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IELTS Family & Society Collocations

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absentee parent
Definition

A parent who is physically or emotionally absent from a child's life.

Examples
  • An absentee parent may provide money but little emotional support.
  • Children with an absentee parent often rely more heavily on grandparents or older siblings.

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  • absentee parent
    A parent who is physically or emotionally absent from a child's life.
    Examples
    • An absentee parent may provide money but little emotional support.
    • Children with an absentee parent often rely more heavily on grandparents or older siblings.
  • adoptive family
    A family in which a child is legally and permanently raised by parents who are not the child's biological parents.
    Examples
    • An adoptive family can provide a child with stability and belonging.
    • Schools should avoid assumptions about whether a child lives with a biological or adoptive family.
  • alimony payments
    Regular financial support paid by one former spouse to another after separation or divorce.
    Examples
    • Alimony payments can help a financially dependent partner rebuild their life after divorce.
    • Disputes over alimony payments often prolong divorce proceedings.
  • amicable separation
    A separation between partners that happens respectfully and without serious hostility.
    Examples
    • An amicable separation can reduce emotional harm to children.
    • The couple chose an amicable separation rather than a hostile legal fight.
  • ancestral lineage
    A person's line of descent from earlier generations or ancestors.
    Examples
    • Many families preserve stories about their ancestral lineage.
    • Ancestral lineage can influence identity, inheritance, and social status in traditional societies.
  • arranged marriage
    A marriage in which families or relatives help choose the partner, often with varying degrees of consent from the couple.
    Examples
    • An arranged marriage can work well when both partners have genuine choice.
    • Attitudes towards arranged marriage differ widely across generations and cultures.
  • assisted living facility
    A residential place where elderly or disabled people receive help with daily activities while retaining some independence.
    Examples
    • An assisted living facility can provide safety without complete loss of independence.
    • Some families choose an assisted living facility when home care becomes too difficult.
  • blended family
    A family formed when partners with children from previous relationships live together or marry.
    Examples
    • A blended family may need time to develop trust and shared routines.
    • Children in a blended family often benefit from clear communication and patience.
  • blood ties
    Family connections based on biological relationship.
    Examples
    • Blood ties do not always guarantee emotional closeness.
    • Some people value chosen relationships as much as blood ties.
  • breadwinner role
    The responsibility of earning the main income for a household or family.
    Examples
    • The traditional breadwinner role is no longer limited to men.
    • Losing the breadwinner role can affect a person's identity and self-esteem.
  • caregiving burden
    The physical, emotional, financial, or time pressure experienced by caregivers.
    Examples
    • The caregiving burden can affect a person's health and career prospects.
    • Public services can reduce the caregiving burden on families.
  • caregiving duties
    Responsibilities involved in looking after a child, elderly person, ill person, or dependent family member.
    Examples
    • Caregiving duties often fall on women in traditional households.
    • Employees with caregiving duties may need flexible schedules.
  • changing family dynamics
    The evolving patterns of roles, relationships, power, and responsibilities within families.
    Examples
    • Changing family dynamics have altered the way children relate to their parents.
    • Technology is one factor behind changing family dynamics in modern households.
  • childcare burden
    The practical, emotional, or financial pressure involved in caring for children.
    Examples
    • The childcare burden is especially heavy for single parents.
    • Affordable daycare can reduce the childcare burden on working families.
  • child neglect
    Failure to provide a child with basic physical, emotional, educational, or medical care.
    Examples
    • Child neglect can occur even when a family appears normal from the outside.
    • Schools often play an important role in identifying signs of child neglect.
  • close-knit family
    A family whose members have strong emotional bonds and support each other closely.
    Examples
    • She grew up in a close-knit family where everyone supported one another.
    • A close-knit family can give children a strong sense of emotional security.
  • coddle a child
    To protect or pamper a child too much, preventing them from becoming independent or resilient.
    Examples
    • Parents who coddle a child may make it harder for them to handle failure.
    • There is a difference between supporting a child and coddling a child.
  • cohabiting couple
    Two people in a romantic relationship who live together without being married.
    Examples
    • A cohabiting couple may face different legal protections from a married couple.
