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Marriage and Family Life: The ParentingYears

Stage 7: Plateau Parent - Reliving
childhood through grandchildren

Plateauparentshave raised their own
children to adulthood and are often
having to care for their own parents.They
gain a new perspective on the first six
seasons of parenting as they observe their
children enter adulthood,and a first
glimpse of the last stage as they watch
their aging parents live through it.
Through grandparenthood,parents are
one step removed from the responsibility
of parenting as their adult children enter
their first season of parenthood.

Stage 8: Rebounder - Accepting and
embracing the parent/child role reversal.

Reboundersare in the last stage of
parenting as they encounter health
problems, struggle to remain
independent, and adjust to the need to be
cared for rather than taking care of
others. Unell and Wyckoff (2000) suggest
three categories of rebounders: proud
independents who struggle to maintain
their family position; humble submissives
who take a passive role in the family,
expecting, but not demanding, to be
included as a vital member; and aged
sages who struggle to maintain their
independence but are willing to ask for
help and are grateful for assistance.

This chapter will examine the first six

stages of parenting. The last two stages

will be covered in chapter 9.

Parenting and Boundary

Transitions

Many transformations occur within the

family system during the transition to

parenthood.The arrival of children

necessitates the need to renegotiate family

identity,family boundaries,spousal

boundaries,and personal identities.In

looking at boundary transformations,new

parents find that parenthood brings about

a renegotiation of previous relationships.

Carter and McGoldrick suggest this stage,

families with young children,requires

adults to move up a generation as they

become caretakers of the younger

generation (2005).

In the plateau stage, grandparents are one step removed

from the responsibility of parents but can have a

tremendous impact on their grandchildren.

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