SayPro Describe the transitions during the family life cycle;

What is a family life cycle?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 allow you to build or gain new skills. Gaining these skills helps you work through the changes that nearly every family goes through.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.The stages of the family life cycle are:

• Independence.
• Coupling or marriage.
• Parenting: babies through adolescents.
• Launching adult children.
• Retirement or senior years.

Transitioning successfully from one stage of development to the next in the family life cycle requires the accomplishment of certain developmental tasks. Couples and families who fail to accomplish these tasks often become “stuck” and unable to move forward. This impasse frequently leads to heightened stress reactions and crippled channels of communication.Typical Transition PointsTypical family transition points may include:

• a couple relationship becoming more committed (e.g. move in together or marry);
• birth of a child (and subsequent children);
• child starting primary school and then secondary school;
• child becoming an adolescent;
• work/study changes;
• child getting a driver’s licence;
• child leaving home (first and last child leaving home in particular);
• parent/s retiring from work;
• birth of grandchildren;
• death of parent/s.

Adolescence as a transition pointThe stage of adolescent development involves immense physical, cognitive and emotional changes for young people. This is the stage between being a child and an adult, and young people may swing between the two as they strive for autonomy and individuation. They may seek to spend more time with peers and confide in them, and become more private and appear to be disinterested in family.De-idealisation of parents often occurs, an important stage in the process of individuation. Parents no longer fill the role of idealised adults, and other individuals start to fill this role, such as celebrities, peers or intimate partners.Some cultures have rituals or initiation ceremonies, which mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. These are often less formal, and may include:

• having a beer with Dad;
• getting a driver’s licence, and/or first car;
• leaving school;
• leaving home;
• getting a job;
• starting a new, intimate relationship.

The process of separation between a child and caregiver/s at the time of adolescence can be both difficult and empowering for the child and the parent. Both parties are called upon to cope with the changes and dilemmas involved in this ‘separation’.Teenagers asserting their independence can be a really unexpected change for some families. Parents are often under prepared for the changes in long-held roles with the young person, and this stage involves significant shifts in the relationship with the child and in parenting approaches.Parents may be dealing with an adolescent for the first time. Parenting is often done ‘on the hop’ and the stresses associated with this, combined with the changes occurring for the young person, can result in conflict, blame, anger and at times, rejection. This stage can also involve immense grief and loss, as well as confusion, helplessness and fear, for some caregivers.These parenting challenges may also occur when parent/s are juggling a range of responsibilities, e.g. other children, work, household duties, pressures from partners and extended families, society’s judgments upon them and their commitment and ability.Although it is often referred to as a process of separation, it is useful to think of it as a process of moving from dependence to inter-dependence or a more reciprocal, more adult-to-adult relationship. This approach recognises that strong and healthy relationships are important for ongoing development.Youth workers can help parents and other family members at this stage by sharing their understanding of adolescent development. Families can be greatly assisted by the provision of general information regarding the developmental change associated with this transition. Young people and families may also be helped to identify and think about how they have managed to negotiate earlier transition points.Leaving home as a transition pointA child leaving home is another highly significant transition point for caregivers. It involves changes to long-held roles, and a need to refocus attention on other people or activities.This transition point often involves changes in the relationship between parents, also. It may give parents the opportunity to re-examine their commitment to and feelings for each other. The "hard truths" about the relationship may surface, and unresolved relationship issues may need to be worked through.Some parents may put more effort into their relationship to help it to become more satisfying for the years to come. It is not uncommon, however, for parents to separate around this time. Young people who have left home, or moved on, are still affected by these family changes, and may need support and help to deal with these changes and the effect on their role in the family.Unique transition pointsAs well as the typical transition points in families, there will be other unexpected events which will serve as transition points, producing big shifts in the functioning of a family. These may include:

• parental separation;
• parents establishing new relationships;
• illness;
• unexpected death;
• unemployment;
• financial difficulties;
• onset of mental illness;
• violence;
• events related to drug addiction.

A parent’s new partner entering the family system is another common stressful transition for children and young people. They may need additional support and understanding from parents and others at these times.Each family will have its own unique and complex set of issues that they are dealing with at any one time. The effect of these factors on a young person needs to be considered in any intervention.It is useful to talk about transition points in a young person’s life, and in the life of their family. What events or incidents may have happened, or are happening, to the family that may be impacting on a young person’s current health and wellbeing?

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