    • Cohabiting couples have become more common as social attitudes towards marriage change.
  • communal harmony
    Peaceful and respectful relations among different groups within a community or society.
    Examples
    • Festivals can promote communal harmony when they encourage inclusion rather than division.
    • Education plays an important role in preserving communal harmony.
  • communication breakdown
    A failure of communication that leads to misunderstanding, conflict, or loss of cooperation.
    Examples
    • A communication breakdown between parents and teenagers can lead to unnecessary conflict.
    • Many family disputes begin with a simple communication breakdown.
  • co-parenting arrangement
    An agreement in which separated or divorced parents share responsibilities for raising their child.
    Examples
    • A healthy co-parenting arrangement requires respect and reliable communication.
    • Children benefit when a co-parenting arrangement is stable and predictable.
  • custody battle
    A legal dispute between parents or guardians over who should care for a child after separation or divorce.
    Examples
    • A prolonged custody battle can be emotionally exhausting for children.
    • Courts should place the child's welfare above the parents' hostility during a custody battle.
  • digital parenting
    The way parents guide, monitor, and support children's use of digital devices and online platforms.
    Examples
    • Digital parenting requires more than simply limiting screen time.
    • Many parents feel unprepared for digital parenting in the age of social media.
  • discipline a child
    To teach a child acceptable behaviour through rules, guidance, and appropriate consequences.
    Examples
    • Parents should discipline a child without humiliating or frightening them.
    • It is easier to discipline a child when expectations are clear and consistent.
  • divorce settlement
    A legal agreement that decides financial, property, and sometimes child-related matters after divorce.
    Examples
    • A fair divorce settlement can prevent years of legal conflict.
    • The divorce settlement included property division and child support arrangements.
  • domestic responsibilities
    Tasks and duties involved in managing a household, such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for family members.
    Examples
    • Domestic responsibilities are still unequally shared in many households.
    • Working parents often struggle to balance paid work and domestic responsibilities.
  • domestic violence
    Violence, abuse, or coercive behaviour within a family or intimate relationship.
    Examples
    • Domestic violence remains underreported in many societies because victims fear social judgement.
    • Stronger legal protection is needed for people escaping domestic violence.
  • domestic workload
    The total amount of household work and family care that must be done.
    Examples
    • The domestic workload often increases after the birth of a child.
    • Technology has reduced some tasks, but the domestic workload remains heavy for many women.
  • dual-income household
    A household in which two adults earn income, usually both partners.
    Examples
    • A dual-income household may have more financial security but less time for childcare.
    • Urban living costs have made the dual-income household increasingly common.
  • emotional security
    A sense of being safe, loved, and supported emotionally.
    Examples
    • Children need emotional security as much as material comfort.
    • A predictable home routine can provide emotional security during difficult times.
  • empty nest syndrome
    Sadness or loss felt by parents when their children grow up and leave home.
    Examples
    • Some parents experience empty nest syndrome when their children move abroad for university.
    • Empty nest syndrome can be eased by developing new routines and social connections.
  • erosion of traditional values
    The gradual weakening or disappearance of long-established beliefs, customs, or moral expectations.
    Examples
    • Some people blame the erosion of traditional values for rising divorce rates.
    • Others argue that the so-called erosion of traditional values is actually social progress.
  • estranged relative
    A family member with whom someone no longer has a close or active relationship because of conflict or distance.
    Examples
    • He had not spoken to his estranged relative for almost ten years.
    • Family disputes sometimes leave elderly people dependent on an estranged relative for support.
  • familial obligation
    A duty or responsibility that someone feels towards their family.
    Examples
    • Many young adults feel a strong familial obligation to support their parents financially.
    • Familial obligation can be a source of both comfort and pressure.
  • family breakdown
    The collapse or serious weakening of family relationships, often due to conflict, separation, neglect, or social pressure.
    Examples
    • Family breakdown can create emotional and financial difficulties for children.
    • Policymakers often link youth problems to poverty, unemployment, and family breakdown.
  • family conflict
    Disagreement, tension, or hostility between family members.
    Examples
    • Family conflict can affect a child's concentration at school.
    • Open communication is often the first step towards reducing family conflict.
