Italians believe family is all-important and should not be tarnished by the selfishness of another family member. In Italy much more time is spent with family than in the United States. Families travel together. Children in Italy usually live with their parents until they get married. More children take care of their parents rather than sending them to nursing homes.

When children are growing up often, if the mother works, the grandparents will take care of them. Grandparents also help make important domestic decisions. In other countries children usually don’t live close enough to their grandparents to see them all the time.

After growing up children will join the family business. Often after marriage children will try to get a house close to their parents. As a result of this families are closer because even after everyone is grown up families can still see each other on regular basis. Often they will travel with each other. Finally, when the parents become elderly the children feel it is their duty to take care of them.