By tracing the history and characteristics of family life in Slovenia in the last 60 years, the article attempts to shed light on family and demographic trends that are quite similar to those in Western countries as well as on those which are distinctively Slovenian. Some trends, such as the pluralisation of family forms and the decline in marriage and fertility rates started in approximately the same period as in Western countries, i.e. from the 1960s and 1970s onward. Some changes like full-time female employment, promoted by the state immediately after World War II and subsequently, preceded female employment trends in Western countries and may be considered a typical "socialist" characteristic. By contrast, several features which influenced family Ufe in Slovenia in past decades considerably cannot be labelled typically Western or Eastern European, like well-developed and affordable family planning services, the early legal equality of de jure and defacto families, the possibility of parents sharing one year of fully paid parental leave etc. The paper presents the main trends and characteristics of family life in Slovenia in recent decades, compares them with other those in European countries and reflects on the contemporary (ir) relevance of Hajnal's theory.