  • family safety net
    Support provided by relatives during financial, emotional, or practical difficulties.
    Examples
    • For many people, the family safety net is more reliable than state support.
    • Migration can weaken the family safety net by separating relatives across countries.
  • family tension
    Stress, unease, or unresolved disagreement within a family.
    Examples
    • Financial pressure can create family tension even in otherwise loving homes.
    • Family tension often increases when major decisions are avoided.
  • formative years
    The early years of life during which a person's character, habits, and abilities are strongly shaped.
    Examples
    • A child's formative years have a lasting impact on confidence and behaviour.
    • Stable relationships during the formative years can support healthy development.
  • foster care system
    The organised system through which children who cannot live with their birth families are placed with temporary caregivers.
    Examples
    • The foster care system should prioritise children's safety and emotional stability.
    • Children leaving the foster care system often need support with housing and education.
  • gender discrimination
    Unfair treatment based on a person's gender.
    Examples
    • Gender discrimination within families can limit girls' access to education.
    • Laws alone cannot eliminate gender discrimination unless social attitudes also change.
  • generation gap
    A difference in attitudes, values, or behaviour between younger and older generations.
    Examples
    • The generation gap is often visible in debates about marriage, technology, and career choices.
    • A strong relationship can reduce the emotional distance caused by the generation gap.
  • geriatric care
    Medical, personal, and social care for elderly people.
    Examples
    • Demand for geriatric care is rising as populations age.
    • Families often struggle to afford high-quality geriatric care.
  • grassroots initiative
    A local project or movement started by ordinary people rather than by governments or large institutions.
    Examples
    • A grassroots initiative helped provide childcare for working mothers.
    • Community problems are often best addressed through a grassroots initiative.
  • hand down traditions
    To pass customs, beliefs, or practices from older generations to younger ones.
    Examples
    • Grandparents often hand down traditions through stories and everyday rituals.
    • Families hand down traditions to give children a sense of identity.
  • helicopter parenting
    A parenting style in which parents are excessively involved in every aspect of a child's life.
    Examples
    • Helicopter parenting can make children less willing to solve problems independently.
    • Some parents practise helicopter parenting because they fear academic failure and social competition.
  • honour-based violence
    Violence or abuse committed to control a person's behaviour in the name of family or community honour.
    Examples
    • Honour-based violence is a serious human rights issue, not a private family matter.
    • Victims of honour-based violence need safe reporting channels and legal protection.
  • instil values
    To gradually teach and develop moral principles or beliefs in someone, especially a child.
    Examples
    • Parents try to instil values such as honesty, empathy, and discipline.
    • Schools and families both play a role in instilling values in children.
  • irreconcilable differences
    Serious disagreements between partners that cannot be resolved and may lead to separation or divorce.
    Examples
    • The couple cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their divorce.
    • Irreconcilable differences often develop gradually rather than appearing overnight.
  • maintain family ties
    To keep relationships with family members active and emotionally connected.
    Examples
    • Video calls help migrants maintain family ties across long distances.
    • It can be difficult to maintain family ties after a bitter divorce.
  • marital discord
    Serious disagreement, tension, or conflict between married partners.
    Examples
    • Persistent marital discord can affect children's emotional wellbeing.
    • Counselling may help couples resolve marital discord before it leads to separation.
  • marital harmony
    Peaceful, respectful, and cooperative relations between married partners.
    Examples
    • Financial transparency can contribute to marital harmony.
    • Marital harmony depends on communication, trust, and shared responsibilities.
  • matrimonial dispute
    A serious disagreement or legal conflict between spouses, often related to marriage, property, or separation.
    Examples
    • The court encouraged mediation in the matrimonial dispute.
    • A matrimonial dispute can become more damaging when relatives take sides.
  • moral upbringing
    The way a child is raised with respect to ethical principles and ideas of right and wrong.
    Examples
    • A strong moral upbringing can influence how children treat others.
    • Some people argue that moral upbringing should begin at home, not only in schools.
  • neighbourhood solidarity
    Mutual support and unity among people living in the same local area.
    Examples
    • Neighbourhood solidarity became visible when residents helped elderly people during the crisis.
    • Urban anonymity can weaken neighbourhood solidarity.
