1. What have been the happiest memories with your family?
Family Forms
Journal
“The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.”
Thomas Jefferson
What have been the happiest memories with your family?

2. Millions of Kids Family Type Number of Children
Children living in blended families, including either a step-parent or step-sibling.
Children living with both natural parents and full brothers or sisters.
Children living in extended families including other people such as uncles, cousins, aunts or grandparents.
Children living in one-parent (MOM only) families.
Children living in one-parent (DAD only) families.
8 million
3.6 million
7 million
17 million
42 million
2006 statistics

3. Flexibility, adaptability and tolerance for change are helpful skills for making family life terrific!

4. Relationship What? Who? They are constantly changing.
An interaction between two or more people.
Who?
Parents, siblings, peers, spouse, grandparents
They are constantly changing.
An individual is going through various stages of his life cycle while the family is going through its cycle.

5. Family Life Cycle Childbearing Family 0-2 1/2 years old Leaving Home
Family with Preschoolers 2 ½ - 6 yrs
Empty Nest
Launching Center
marriage
Parenting
Retirement
Independence
Family with School Children yrs old
Parenting adolescents yr old
Family Life Cycle

6. Family Life Cycle Stage 1: Beginning Family
The married couple establish their home but do not yet have children.
Stage 2: Childbearing Family
From the birth of the first child until that child is 2 ½ years old.
Stage 3: Family with Preschoolers
When the oldest child is between the ages of 2 ½ and 6.
Stage 4: Family with School Children
When the oldest child is between the ages of 6 and 13.

7. Family Life Cycle Continued...
Stage 5: Family with Teenagers
When the oldest child is between the ages of 13 and 20.
Stage 6: Launching Center
From the time the oldest child leaves the family for independent adult life till the time the last child leaves.
Stage 7: Empty Nest
From the time the children are gone till the marital couple retires from employment.
Stage 8: Aging Family
From retirement till the death of the surviving marriage partner.

8. What do you learn about relationships during each stage of development?
You are to write a case study for each stage depicting successful completing each stage of family development.
You can write a one page story of family going through the stages. Please include extensions for when the children move on to their own stages.
You can make a poster describing the stages of family development in detail.
Life Cycle of Financial Planning from FEFE

9. Write down your definition of the stereotypical family.
Working dad
Stay-at-home mom
2 or 3 children
Only 10% of all households are in this family form.

10. American Family Forms Living Alone Living Together
1 of 24 adults remain single throughout their life.
66% of single people are women.
Living Together
Persons of the opposite sex sharing living quarters.
Couples who live together before marriage, divorce just as often as those who marry first.
Marrying Later in Life
Average age to marry: men , women
More young people are not marrying or are marrying later.

11. American Family Forms Couples Having Children Later in Life
More couples are waiting to become parents until their careers are established.
Estimated cost to raise child is $200,000
Couples With Fewer Children
The average number of children has dropped from 3.6 in 1957 to 1.8.
Couples With No Children
Due to career commitments, fertility problems or just because they enjoy their childless lifestyles, many couples are remaining “Double Income, No Kids” couples.

12. American Family Forms Divorced Adults
Approximately 60% of all divorces involve couples with children in the home.
Single-Parent Families
About 1 in 4 children live with only one parent.
The number of single-parent homes has more than doubled in the past 20 years
Divorced women’s standard of living drops 73%, while divorced men jumps 42%.
About 50% of the children in divorced families report having not seen their father in the last year and only 1 of 6 see him once a week.

13. American Family Forms Grown Children Moving In With Their Parents
Families with two children and young parents living at home with their parents has doubled in 25 years.
Grandparents Living With Families
With greater longevity, there are more elderly people.
Blended Families
Divorced parents, especially fathers are likely to remarry.
13% of today’s children are stepchildren
Flexibility and humor will assist in the adjustment.

14. American Family Forms Working Mothers
The fastest growing segment of the work force is women with children under the age of three.
More than half of American mothers with infants less than a year old are working outside the home.
Day care for these children can cost up to ¼ the family budget.
Working mothers have 15 fewer hours of leisure a week than fathers.

15. Scenarios Your marriage is headed for divorce.
How would you settle property, child custody, divorce costs?
You are a single mother.
How will you cope emotionally and financially?
Elderly parents need to move in with you.
What conflicts and adjustments will arise?
You just remarried.
How will family discipline be handled? How will household chores be divided? What name do you expect the children to call you? Where should you live? How should you divide physical space?

16. Family Forms Quiz

17. How Strong Is Your Family? Traditions
Have this completed for next class period.