This unit is taken from Lebensumstände, a language module that concentrates on German as a tool for communication, but it also provides some insights into German society and culture through authentic printed, audio and video materials. It will be of interest to all those who want to improve their language skills in order to communicate more easily and effectively in German. This unit focuses on German family, particularly on the role of parents. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on LearningSpace, part of OpenLearn, a collection of open educational resources from The Open University. Published in ePub 2.0.1 format, some feature such as audio, video and linked PDF are not supported by all ePub readers.