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

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Toronto Notes 2005