Which stage addresses midlife relationships and career issues?

• A. family with adolescents
• B. launching children
• C. stage 6
• D. later family life

Answer: (C)

Midlife relationships and career issues are addressed in the stage that marks the midpoint of the family life cycle, when adults renegotiate roles, focus on the long-term partner relationship, and evaluate career and life goals. In the framework used by this item, that midlife phase is the stage labeled six. This stage centers on balancing intimate partnerships with work, reorienting priorities as children become more independent, and planning for the next life chapter. Other stages emphasize different periods—parenting younger children, adolescents, or later aging—so they don’t fit as well with midlife relational and career concerns.