Family Life in Peru
Spanish Project
Peruvian Family Life Beliefs
Peruvians value family life greatly. They like to keep in touch with even their most remotely related relatives and spend time with them on a weekly basis. Carlos, a 12 year old Peruvian boy, says that to him, "Family is the most important thing..." Being the eldest son in his family, he has many responsibilities that he gracefully accepts because he knows that in his culture, family is all you need to be happy.
Family Structure
- Peruvians live with extended family
- Single adults live with their parents. Married couples live with their parents until they can afford a place of their own (which usually isn't very far from their parent's house), or they simply build another floor on their parents house to live in.
- A common weekend pass time is to spend they day cooking, eating, and socializing with family (including third cousins, great aunts and uncles, etc.)
Child/Parent Relationships
- Kids are expected to start doing chores at eight years old.
- Girls wash dishes and help in the kitchen, while boys do more physically demanding chores like taking out the trash.
- Grown children are expected to care for their aging parents
Gender Roles
- The father is the head of the household, and the mother usually stays at home to care for the kids and the house.
- The father is only consulted for major family matters.
- Many women work as sidewalk vendors.
- Women hold many important jobs as well. 40% of the Peruvian workforce are women.
Most Interesting Fact
An Interesting Fact About Peruvian Family Life
Because the older children care for their aging parents, retirement homes are extremely rare in Peru.