Family Developmental Stage and Lifespan Stage: A Nursing Perspective

This article discusses the family developmental stage and lifespan stage from a nursing perspective. It identifies the specific family lifespan stage and provides solutions to developmental tasks. It also highlights healthcare concerns in family nursing care and the importance of resilience in families. The article is relevant to nursing students and professionals, and those interested in family development and healthcare.

NURSING

Table of Contents
Description of the family developmental stage......................................................................................2
Identification of the specific family lifespan stage................................................................................3
Solution.............................................................................................................................................4
Developmental task...............................................................................................................................5
Early adulthood.................................................................................................................................5
Stability in early adulthood................................................................................................................5
Middle adulthood...............................................................................................................................5
Healthcare concern in the family nursing care.......................................................................................5
Resilience..............................................................................................................................................6
References.............................................................................................................................................7
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Description of the family developmental stage
The family developmental stage is a stage for observing the children and their source of
knowledge. However, the knowledge is not only restricted in parental guidance or school
guidance. Instead, it includes their real-life experiences. Piaget has segmented the different
stages of life according to their knowledge activity. The stages are:
Sensorimotor: Age group is from birth to two years. In this age group, the activities and
interactions are only restricted within the use of symbols and several body movements.
Knowledge cannot be gathered in this stage as the infant children cannot understand the
meaning of the reaction (Bjorklund, 2018). In Michael and Jane’s family, Melanie is in this
stage as she is presently eighteen months old. She cannot play games properly as her sense of
reaction has not developed properly to react to external activities.
Preoperational: Age group is from two years to seven years. This is a developmental stage
for children when they start learning languages, new words can react to the external activities.
In Michael and Jane’s family, Millie is in the stage of preoperational as she is now five years
old. She can express her feelings through words and knows to play. However, she has not
developed a matured sense of what she gets annoyed when her eighteen years old sister
cannot play skipping and sorting with her.
Concrete operational: Age group is from seven years to eleven years. The characteristic of
this age group is to respond to the community, gather knowledge from external sources and
develop a self-identical sense (Masten& Barnes, 2018).
Formal operational: The age group is from eleven years to the rest of the adulthood. In this
age, persons develop a right to take owns decision and formulate a hypothesis and start
valuing the relationship. Jane and Michaelare from thisage group. However, Nathan is in a
transitional age as he is 14 now. He has developed a mentality to take his own decision but
he is not mature enough to take its own.
However, Erikson disagreed with the Piaget's cognitive developmental stages. The cognitive
developmental stage defines people gathers experiences according to the growing of age.
However, Erikson countered the argument by stating that experience and social reactions are
the only sources to gather knowledge.
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Identification of the specific family lifespan stage
Family lifespan is a widespread aspect that signifiestheactivities of family members
according to their age. As per the carter and McGoldrick model, family lifespan can be
demonstrated through Family Life Cycle model. Family before divorce and family after
divorce are two prior parts of family life cycle model. This study is constituted with the
family of Jane and Michael who has three offspring, two daughters, and one son. Thus, the
Family Lifespan Model before divorce theory can be applied to this family as the family is
still happily united (Fischer, Korinek&Mulsow, 2007). Family Lifecycle model before
divorce part has six stages - single young adults, the joining of families with a new marriage,
family with young children, families with adolescents, launching children and moving on and
families in the later life. As mentioned in the case study, the family is in the stage of a family
with young children which is the third stage of Carter and McGoldrick Family Lifecycle
model.
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The first stage signifies a lonely life where the only necessity is to take responsibility for
theowner. The second stage signifies the necessity to develop a family by arranging
marriages. However, Jane and Michael’s family is in the stage of families with young
children. Both Jane and Michael are married for around fifteenyears. They have a son
Nathan, who is presently 14 years old, two daughters Millie and Melanie who are five years
old and one and a half years old respectively (Minnerath, 2005). The three required
developmental process of this stage are :
 Adjustment of the marital system to find space for their children
 The couple must be engaged in childrearing, financing and doing household tasks
jointly.
 Realignment of their parenthood with the extended part of the family.
Solution
It is necessary for the stage three participant of the family lifecycle find space for their
children. It would motivate them in their growing help. Parental assistance would be helpful
for them for the mental growth. Jane and Michael must enjoy their parenthood and need to
assist their children with a steady growth. Being 14, Nathan is growing a mentality to take all
his decisions (Schlesinger & McMurray, 2012). However, it is his immaturity that is leading
him to an immature decision. Thus, both Jane and Michaelmustfind quality time for himand
behave with him in a friendly way to recognise his queries and point of view. Moreover, they
must do all the domestic works jointlyto relive their old days and strengthen their
relationship.
Developmental task
In the family cycle, the developmental task depends on the age of the family members.
Early adulthood
The early adulthood is a stage for study and going to college or school. The age group of this
stage is 13 to 22 years. In the Cameron family, Nathan is in the early adulthood stage whose
age base task is to stable in rank and order of his school age.
