LP3- Family Developmental Models Or Family Life Cycles

Danette Crandell Family systems

LP3- Family Developmental Models or Family Life Cycles

September 27, 2013

What is a family? There are many answers from blood related to unrelated close friends that occupy one household. Being part of a family means you will love and be loved no matter what.

Our text states that a well-functioning family evolves relative to both external and internal pressures, therefore; in order for a family to have a balanced relationship to one another we need it to function correctly. In order to have rules, the rules must have rules to change and it takes the family as a whole to work together to make these rules change. Individuals as well as families may be conceptualized as proceeding through developmental cycles in which different stages are characterized by different sources of conflict and solidarity. The cycles of growth may be understood as occurring simultaneously relative to physical, emotional, cognitive and relational development (Dorothy Stroh Becvar, Raphael J. Becvar, 1982, 1999).

According to Erik Erikson, that developed an eight stage theory to the development of the life cycles that contribute the concept of inner sameness and continuity. Each stage has a specific task in which each individual must deal and build upon for effectiveness. The eight stages are as follows, oral-sensory; basic trust versus mistrust, muscular-anal; autonomy versus shame and doubt, locomotor-genital; initiative versus guilt, latency; industry versus inferiority, puberty and adolescence; identity versus role confusion, young adulthood; intimacy versus isolation, adulthood; generativity versus stagnation, and maturity; ego integrity versus despair. Erik

Erikson describes that the framework of these stages builds individual development (Dorothy Danette Crandell Family systems

September 27, 2013

Stroh Becvar, Raphael J. Becvar, 1982, 1999). One has to first develop into their own identity to shape themselves as they grow and to find their place in the family cycle. The family cycle is developed through trust, honesty, strength and courage to change things effectively to work and to maintain a well-balanced family life cycle.

The stages of the family life cycle and the emotional issues that arise, consists of 1)

Unattached Adult, accepting parent offspring. 2) Newly married couple, commitment to the marriage. 3) Childbearing, accepting new members into the system. 4) Preschool-age, accepting the new personality. 5) School-Aged child, allowing child to establish relationships outside the family. 6) Teenage child, increasing flexibility of family boundaries to allow child’s independence. 7) Launching Center, accepting exits from and entries into the family. 8) Middle-

Age Parents, letting go and facing each other again and 9) Retirement, accepting retirement.

Encountering any of these stages could cause emotional and critical issues in the individual for their growth and development.

What is a family life cycle? Well it’s the emotional and intellectual stages you pass through from childhood to your retirement years as a member of a family are called the family life cycle. In each stage, you face challenges in your family life that cause you to build or gain new skills. Gaining these skills helps you work through the changes that nearly every family goes through. Family life cycles and family developmental models are basically the same but life cycles is what we face emotional and physically, and the developmental models are what we use to get through the trials of everyday life. Mastering the skills and milestones of each stage allows you to successfully move from one stage of development to the next. If you don't master the Danette Crandell Family systems

September 27, 2013 skills, you may still move on to the next phase of the cycle, but you are more likely to have difficulty with relationships and future transitions. Family life cycle theory suggests that successful transitioning may also help to prevent disease and emotional or stress-related disorders.

Whether you are a parent or child, brother or sister, bonded by blood or love, your experiences through the family life cycle will affect who you are and who you become. The more you understand about the challenges of each stage of the cycle, the more likely you are to successfully move on. Not everyone passes through these stages smoothly. Situations such as severe illness, financial problems, or the death of a loved one can have an effect on how well you pass through the stages. Fortunately, if you miss skills in one stage, you can learn them in later stages with the right tools of knowledge. Self-examination, education, and perhaps counseling are ways to improve yourself and your family life. These are also actions that can help you manage other issues, too, such as going through a divorce or being a part of a nontraditional family structure (Healthwise, 1995, 2011).

The key for success is, knowing the change, whether it’s in your family or outside in life’s circle. We all make changes to adapt to what’s going on now, and what we want out of life, either way it’s what makes us who we are and prepares us for the future.

References: Danette Crandell Family systems

September 27, 2013

1) Read chapter 6 of Systems Theory and Family Therapy

2) PowerPoint presentation on Family Development Theory: An overview

3) Viewed Slideshow on Family Development Models

4) http://matrixoutcomesmodel.com/famdevmatrix.php

5) http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Family_life_cycle

6) http://children.webmd.com/tc/family-life-cycle-topic-overview

7)http://www.support4change.com/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id=110&Itemid=151