family circle

plural family circles

1. A gallery in a theater, generally one containing inexpensive seats.
2. The social circle comprising one's family.

   As a rule, you see, I'm not lugged into Family Rows. On the occasions when Aunt is calling to Aunt like mastodons bellowing across primeval swamps and Uncle James's letter about Cousin Mabel's peculiar behaviour is being shot round the family circle... the clan has a tendency to ignore me.

   1923, P.G. Wodehouse, The Inimitable Jeeves