This research aims at describing the characteristics of families where older children are responsible for carrying out chores and looking after their younger siblings while in their parents absence. Twenty families from Vila Paranoá (a slum in the outskirts of Brasília, Brasil), with one to sixteen year-old children were the subjects of this study. The data were picked up from interviews and sessions of systematic observation of behavior in natural environment. These sessions were carried out during lunch time. The analysis placed emphasis on family organization, performance in home tasks and sibling interation. It has been possible to classify the families into three qualitative groups. The results are discussed in terms of need considering factors of social order in the analysis of family group.
Family; home tasks; sibling relation; natural environment observation