Nine stages of the family life cycle.

Essay by forealHigh School, 12th gradeA+, November 2003

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Family Life Cycle

In every person there is a similarity, which is everyone at some time in their life is exposed to the family life cycle. This essay will focus on the nine stage version on the family life cycle. People all grow, adapt, and find their own niche in society and this aspect of living would be impossible without the family life cycle. Starting with two people and covering all the bases of love, compromises, marriage, child bearing, child raising, teen rebellion, letting go of child, and old age is what will be the context of this essay.

The family life cycle is based around two solitary individuals that for some reason meet and have a connection. People will often experience a few common characteristics when they believe themselves to be in love and this is defined as limerance. Limerance is an emotional state one feels towards another that is often described as romantic love and is said to be heavenly.

People are said at this stage to feel desires emotionally and physically for their partner. First to develop in romantic love is passion whereby there is a strong sexual attraction to a mate. Idealization will often occur when in limerance and the object of love will be placed on a pedestal. This is when negative and neutral traits can sometimes be overlooked or even seem impressing.

The second stage in the family life cycle consists of comprises that the couple will make for each other. This is often the breaking up stage of many couples that fail to comprise with each other. In this stage a desire for exclusivity is usually established. The psychological needs of the two involved in the relationship are set at this point and people have usually already found some negativity in their...