Parenting: semester 5: exam 2

What aids the transition to grandparenthood?

One thing that aids the transition to grandparenthood is finding similarities in responsibilities. Another thing that aids the transition is setting clear boundaries and maintaining a healthy open communication. Grandparents should resume a supportive role and support their children through parenthood, instead of maintaining the role of the primary decision maker.

How do roles change as parents move into older adulthood?

As parents move into older adulthood, they no longer are completely responsible for their children, as their children are more independent. Parents can now take on a more emotional supportive role. In fact, adult children should move into a more caring and parental role for their parents, as they are aging (role reversal). As parents are moving into older adulthood they can now focus more on themselves because they don’t need to manage their children's every move any more.

Do the fundamentals of parenting change across developmental periods? Why or why not?

I think certain fundamentals stay consistent and some other ones change. For example, some fundamentals that shouldn’t change should be unconditional love and support. Parents should provide these things during all stages of their children’s lives. However, some fundamentals change when children become more independent. For example, parents should push their children to become more independent as they get older.

What is the family life cycle?

The family life cycle refers to the emotional, developmental, and structural stages of a family unit. While children are developing, so is the whole family. Through the cycle the child gains more responsibility and the parents have to restructure their responsibilities to work with the development of their child. There needs to be an identity shift to an identity outside the family origin. Starts with marriage, then parenting infants to adolescence, then launching adult children, and finally retirement.