Merriam-Webster defines nontraditional family as follows: a family that is not made up of one mother, one father, and a child or children. Given this definition we may ask, "what is a so-called traditional family?" The general public views a traditional family as one that has two parents of opposite gender who are legally married to one another and have one or more children together either biologically or by way of adoption.

The modern family, in contrast to the traditional family is much more diverse. The modern family may include single parent homes, same gender parents, blended families, and parents who live together and raise children together but are not married. In addition to different family structures, the individuals comprising those families are also increasingly more diverse. A parent or a child may identify as transgender or nonbinary.