Adult Roles and Responsibilities

Families - Study guide III

Family Life Cycle

The family life cycle summarizes the average ages at which people complete normal life experiences.

Changes that occur in the family life cycle as the family members get older and are at different ages.

Family life cycle stages

Stage 1: Beginning Family

Stage 2: Childbearing family

Stage 3: Family with Preschoolers

Stage 4: Family with School Children

Stage 5: Family with Teenagers

Stage 6: Launching Center

Stage 7: Empty Nest

Stage 8: Aging Family

Family Types

Each type of family has strengths and weaknesses, problems, advantages, and disadvantages.

Identify strengths and weaknesses of each family type.

Living alone

Couples without children

Couples with children

Divorced adults

Traditional families

Single-parent families

Blended families

Grandparents living with families

Grown children moving back with parents

Working mothers

People of the opposite sex living together

Marrying later in life

Positive and negative characteristics that affect family relationships

Characteristics that affect the family:

Commitment time together appreciation

communication decision making responsibility

problem solving values and spiritual wellness

family rules traditions

Sibling Relationships

·  A sibling is a brother or sister

·  Sibling rivalry occurs when there is competition among the children

·  Sibling rivalry may occur at all stages and ages of life

·  The level of rivalry varies according to ages and life experiences/events

Birth Order

Birth order plays a role in personality development

Qualities of a Strong Family

Commitment Spending time together

Sharing values and morals Appreciating one another

Validating communication Communication

Family Traditions

¨  Make family members feel secure

¨  Reminds family of happy times

¨  Strengthen family relationships

Strategies to Strengthen Family Relationships

¨  Working together

¨  Supporting one another

Parent and Teen Relationships

§  Teens are going through growing stages

§  It is healthy for teens to have their own thoughts

§  They are concerned about having their ideas challenged

§  Teens have difficult time accepting advice from their own parents

§  Teens have strong feelings concerning various issues

§  Teens showing responsibility receive more freedom and rights

§  To help parent/teen relationship:

Trying to see things from each others’ viewpoint will improve

relationships

Establish ground rules together

Characteristics and Misconceptions of the Elderly

Physical changes – changes include hearing loss, chemical

composition of bones, loss of elasticity in the skin

Emotional changes – loss of short-term memory, loss of

independence, increased difficulties in learning new information, concerned about the future

Sexual changes – women go through menopause. Men go through a

similar change that is known as climacteric

Financial changes – decrease in income

Care Options – (Know Advantages and Disadvantages)

Nursing home

Retirement Community

Living with Family Members

Hire a nurse to live with the older person