The Family Life Cycle

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Their classification table lists six stages of the family life cycle: 1. Leaving home: The unattached young adult 2. The joining of families through marriage: The newly married system 3. Families with young children 4. Families with adolescents 5. Launching children and moving on 6. Families in later life Each of these life cycle stages is correlated with two major dimensions: 1. Emotional Process of Transition of the unattached adult: Key Principles. 2. Second-Order Changes in Family Status Required to Proceed Developmentally. Stage One: unattached young adult Here the emotional change is from the reliance on the family to acceptance of emotional and financial responsibility for us. Second-order changes include differentiation of self in relation to family of origin. This means we neither blindly accept what our parents believe or want us to do, nor do we automatically respond negatively to their requests. Our beliefs and behaviors are now part of our own identity, though we will change and refine what we believe throughout our lives. Also, during this period we develop intimate peer relationships on a deeper level than we had previously and become financially independent. Stage Two: The newly married system The major emotional transition during this phase is through commitment to the new system. Second-order change involves the formation of a marital system and realignment of relationships with extended families and friends that includes our spouses. Stage Three: Families with young children Emotionally we must now accept new members into the system. This isn't hard initially because babies come to us in sweet innocent packages that open our hearts. Unfortunately, in the middle of the night we may wonder what we've gotten ourselves into. Nevertheless, we adjust the marital system to make space for our children, juggling childrearing,

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