Though family is important, it can also be the undoing of a person.
"A self-confident and foolish son is the [multiplied] calamity of his father, and the contentions of a wife are as continual dropping [of water through a chink in the roof]." Proverbs 19:13, Amplified
A foolish son is the undoing of his father. The father is supposed to take the role of teacher in the relationship. But when the son becomes self confident and foolish, does that reflect on the father? Yes. Every father wants to brag on their child when he is a success. However, when that child acts foolishly, there is nothing more to brag about, for everyone is focused on the bad within the child ad not the good that might possibly be left over.
As for a wife, if she is contentious, she is a continual dripping. I remember when we had some pretty severe rain this last winter, there was a leak in my roof. Some interesting things went on inside myself when that leak appeared. First I became stressed at the fact there was a leak in my roof. Next was the uncomfortablity of having to navigate my around the leak and the puddle it left. Finally there was the irritation of the leak when the whole house went silent. As we tried to relax there was the steady sound of dripping that seemed to be more of a sonic boom than anything. I do not know if having a contentious wife would make me feel this way, but if it did, I would understand why the Bible speaks of her so. All I know is that I would not want one.
