THE MONOGAMOUS FAMILY LIFE STYLE

This is also a nuclear family. It is made up of a man, one wife and their children. It is usually a small family. All the members of the family live together in one house. The standard of living of the family is usually higher than in other families.

THE SINGLE PARENT FAMILY LIFE STYLE

This is a family in which only the man or the woman and his/her children live together. This family arises in two ways:

When either of the parents of the children has died.

When the marriage of the parents has been dissolved i.e. the parents have divorced.