Like the rings found inside the trunk of a tree, families come in many patterns. Some children live with their parents and brothers/sisters, some live with grandparents, some children are adopted, some live in foster homes, some live with single parents, or some have co-parents. Many homes today are called non traditional because they do not fit the traditional home structure of father, mother, sister/brother.

People who study their own family history, or genealogy, are discovering that traditional family trees do not show the new nontraditional relationships that people have with each other. A new kind of tree, called the circle family tree, has been designed so people can record their type of family history. This tree allows you to record the friends, relatives, and neighbors you are close to. This pattern of family history allows you to reflect on the real relationships you have with people.

Circle 1.	Put your name in the circle that says ME.
Circle 2.	Inside the second circle, put the names of the people you live with. If they are family, put an F next to their names. If they are friends, put an FR next to their names.
Circle 3.	In this circle, list your best friends. This can include relatives, like cousins, etc.
Circle 4.	Put in this circle your relatives that you see throughout the year.
Circle 5.	Write the names of the people you see on a daily basis that don’t fit in any of the other circles.
Circle 6.	This circle includes people you see once in a while that are considered friends and/or relatives. Write the names of these people.
Circle 7.	This circle includes people you know and talk to. These are people who don’t fit into any of the other circles, but if you were having a large party, you might invite.