The conventional roster of life milestones is under review. Having kids in your 30s is no longer a given, if kids are part of the plan at all. Career progression is non-linear. Older Adults are finding new forms of independence. And Gen Z are embracing a more fluid definition of home.

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.

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?

Buying organic rabbit food, brushing your cat’s teeth, and sending your dog for hydrotherapy are no longer considered eccentricities. Pets are taking on human status, and they’re being treated accordingly. How can brands help enrich the lives of pet parents and their beloved fur babies?

In the digital age, parents have more information about their children than ever before – they can track their kid’s location remotely, monitor sleeping patterns, and even check whether the chores are done. Can all this tech allay common parental anxieties or will it fuel fresh concerns?