The

Parents
 DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS ON PARENTS TO-BE:
MOTHERING AND FATHERING

DUVALL’ EIGHT STAGE FAMILY LIFE CYCLE AND DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS

STAGE DEVELOPMENTAL TASK

I Married couple (without children) Establishing mutually satisfying relationshi
ps and establishing relationships with
members of each other’s families.

II Childbearing family (oldest child Adjusting to parenthood and creating a

between birth and 30 months)
III Families with preschool children
(oldest child 2 ½ to 6 years old)
IV Families with school-age children
(oldest child 6 to 13 years old)
home for the family.
Nurturing children and learning skills for
effective socialization of children.
Educating and socializing the children and
establishing social relationships with other
families.
V Families with teenagers (oldest
child 13 to 20 years old)
VI Families launching young adult
s (first child gone to last child’s
leaving home)
VII Middle-aged parents
(empty nest to Retirement)
VIII Aging family members
(retirement to death
of both spouses
Helping children to balance freedom and
responsibility.
Releasing children and developing spousal
interests; continuing to provide support to
children)
Solidifying the marital relationship and
maintaining contacts with other generations
Adjusting to multiple losses: spouse, job,
friends
 Ramona Mercer
• Born on October 4, 1929.
• She married Lewis P. Mercer, an engineer, on December
31,1971, in San Mateo, California, after meeting him on a
Caribbean cruise.
• They had one daughter together, Camille.
• After receiving her diploma in nursing, Ramona worked as a
staff nurse, head nurse and instructor for 10 years.
• She later received a Bachelor’s in nursing, a Master’s in
maternal and child nursing, and finally a Doctorate degree in
maternity nursing.
 Ramona Mercer

• Dr. Mercer went on to teach maternity nursing at the University

of California in San Francisco.
• Husband died at their home in Burlingame, California, on
August 6, 2009.
• She died of a heart attack on May 13, 1995
• Ramona Mercer’s theory began as Maternal Role Attainment.
• But she revised it later to be called Becoming a Mother in a
book called “Becoming a Mother: Research on Maternal Identity
from Rubin to the Present.” Becoming a Mother focuses on the
growth of a mother and her child together over time.
 4 Stages of Becoming a Mother

• Stage 1 -Commitment, Attachment, and Preparation

(Anticipatory)
– The first stage occurs while the mother prepares for her new
job. She learns the new expectations, physical and mental
changes of being pregnant, and how she will prepare for
childbirth.
• Stage 2 -Acquaintance, Learning, and Physical Restoration
(Formal)
– This stage follows right after childbirth or adoption. The
mother adapts to her new role by using her learned
behaviors and sticking to traditions learned by friends and
family.
 4 Stages of Becoming a Mother

• Stage 3 -Moving towards a New Normal (Informal)

– During this stage, the new mom creates her own ways of
how to mother. She feels more comfortable making her
decisions and becomes more confident in her ability to care
for her own child.
• Stage 4 -Achievement of Maternal Identity (Personal)
– This stage typically happens after about 4 months after the
baby is born. The mother has created her own way of
parenting while also integrating old traditions as well. She is
confident in her maternal role and can fully enjoy
motherhood.
 Mercer theorized that these stages are sequential, but that
each woman moves through them at her own pace.
Additionally, she believed that maternal identity and
attachment cannot exist independently of each other: that is,
maternal identity develops concurrently and in tandem with
attachment to the child.
• Influences - Mercer describes multiple factors that influence
women as they move through the process of attaining maternal
identity. These can be broken down into four primary areas:
birth experience, social stressors, self-concept and health status.
1. Birth experience - Although a positive birth experience
contributes to and strengthens the mother-child bond, many
new mothers feel disappointment, guilt or inadequacy when
the birth experience fails to live up to their expectations or
what they perceive to be the norm.
2. Social Stressors -Social support is an important factor in the
development of maternal identity. New mothers who receive
appropriate guidance and information, emotional support
and appraisal of their parenting skills feel competent and
confident.
3. Self-concept -This is a broad term that includes factors such as
self-esteem, self-worth and the mother’s perception of her
abilities as a caretaker for her child.
4. Health Status - The health status of both the mother and the
infant are essential components of developing maternal
identity. For the new mother, issues ranging from episiotomy
pain to postpartum depression can have an impact on her
ability to care for and relate to her child.
 Thank you for listening! 

Prepared by: Jems Mae C. Mensurado