Activity 2-1:
Family Growth




Purpose: To understand the process of family growth and analyze the family life cycle.
 
 Preparation: For this activity, you will need:

• Handout 1: Family Growth: The Development of the Family Over Time
  
• Handout 2: Family Scenario: A Family Life Cycle
  
• Handout 3: Your Family Life Cycle
  
• Newsprint/Markers/Tape

1. Introduce the activity. Tell participants that this activity examines the development of the family. Review the importance of exploring family growth as presented in the module's background information. Be sure to include the following points:
   
   
   
   
   • There are several advantages to exploring family growth:
     
     
     • The uniqueness of each family is reinforced;
       
       
     • Family strengths are identified;
       
       
     • Staff recognize the changes of the family over time; and
       
       
     • Exploring family growth helps Head Start programs and community agencies become aware of and responsive to the challenges of families.
       
       
   • The information gathered during the exploration of family growth often provides the foundation for supporting families based on their interests, strengths, goals, and needs-the basis of the family partnership agreement.
     
     
    
2. Review the definition of family. Discuss the meaning of "family" as presented in this module's key concepts and background information.
   
   
3. (a) Describe the stages of family growth. Explain that as families grow, they move through five stages of development (formation, expansion, cooperation, independence, and launching); however, the specific path of each family's growth is the result of its composition, culture, and adaption to the challenges of today's world.
   
   

   (b) Distribute handout 1 and discuss part 1. Carefully review each stage of development. Expand on the five stages of development (part 1) by using the module's background information. Remind participants that families may experience challenges or interruptions in their development, repeat or skip a stage, or be in more than one stage at any given time.
   
   

4. (a) Explore the family life cycle. Explain that the family life cycle is a way of illustrating the family's growth and development over time; it recaps all the significant events and important occurrences in a family's life.
   
   

   (b) Review with the large group the four types of significant life events presented in handout 1, part 2. Ask participants to expand upon the examples provided, based on their work or personal experiences.
   
   

5. Conduct a small group exercise. Divide participants into small groups. Distribute handout 2 and review the instructions with the small groups.
   
   
6. (a) Debrief the exercise. Reconvene the large group and ask each small group to recap its discussion. Ask the following questions:
   
   
   • What can you learn about families by exploring significant events in their life cycles?
     
   • How will understanding a family's life cycle help you support that family?
     
     
    (b) Distribute handout 3 and ask each participant to chart his or her own family life cycle. Give participants time to compare their family life cycles with the one depicted on handout 2. Have participants reflect on the following:
   
   
   
   
   • How are the life cycles similar?
     
     
   • How are they different?
     
     
   • What do the two life cycles suggest to you about ways Head Start and the community could become aware of and responsive to the developmental challenges of families?
     
     
7. Close the activity. Reinforce that significant life events affect the growth of families; each family's response to significant life events is unique. Stress that discussing significant life events with family members may uncover family strengths, supports, and coping strategies, as well as unresolved challenges. Emphasize that exploring family growth with families is one way for staff to support the family partnership agreement process.
   
   
   
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