  • nuclear family unit
    A family consisting mainly of parents and their children living as a small household.
    Examples
    • The nuclear family unit has become more common in urban areas.
    • A nuclear family unit may offer privacy but less support from relatives.
  • nurture independence
    To help someone, especially a child, gradually become confident and self-reliant.
    Examples
    • Good parenting should nurture independence while still providing emotional support.
    • Schools can nurture independence by allowing students to make responsible choices.
  • online safety concerns
    Worries about risks on the internet, such as harmful content, privacy, scams, or contact with strangers.
    Examples
    • Online safety concerns have made parents more cautious about children's smartphone use.
    • Schools should teach children how to manage online safety concerns responsibly.
  • overbearing parent
    A parent who controls a child's choices too strongly and leaves little room for independence.
    Examples
    • An overbearing parent may damage a teenager's confidence by making every decision for them.
    • Schools should encourage parental involvement without rewarding overbearing parent behaviour.
  • parental involvement
    The active participation of parents in a child's education, activities, or development.
    Examples
    • Parental involvement is strongly linked to better educational outcomes.
    • Schools should encourage parental involvement without making working parents feel guilty.
  • parental pressure
    Pressure placed on children by parents to meet expectations, especially in education, behaviour, or career choices.
    Examples
    • Parental pressure can motivate students, but excessive pressure may harm their mental health.
    • Many teenagers struggle with parental pressure during exam season.
  • parental supervision
    The act of parents monitoring, guiding, or overseeing a child's activities and behaviour.
    Examples
    • Parental supervision is important when children first start using the internet.
    • A lack of parental supervision can expose young people to unnecessary risks.
  • positive parenting
    A parenting approach that uses encouragement, warmth, clear boundaries, and respectful guidance.
    Examples
    • Positive parenting focuses on teaching rather than simply punishing children.
    • Many schools run workshops to promote positive parenting among new parents.
  • prenuptial agreement
    A legal agreement made before marriage about how assets or finances will be handled if the marriage ends.
    Examples
    • A prenuptial agreement can reduce financial uncertainty before marriage.
    • Some people see a prenuptial agreement as practical, while others view it as unromantic.
  • preserve family traditions
    To keep family customs, rituals, or practices alive over time.
    Examples
    • Many families preserve family traditions through festivals, food, and storytelling.
    • Young people may preserve family traditions while adapting them to modern life.
  • rebuild family ties
    To repair and strengthen family relationships after conflict, distance, or separation.
    Examples
    • The siblings tried to rebuild family ties after years of disagreement.
    • Therapy can help people rebuild family ties without ignoring past harm.
  • sandwich generation
    Middle-aged adults who support both their children and their ageing parents.
    Examples
    • The sandwich generation often faces heavy financial and emotional pressure.
    • Flexible work policies can help the sandwich generation manage caregiving duties.
  • sibling rivalry
    Competition, jealousy, or conflict between brothers and sisters.
    Examples
    • Sibling rivalry is common when children feel they are competing for parental attention.
    • Parents can reduce sibling rivalry by avoiding constant comparison.
  • single-parent household
    A household in which one parent raises one or more children alone.
    Examples
    • A single-parent household may face greater financial pressure.
    • Schools should avoid stereotypes about children from a single-parent household.
  • social fabric
    The network of relationships, values, institutions, and bonds that hold a society together.
    Examples
    • Family breakdown can place pressure on the wider social fabric.
    • Volunteering and local associations strengthen the social fabric of a community.
  • stable family environment
    A home setting that provides consistency, emotional security, and reliable care.
    Examples
    • A stable family environment helps children develop confidence and resilience.
    • Poverty can make it harder for parents to maintain a stable family environment.
  • strained relationship
    A relationship that is tense, difficult, or weakened by conflict or distance.
    Examples
    • She has a strained relationship with her father because of years of disagreement.
    • A strained relationship can improve if both sides are willing to communicate honestly.
  • welfare dependency
    A long-term reliance on government financial support, often discussed in relation to poverty and employment.
    Examples
    • Critics argue that poorly designed benefits can create welfare dependency.
    • Supporters say welfare dependency is often exaggerated and ignores structural unemployment.