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