It takes me a lot to delete people, mainly because I only have a few and think that if everyone else deletes them, then when an event comes along, I can call in every day and clean up, very rare I do and the minimum was around 18 weeks, I achieved Level 20 of the Friends Points, so as long as I can get a fair wedge out of the 90 (or should that be 89 as the 90th isn't paying again on this one) I'm not too bothered and know there's always people out there on 'Add-me' lists...
As for family, I only had my two daughters on it, one hadn't played for ages and 'gave' me her town which I use as a sandbox and a visiting station, the other gave up a few weeks ago but may come back again, like she has done previously, for instance, she started on the whacking day event, lost interest, renewed her interest last year, I saw her on it, decided to give it a go as I had a tablet which wasn't doing anything....BAM! hooked....played every single day since!