Stability in early adulthood
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The 22 to 30 years of age group is also early adult age but it requires larger stability in life.
No member of Cameron family is underthiscategory.
Middle adulthood
The 30 to 60 years age group is categorised as middle adulthood group. The characteristic of
this age group is to lead life with the spouse and children. Moreover, this age group is also for
taking care of the teenage children. Both Jane and Michael belong to this age group and they
both are married to each other and taking care of their children. They have a teenage child;
Nathan who is in early adulthood developmental process. Nathan is immature at this stage
and it is duty for his parents to guide in taking decision for life.
Healthcare concern in the family nursing care
Child and health care nursing is an important profession keeping in mind the steady health of
the family. The family is the unit of the society. Healthcare nursing comprises of services in
the home, community mainly residential areas. The healthcare nursing mainly works in
partnership with the parents. Besides that the health care system not only covers the
physiological aspects but it is an approach to look at the holistic concept of the health. It
covers the physiological and psychological health of the children (Haugen & Musser, 2012).
The various mental and physical aspects of the children should be considered by the health
care nurses. There are certain approaches which are used by the nurses to judge the mental
and physical health of the child and work according to the need of the child. The Cameron
family has their boy child Nathan who is Fourteen years old and has relocated with his
parents. In the case study, it is seen that the boy has some difference of opinion with his
parents. Most of the children in this adolescent age have some psychological problems which
should be dealt with properly by the parents if needed professional health care nurses should
be appointed (Coyne, Holmström&Söderbäck, 2018).
Nathan wants to take his own decisions in choosing friends, clothes which are not allowed by
his parents. This difference in opinion could create a gap between the parent and the child
which will result in a psychological problem in the later stages of the child's life. If it
continuous then Nathan will grow a tendency to become adamant. If he becomes adamant
then this small argument between Nathan and his parents Jane and Michael will turn into
large fights with fatal consequences.
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Professional health care and family care nursing can help to resolve the situation. One of the
approaches that can be taken by the by the health care nurse is facilitation between the child
and parent relationship. This facilitation will help to nullify the gap that exists between
Nathan and his parents Jane and Michael. The facilitation should be done considering the
child psychology. It is said that psychological or mental health is far more important than the
physiological health (Kagan, 2011).
The Cameron family consist of Jane, Michael, and their three children Nathan, Millie, and
Melanie. Relocation is done by the family to have a better life in the countryside. Millie is
the second children of Jane and Michael. She is at the tender age of five. As per the case
study, she was as a slow starter and had difficulty in organizing her staffs (Hunnicutt, 2010).
This is one important point which should be considered under the early intervention and
preventive measures which should have been taken. Millie has a little sister of three years
who is smart and quick. Millie could develop an inferiority complex which is a major
psychological problem. If this problem persists it could affect the mental development of
Millie.
This kind of problem could be resolved by the continuity of care. The problem should be
comprehended and mental support through proper communication should be established
between Jane, Michael, and their daughter Millie (Miller, 2011). Through proper support,
this kind of condition in a child is resolved with no further problems in the future.
Resilience
Family resilience is an important factor which helps to bind the family together in the crisis
hours. The family can develop resilience and become stronger by following some basic
principles. The same principals should be applied to the Cameron family. Since the family
has relocated they will have some difficulties in adjusting to the changing situation. Besides,
that argument that is occurring between Nathan and his parents might break the resilience of
the family (Masten&Monn, 2015). Several types of research have been made to find out the
factors which influence the resilience of the families. Cross-cultural research has been done
in different countries.
The three main factors that are responsible are Cohesiveness, flexibility and proper
communication among the members of the family. Some of the main principles that should
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be followed by the Cameron family so that they can build resilience in the family areas
below:
 Jane and Michael should allow Nathan to at least take little decision on his own. This
will help to resolve the gap between them which will favour building the resilience of
the family (Lebow, 2016).
 The Cameron Family should share their feelings and values with each other in a
loving and charming way. Jane and Michael instead of forcing the morals and values
onto their children should make them understand. If the children understand the
morals and values of their heart they will not forget them ever in life. This will help
the Cameron family to lead a simple, happy life in the future.
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References
Bjorklund, D. (2018). A Metatheory for Cognitive Development (or “Piaget is Dead”
Revisited). Child Development.
Coyne, I., Holmström, I., &Söderbäck, M. (2018). Centeredness in Healthcare: A Concept
Synthesis of Family-centered Care, Person-centered Care and Child-centered
Care. Journal Of Pediatric Nursing, 42, 45-56
Fischer, J., Korinek, A., &Mulsow, M. (2007).Family Systems, Biopsychosocial Processes,
and Lifespan Development. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 25(1-2), 1-9.
Haugen, D., & Musser, S. (2012). Health care. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press.
Hunnicutt, S. (2010). Universal health care. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
Kagan, S. (2011). Patient- and Family-Centered Care—Is There Individualized Care
Here?. Geriatric Nursing, 32(5), 365-367.
Lebow, J. (2016). Editorial: Family Resilience. Family Process, 55(4), 613-615.
Masten, A., & Barnes, A. (2018). Resilience in Children: Developmental
Perspectives. Children, 5(7), 98.
Masten, A., &Monn, A. (2015). Child and Family Resilience: A Call for Integrated Science,
Practice, and Professional Training. Family Relations, 64(1), 5-21.
Miller, D. (2011). Health care. Detroit, Mich.: Lucent Books.
Minnerath, K. (2005). Growth and Development Across the Lifespan. Family & Community
Health, 28(4), 359-360.
Schlesinger, M., & McMurray, B. (2012).The past, present, and future of computational
models of cognitive development. Cognitive Development, 27(4), 326-348.
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