The family structure has undergone drastic changes due to urbanization. In many cities now, most families consist of just one or two persons. In my opinion, the shrinking of the family unit is an unwelcome trend.
Families are becoming smaller due to a number of reasons and it is a negative trend. The main reason is that when people live in nuclear families they fail to bond with their relatives. And those who live alone suffer from loneliness and depression. For example, many urban residents who live alone suffer from higher levels of stress because they have no one to care for them when they fall ill and experience other problems. For instance, a recent BBC documentary revealed that lack of family attachment is the prime reason apart from work stress that is leading to an increased number of family breakups, suicides, and domestic violence in London households. Children also suffer from the shrinking of family size. Children with busy parents are left alone at care centres and schools without much affection and guidance to nurture them at their tender age. The support provided by day care centres is no match to the love and care a child can receive from extended family members like grandparents.
Despite the above detrimental effects there may be a positive aspect to having a small family in a city. The only positive side in having a small family is financial affordability in a city environment. It is true that cost cutting is important for urban dwellers; however, living in a joint family is a great way to beat loneliness, and alienation.
In conclusion, it is evident that small families are the norm in cities although a large extended family with joy and bonding is important for a thriving family. In my opinion, if given a chance, people should never hesitate to share their space with their extended family. 
The  
family
 structure has undergone drastic  
changes
 due to urbanization. In  
many
  cities
  now
, most  
families
 consist of  
just
 one or two persons. In my opinion, the shrinking of the  
family
 unit is an unwelcome trend.
Families are becoming smaller due to a number of reasons and it is a  
negative
 trend. The main reason is that when  
people
  live
 in nuclear  
families
 they fail to bond with their relatives. And those who  
live
 alone suffer from loneliness and depression.  
For example
,  
many
 urban residents who  
live
 alone suffer from higher levels of  
stress
  because
 they have no one to  
care
 for them when they fall ill and experience other problems.  
For instance
, a recent BBC documentary revealed that lack of  
family
 attachment is the prime reason apart from work  
stress
  that is
 leading to an increased number of  
family
 breakups, suicides, and domestic violence in London households. Children  
also
 suffer from the shrinking of  
family
 size. Children with busy parents are  
left
 alone at  
care
  centres
 and schools without much affection and guidance to nurture them at their tender age. The support provided by day  
care
  centres
 is no match to the  
love
 and  
care
 a child can receive from extended  
family
 members like grandparents.
Despite the above detrimental effects there may be a  
positive
 aspect to having a  
small
  family
 in a city. The  
only
  positive
 side in having a  
small
  family
 is financial affordability in a city environment. It is true that  
cost cutting
 is  
important
 for urban dwellers;  
however
, living in a joint  
family
 is a great way to beat loneliness, and alienation. 
In conclusion
, it is evident that  
small
  families
 are the norm in  
cities
 although a large extended  
family
 with joy and bonding is  
important
 for a thriving  
family
. In my opinion, if  
given
 a chance,  
people
 should never hesitate to share their space with their extended  
family
.