Completion of the family cycle and the growth of family are very sensitive matters of family life education. Family life begins when a person enters the conjugal life. Each couple has different responsibilities in their respective families. The structure, growth and development are the important issues related to family life education.
The family life cycle consists of the following stages:
- Founding Stage: The first stage of marital life is founding stage. The period from the day of marriage to the day of having first baby is called starting or primary stage. During this stage, there is love, affection, co-operation, understanding and mutual faith between the couple.
- Expanding Stage: Expanding stage begins after the birth of the first baby. This is the stage when couples give birth to the child, take care of it by breastfeeding, immunizing and providing extra food if required. This stage lasts until the child starts going to school.
- Schooling Stage: In this stage, the couple sends the child to school, providing it with different training and developing it psychologically. During this stage, parents teach their child how to read and write, encourage the child to assist them in their daily activities and help them to extend the hands of the relationship with their friends.
- Launching Stage: This stage begins when parents start to provide the skill oriented trainings, in order to get better job opportunities. This stage lasts until their children get married and start to spend their own conjugal life.
- Retirement Stage: This stage begins when children get married and reach the stage of maturation. Parents get rid of their responsibilities towards their children and start to lead such a life that is completely tension free. They get redemption from family burdens. Sometimes, there arises conflict and misunderstanding between the parents and young generation due to ageing.
