Starting a family may once have been as simple as getting married, buying a home, and having kids, but as life stages blur and gender roles become less relevant, the traditional rules are being rewritten. Canvas8 spoke to sociologist Philip N. Cohen to understand how the family unit is changing.

Student loans and high property prices have left many young adults with no option but to move back home. But between a perceived loss of independence and the added financial burden on households, how does this return impact the relationships between parents and their grown-up children?

Traditional social structures can seem inconveniently binary for some individuals – not everyone wants to be part of a nuclear family or search for the right partner with whom to raise a child. How do friends, family and strangers now fit into marriages, support networks and parenting choices?

Families are holidaying more than they have for years, but many worry that this time together still isn't enough to properly bond. Thomas Cook is helping by creating special activities in-built into its own-brand hotels. In doing so, it can become a champion of family values in customers' eyes.