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Families Across The Lifespan: The Normal, To-Be-Expected, Satisfactions and Challenges Couples and Families Experience
Families Across The Lifespan: The Normal, To-Be-Expected, Satisfactions and Challenges Couples and Families Experience
Families and couples have to learn to deal with vari- development theory looks
ous roles and developmental tasks as they move through at how couples and family
the different stages in the family life cycle. This is No. members deal with various
2 in a series of 20 NebGuides that focus on building roles and developmental
and maintaining strong couple and family relationships tasks within the marriage
written by a team of University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the family as they move
Extension Educators. through each stage of the
life cycle.
Duvall outlined eight
Depending on the scholar, there are between four and 24 major stages and eight family
different stages in the family life cycle. development tasks, as shown
We will focus here on the work of Evelyn Duvall, a in Table I.
major contributor to family development theory. Family
Table I. Eight major stages and eight family development tasks in the family life cycle.
Stages of the Family Life Cycle Positions in the Family Family Developmental Tasks
Stage 1. The married couple Wife / Husband Establishing a mutually satisfying marriage
Adjusting to pregnancy
Fitting into the kin network
Stage 2. Childbearing Wife / mother Having and adjusting to an infant
Husband / father
Establishing a satisfying home for parents and infant(s).
Infant(s)
Stage 3. Preschool-aged children Wife / mother Adapting to the needs of preschool children
Husband / father
Coping with energy depletion and lack of privacy as
Daughter / sister
parents
Son / brother
Stage 4. School-aged children Wife / mother Fitting into the community
Husband / father
Daughter / sister Encouraging children’s educational
Son / brother achievements
Stage 5. Teenage children Wife / mother Balancing freedom with responsibility
Husband / father
Establishing post-parental interests
Daughter / sister
Son / brother
Stage 6. Launching the children Wife / mother / grandmother Launching youth into adulthood
Husband / father / grandfather
Maintaining a supportive home base
Stage 7. Middle-aged parents Wife / mother / grandmother Refocusing on the marriage relationship
Husband / father / grandfather
Maintaining kin ties with older and younger generations
Stage 8. Aging family members Widow / widower Coping with death and living alone
Wife / mother / grandmother
Selling the family home
Husband / father / grandfather
Adjusting to retirement
Maintaining kin ties with older and younger generations For greater understanding of the topic in this publica-
tion, refer to Getting Connected, Staying Connected: Loving
When our granddaughter was born, we saw how well One Another Day by Day written by John DeFrain and the
our daughter and her husband cared for this new baby. It University of Nebraska–Lincoln Family Action Research and
was miraculous. And we looked at each other and said, Writing Team. (2012). Bloomington, IN: iUniverse.
“Well, we raised our daughter to be a good mother and
we probably influenced her good decision in choosing a Resource
husband. Maybe we didn’t do so bad as parents after all.”
Duvall, E. M., and Miller, B. C. (1985). Marriage and fam-
Stage 8. Aging Family Members ily development (6th ed.). New York: Harper & Row.
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