LMCC/Family Life Cycle

Divides the life history of a family into 8 predictable stages characterized by:

• specific developmental tasks
• crises associated with completion or noncompletion of these tasks

Stage 1: Leaving Home

• establishment of independence
• emotional separation from parents

Stage 2: Commitment to the couple relationship

• establish an intimiate relationship with a significant other
• further emotional separation from parents

Stage 3: Learning to live together

• equitable division of couple roles
• establishment of a more independant relationship with family and friends

Stage 4: Parenting the first child

• Adding a new member of the family
• quitable division of parenting roles

Stage 5: Living with the adolescent

• Increasing the boudnaries/freedom of the adolescent
• reforcus on midlife marital and career issues

Stage 6: Departure of children

• "empty nest"
• accept the exist/entries into the family system
• adjustment to loss of parenting role

Stage 7: Retirement

• adjust to the end of wage earning role
• development with new relationships amongsts family, friends and significant other

Stage 8: Old age

• deal with lessening abilities and greater dependence on others
• deal with loss of friends, family and significant other

References

Toronto Notes 2005