62 Chapter 2 Making Smart Decisions
Variations in the Cycle
Not every family follows the stages of the family life cycle in order as
listed in Figure 2-12. Variations in the life cycle are patterns that differ from
typical families. The number of children and spacing between them can cause
the cycle to vary from family to family. Some families skip, overlap, or repeat
rs‘fdrnesgde‘lhkxkhedbxbkd-Enqdw‘lokd+bntokdrsg‘scnmnsg‘udbghkcqdm
rjhosgddwo‘mchmf+cdudknohmf+‘mck‘tmbghmfrs‘fdr-O‘qdmsrvhsgbghkcqdm
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher
Figure 2-12 Not all families progress through all stages of the family life cycle
in the same way.
Stages of the Family Life Cycle
Beginning Stage
Couple marries. The first child is born. Children start school.
Expanding Stage Developing Stage
Launching Stage
Children begin moving away
from home.
Parents retire.
Aging Stage
Variations in the Cycle
A childless couple
goes through the
beginning and aging
stages only.
A single parent in
the expanding stage
could repeat the
beginning stage
with a new spouse.
A couple with children
in school could have
another child, causing an
overlap of the expanding
and developing stages.
A couple in the launching stage
could adopt a child after an
older child has left home,
returning to the expanding stage.
In an extended family, a couple
in the aging stage might not be
alone after they retire.