FAMILY LIFE CYCLE

Lecturer: Dra. Pedro

Edited to Word Format by

FAMILY LIFE CYCLE 2) NEWLY MARRIED COUPLE

 Individual developmental changes  Transition stage from life as an individual to life
 Evolution of the marital relationship as couple
 Cyclic development of the evolving family unit  First order changes:
 Predictable, chronologically oriented sequence of o Establishing:
events  A home
 Sequence of stressful changes that requires  Mutually satisfying system for getting and
compensating or reciprocal readjustments to spending money
maintain viability  Mutually satisfying sexual relationship
 System of intellectual and emotional
STAGES OF THE FAMILY LIFE CYCLE communication
1) Unattached young adult  Ways of interacting with friends and the
2) Newly married couple community
3) Family with young children  Facing the possibility to have children and
4) Family with adolescents plan for their coming
5) Launching family  Workable relationship with relatives
6) Family in Later years  Second order changes:
o Formation of marital system
Levels of Magnitude of Change o Realignment of relationship with extended
families and friends to include spouse
 FIRST ORDER: Increment of mastery and
 Problems encountered:
adaptation that involve a NEED TO DO something
o MEDICAL
new
 Early pregnancy
 SECOND ORDER: Transformation of an individual
 STD
status and meaning and a NEED TO BE something
 Job related physical examination
new
 Gynecologic problems
 infertility
FIRST ORDER CHANGES
o EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL
 Do not involve a change in the main structure of
 Depression due to forced early marriage
the family or individual’s identity or self-image
 Jealousy to job, friends, and previous
 Tasks that must be accomplished fiancée
 Problems relating to new role as spouse
SECOND ORDER CHANGES  Relating to in-laws, friends, peer, and
 Attributes of the family system must be changed money
 Involves a change in the role and identity of family
members
3) FAMILY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
 Starts with pregnancy for the first child to
1) UNATTACHED YOUNG ADULT emergence of adolescents
 Formulates personal goals in developing as an  Coming of the children defines new family status
individual  Conflicts with home and school practices may
 First order changes: arise
o Extend social contact outside of home  First order changes:
o Job employment o Supplying adequate space, facilities and
o Living accommodation equipment for the expanding family
 Second order changes: o Meeting predictable and unpredictable costs
o Differentiation of self from family of origin of family life with small children
o Development of intimate peer relationship o Sharing responsibilities
o Establishment of self in work o Maintaining mutually satisfactory sexual
 Problems encountered: relationship
o MEDICAL o Effective communication
 Sexually transmitted diseases o Relationship with extended family
 Unwanted pregnancy o Tapping resources outside of the family
 Pre-employment check-up  Secord order changes:
o EMOTIONAL o Accepting marital system to make space for
 Psychosomatic problems secondary to new children
job, role or peer group o Parenting role
 Depression secondary to difficulty in o Realignment of relationship with extended
finding employment family to include parenting and
o SOCIAL grandparenting roles
 Peer group pressure on acquiring vices  Problems encountered:
 Fiancée pressure marriage and premarital o PARENTS
sex 1. MEDICAL – episodic medical problems;
family planning
2. EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL – peer pressure;
extramarital affairs; sexual inadequacies;
problems in child rearing; in-laws
problems; financial problems
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 o CHILDREN o Participating in community activities
1. MEDICAL – episodic medical problems; o Sexual relationship with spouse
mental retardation; poisoning  Second order changes:
2. EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL – learning o Development of adult-to-adult relationship
deficiencies; child abuse and neglect between grown-up children and their parents
o Realignment of relationship to include in-laws
4) FAMILY WITH ADOLESCENTS and grandchildren
 Parents are approaching middle life stage and o Dealing with disabilities and death of parents
grandparents in the later stage and grandparents
 Identity crisis  Problems encountered:
 First order changes: o PARENTS
o Providing facilities for widely different needs 1. MEDICAL – degenerative diseases;
o Working out money matters gynecological problems
o Sharing tasks and responsibilities 2. EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL – depression due to
o Putting the marriage relationship into focus career stagnation; over-dependent married
o Keeping communication system open children; financial problems; extramarital
o Maintaining contacts with extended family affairs; taking care of sick parents
 Second order changes: o CHILDREN
o Shifting of parent-child relationship to permit 1. MEDICAL – episodic medical problems
the adolescent to move in and out of the 2. EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL – conflict with
system parents, problems on adjustment to
o Refocus on mid-life, marital, and career married life
issues
o Beginning shift towards concern for older 6) FAMILY IN LATER YEARS
generations  Begins with departure of the last child and
 Problems encountered: continues through retirement of one or both
o PARENTS couple
1. MEDICAL – common medical problems; pre-  Ends when both are dead
menopausal symptoms  First order changes:
2. EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL – middle life crisis; o Adjusting to physiologic changes of later life
extramarital affairs; insecurities due to o Re-examining their living arrangements
changing appearance o Participating in group activities
o ADOLESCENT o Maintaining contact with younger generations
1. MEDICAL – drug abuse; STD; acne  Second order changes:
2. EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL – sexual o Maintaining own or couple functioning and
experimentation; homosexuality; conflict interest in the face of physiologic decline
with parents; juvenile delinquency o Support for more central role for middle
generation
5) LAUNCHING FAMILY o Making room in the system for the wisdom
 Begins when the first child leaves home and ends and experience of the elderly generation
when the last child leaves home o Dealing with loss spouse, preparation for own
 Launched children start their own family life death
cycle  Problems encountered:
 First order changes: o PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS
o Adjusting to the physiologic changes of 1. MEDICAL – degenerative diseases; episodic
middle age medical problems
o Discovering new satisfaction in relation to 2. EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL – depression due to
spouse death of spouse and sickness; loneliness;
o Help adolescents free themselves and become financial adjustment
responsible and happy adults o CHILDREN
o Adjusting to the reality of their own work  MEDICAL – episodic medical problems;
situation menopausal problems
o Assuring security for their later years

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