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