The document discusses different family forms and the financial considerations at each stage of the family life cycle. It provides statistics on the number of children living in various family arrangements such as blended families or with single parents. It also outlines the typical stages of the family life cycle from childbearing to empty nest. Various non-traditional family forms that now make up most American households are described, such as cohabitating couples, single parents, stepfamilies, and families with older children moving back home. Students are asked to consider scenarios that could occur with divorces, single parenthood, caring for elderly parents, and remarriages.

1. Family Forms
Jour nal
“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. Standards and Objectives
• ARFL 8.00 Students will describe effective
financial management strategies in support of effective
ways to develop meaningful relations in home and
family life.
• Identify the family life cycles strengths and weaknesses of
various family forms.
• Discuss the financial considerations relevant to each stage
of the life cycle.
• ARR 6.00 Students will identify ways to develop
meaningful relationships in the family unit.
• List the positive characteristics that affect family
relationships.
• Identify the family life cycles strengths and weaknesses of
various family forms.

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

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

5. Relationship
• What?
• 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.

6. Childbearing Family
0-2 1/2 years old
Leaving Family with
Home Preschoolers 2 ½ - 6 yrs y
e
g
nc pt
t
er in
en
g
e
ag
nt ch
e Em est
in
d
m
rri
t
en
C e un
en
Family with School
e
a N
ep
tir
La
r
m
Pa
d Children 6 -13 yrs old
Re
In
Parenting adolescents
14-20 yr old
Family Life Cycle

7. 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

8. 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

9. Activity
• Financial Consideration relevant to
each stage of the life cycle

10. 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.

11. American Family Forms
• Living Alone
• 1 of 24 adults remain single throughout their life.
• 66% of single people are women.
• POSSLQs
• 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 - 25.9, women -
23.6

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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

17. Family Forms Quiz

18. How Strong IS Your FamIlY?
tradItIonS
Have this completed for
next class period.