Family life cycle stages
In fact, there are a lot of periodizations in the development of the family life cycle, but J. Bernard and L. Thompson supplemented P. Glick's idea with qualitative transformations from the point of view of social changes. They described how, as a result of the development of the family life cycle at these three stages, the social statuses of family members are transformed, their social roles change, as well as their economic situation. Thus, the researchers formalized the three-stage concept of the life cycle in 8 stages, determining the average life expectancy of each stage (it is important to note that this study was conducted on the material of American families):
📍Married couple without children (average duration - 2 years): the main task is the development of marital relations, the formation of a model of one's own family, the establishment of boundaries with the families of parents, the clarification of mutual expectations. Also at this stage there is a period of development of professional identity. At this stage, an acceptable level of financial well-being.
📍The birth of children and their care (average duration - 2.5 years): the main task is the development of parental functions. This is the beginning of a decline in the level of financial security. At this stage, the family structure is being restructured: from a dyad, it is transformed into triangular relationships. With the further birth of children, the structure of family relations is rebuilt even more, as also sibling relationships. For this stage, another important task is to harmonize the balance between marital and parental relationships.
📍Family with children of preschool age up to 6 years (average duration - 3.5 years): the main task is the primary socialization of children. At this stage, parents are as the first institution of socialization and contribute to the development of children, teach the development of social norms and rules by including it in various social groups (kindergarten, playground, etc.). This stage is characterized, as a rule, by the harmonious inclusion of both parents, which increases the cohesion of the family at this stage. Plus, in terms of professional development, as a rule, one of the spouses (or both) at this stage achieve career development in their profession.
📍A family with school-age children from 6 to 13 years old (average duration - 7 years) - the main task is the secondary socialization of children and the formation of new meanings in marital relations. This is the most difficult period in terms of finances. At this stage, the child enters secondary socialization by mastering social norms within the school and circles, mastering the main forms of human relations. For spouses, this period can be difficult in terms of partnerships: there is a risk of relationship stagnation, as well as a crisis of professional growth.
📍A family with adolescent children from 13 to 20 years old (average duration - 7 years) - the main task is to harmonize parent-child relations, respect for the child's growing up. This is the period of gradual separation of children from their parents, the development of their own system of values, guidelines and ideals, the beginning of the formation of professional identity. Child-parent relationships are beginning to transform: for children, peers have more authority than parents. Therefore, it is important for parents to maintain contact and provide support and love to children.
📍Family at the stage of care of grown children (average duration - 6.5 years) - the main task is child-parent separation. This is the period of the final separation of children from the parental family, they can already create their own family or not, but the fact is that children leave their parental home and arrange their own lives. At this stage, the economic situation of the parental family may increase, interpersonal relations may also change both positively and negatively. It depends on the initial type of relationship with children: in rigid families with a maladaptive attachment style, both children and parents will have a hard time going through this period, while in flexible families this period goes quite smoothly: children keep in touch with their parents, often relationships even improve.
📍The family at the stage of the initial matrimonial dyad (empty nest) average duration - 13 years: the main task is the restoration of marital relations, the formation of a new identity (grandparents). This stage is characterized by the dominance of newly marital relations, since parental functions have actually already been performed. Therefore, this period can be both a crisis and a prosperous one: again, it depends on the degree of harmony and maturity of the relationship at the previous stages. Important events at this stage can be: the appearance of grandchildren, which contributes to the realization of the new role of parents as grandparents, retirement (which also needs to be prepared).
📍Death of spouses (from 16 years old) - the main task is the acceptance of old age, overcoming the experience of loss and loneliness. At this stage, the spouses are already retiring, and their financial condition is again declining. Quite a significant event is the death of one of the spouses, and then his partner. Therefore, an important task becomes - the experience of grief and the acquisition of new meanings for life. At this stage, the widowed spouse may remarry or enter the family of one of the children. It is also important to continue the implementation of the role of grandparents, as they allow you to develop in interpersonal relationships and not go into isolation.
The main features of the family life cycle
Naturally, the above schemes are somewhat average representations. Often, some stages drag on longer than usual: for example, separation from the parental family - and, accordingly, development does not occur for both parents and children. In addition, it is influenced by sociopolitical conditions: economic crises, political situation in the country.
Since the initial prerequisite for the formation of this concept was E. Erickson's theory of epigenetic development, speaking about the life cycle of the family, one cannot fail to mention the crisis of family development. Since the transition to each stage is often accompanied by family crises, since the structure of the relationship itself changes.
The very first crisis stage is realized at the first stage of family formation - the contradiction of family models of two spouses, the presence of established attitudes and expectations regarding the role of husband and wife, different sexual experiences, differences in parental attitudes and plans, dissatisfaction with professional development, lack of final separation from the parental family.
The difficulties characteristic of the second stage are a mixture of parental and marital relations (very often mothers are very much involved in child-parent relationships, causing jealousy in the spouse, which often ends in betrayal), lack of understanding of the functions of parenthood in general, the presence of limiting beliefs, is formed imbalance of professional and parental identities, sexual relations of spouses are transformed. As a result, dissatisfaction arises.
At the third stage, the main difficulties are mainly related to the parents' awareness of what education is and how to implement it.
At the fourth stage, the main difficulty is associated with the stagnation of marital relations, which occurs as a result of a decrease in the emotional content of the relationship,
career crisis. The main way is to expand the behavioral arsenal: the search for new forms of leisure activities, new forms of communication, modification of sexual life, and it may also be useful to work with a psychologist.
At the fifth stage, the main problem is the separation of parents from children (separation), return to marital relations, gaining one's own autonomy, continuing
self-realization (but not in children, but in their activities). Often at this stage, spouses feel loneliness and worthlessness of their own lives, do not know where to direct themselves.
At the sixth stage, there is often disappointment in the partner, the inability to build partnerships again, and not parental, a feeling of devastation.
In the seventh stage, it is important to accept your aging, your new status as a retiree, as well as your new grandparent status. This contributes to the activation of a new form of relationship with the family of children, as well as with the spouse.
In the eighth stage, the main difficulty is loneliness or constant grief over loss. Here it is important to include the widowed parent in the family, to develop new forms of relationships, to contribute to the acquisition of a new meaning in life.
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