These signify the roles of each family member.

1. Roles of each Family

2. What is a
What is your role in the
family?

3. What is a
Group Work
Discuss among your group the role
or roles you portray in your
family.

4. What is a
The family is a basic unit of the society which consists
of the husband, wife and their children. Each of these
members has their assigned roles and
responsibilities.
Within a family, everyone assumes these roles.
Talking about these roles and responsibilities, it is
important to note the following key points:
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Understanding the Concept of
FAMILY

5. What is a
Key Points
One of the most important responsibilities
of a family is raising a child. It is the
most challenging responsibility because
the child has to be raised from childhood
till he/she is old enough to take care of
him/herself.

6. What is a
Key Points
The family is also expected to
educate and transmit the
societal norms and culture
to its offspring and also give
them a position or status in
life.

7. What is a
Key Points
The family provides
emotional, psychological
moral and material support
to members.

8. What is a
Key Points
The family has to ensure provision of
physical security in terms of food,
clothing, shelter and other needs to its
offspring or other dependent
individual members of the family e.g
grandparents.

9. What is a
Key Points
However, tradition still
believes in assigning
specific roles to each
family member.

10. Responsibilities of each Family
Member
Examples of roles
and responsibilities of
each family member
include:

11. Father
Provision of food, shelter
and money for the family
Making important
decisions.

12. Mother
Preparing food and keeping
the house in order
Nurturing and raising the
children, teaching the
children morals and value

13. It is important to note that the above roles
and any other traditional roles assigned to
either parent could be performed by any
of the parents. Indeed, both parents are to
compliment each other in the performance
of all these functions.

14. Children
• Obeying their parents
• Assisting in performing household chores,
particularly in the kitchen, garden, laundry,
washing the car etc
• Living up to family expectations
• Getting good grades in school

15. Each of these roles is accorded a status. The
status assigned to a particular role within the
family reflects the values and beliefs of that
family. The higher the status assigned to a
role, the greater the authority, privileges and
reward accorded to that role.

16. A source of roles,
responsibilities and
challenges for
families!
THE FAMILY LIFE CYCLE

17. • A lifecycle is a series of stages families go
through as the structure of the family
changes.
• However, not every family follows the life
cycle in order or description because each
family is unique.
WHAT IS A FAMILY LIFE CYCLE

18. • Understanding the stages in the
lifecycle of a family can help prepare
parents and other family members
for the challenges and demands
each stage brings.

19. • In this stage, two people
form a family unit
separate from each one’s
original family unit
• There are no children in
this stage of the life cycle
STAGE 1: Beginning Family

20. • What challenges face the beginning family
as they prepare for the parenting process?
• What roles may be assumed by the family
members in this stage?
CHALLENGES

21. • During this stage, children are added to the
family.
STAGE 2: Expanding Family

22. • What challenges face the expanding
family as they begin the parenting
process?
• How will roles change in the family
when the first child is born?
CHALLENGES

23. • This stage begins when the last child starts
school
STAGE 3: Developing Family

24. • What challenges face the developing family
with children from ages 6-20 years?
• Will these challenges affect family roles?
CHALLENGES

25. • This stage begins with the departure of the oldest child and ends with the
departure of the youngest child from the family unit.
STAGE 4: Launching Family

26. • This stage holds many challenges for families.
What are some of them?
CHALLENGES

27. • This stage is sometimes called the
“empty nest” stage, because the
children have left the original family
unit. This stage has parents with
children who are now independent and
living on their own.
STAGE 5: Aging Family

28. • What challenges would face parents in the empty
nest stage?
• How do roles change for family members in this
stage of the cycle?
CHALLENGES

29. • Do all families go through these stages?
• Are all families “nuclear” (two parents with
children)?
• Do all families face the same challenges?
• How do roles change as the family moves
through different stages?
LIFE CYCLE QUESTIONS

30. • What happens to parents’ roles when an
older member of the family needs care?
• What happens to children’s roles as each
sibling moves out to live independently?
• What happens when a child moves back
in because of economic or emotional
reason?
LIFE CYCLE QUESTIONS

31. • The family life cycle is one way to
look at the roles and responsibilities
of parenting.
• In ‘real life’, the life cycle may be a
combination of several stages at one
time!
Remember…