TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One: The Newly Married Stage 4

Chapter Two: Early Parenthood Stage 12

Chapter Three: Later Parenthood Stage 20

Chapter Four: Empty Nest Stage 28

Chapter Five: Retirement Stage 36

Chapter Six: Death of a Spouse 42

Citations 48

CHAPTER ONE:

THE NEWLY MARRIED STAGE

The Smiths were very excited to move into their forever home. They had decided to wait to move in together until after they got married and this new transition was scary but exciting for them. They decided to make a chores list for each person so they both had different responsibilities. Mrs. Smith was worried about sharing her personal space with another person. She was used to having her own room and bed.

Mrs. Smith was a good cook, so she took care of the cooking. This alleviated some of the stress for Mr. Smith regarding food. Mr. Smith took care of the lawn and garden because Mrs. Smith disliked outside work. They were trying to budget their money as a pair, but this was difficult because they both had never needed to factor in another person's expenses. They focused their income on house payments, groceries, and bills.

The Smiths adopted a cat one year later. They named her Bella. A year and a half after they adopted Bella they adopted a dog. They named him Henry. They were thriving and after some time they had adjusted to living as a pair. They enjoyed spending time with each other and learning how to be successful adults. They then decided that they were ready for children.

CHAPTER TWO:

EARLY PARENTHOOD STAGE

The Smiths had a daughter a year later. Her name was Ellie. Mr. and Mrs. Smith struggled with being parents for a few years. It was very stressful taking care of a baby while they both worked. This was especially stressful for Mrs. Smith, and she decided to be a stay home mom. She made dinner, cleaned, and took care of the children. Mr. Smith went to work every day and took care of their yard and brought home money.

The Smiths then had a son two years later. They named him Carter. Taking care of their second child was much easier because they now had experience. They found teaching and raising children very rewarding and they were very happy. They started savings accounts for their children's future college costs. They also spent lots of money buying new clothes for their growing children.

Six years later, both kids were in elementary school. Mrs. Smith decided to wait until her children were in middle school to start working again so she could pick them up from the bus stop while they were little.

CHAPTER THREE:

LATER PARENTHOOD STAGE

Ten years later, both kids were in high school. Ellie was a senior and Carter was a sophomore. Mrs. Smith was working again and was always home for dinner. Mr. Smith was traveling often for work and this was stressful for the family. Mrs. Smith felt like she was doing all of the work around the house, including taking care of the kids. She enjoyed the kids being able to drive themselves to things so she didn't have to.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith were enjoying their newfound free time as the kids grew up and had their own things to do. They started to spend money on fun things, like the gym, renovating their home, and getting a new family car.

The Smiths even decided to go to Paris to introduce their children to different cultures. They had been waiting to go on a nice vacation to ensure that the kids would be old enough to remember it forever. They enjoyed their vacation and took many family photos to remember the occasion.

CHAPTER FOUR:

EMPTY NEST STAGE

The Smiths then decided to downsize to a smaller house because the kids didn't live with them anymore. They were still working and their lifestyles reverted back to their early married days. Mr. Smith took care of work outside and Mrs. Smith did the inside work. They were starting to think about retirement, but they decided to wait until they were both in their 60s.

Mr. Smith continued to travel for work. Mrs. Smith was sad that she was home alone often, and struggled with loneliness. She was taking care of all of the work at home most of the time. Mr. Smith was worried about his wife's health and decided to step down from his job position. He started to work from home and Mrs. Smith's mental health improved tenfold. They enjoyed their quiet time together.