Question: Instructions: Please, answer the following question(s) (Times New Roman, 10/ *double spaced not necessary for non-essay questions*)

1. Current national trends indicate that more middle-aged adults are caring for others than ever before. "Others" often include boomerang children, or children who move back in to their parents' home. What are some likely reasons for increases in parents having boomerang children?

2. Imagine that several of your peers changed companies at the same time that you were considering a change into a new career. They cited a number of reasons for making career changes in midlife, including the following: there was little challenge at their current job; the challenges became routine; their jobs changed in ways they do not like; they lost their current jobs, so they are switching careers all together; they were asked to do more with fewer resources; technological advances rendered their jobs no longer enjoyable; they were unhappy with their status and wanted a fresh start; they feel burned out; this is the last time they can make a meaningful change towards more job satisfaction before running out of time. Which of these reasons would compel YOU to change jobs in midlife? Describe your thoughts for each answer you select.

3. Imagine that several of your peers changed companies at the same time that you were considering a change into a new career. They cited a number of reasons for making career changes in midlife, including the following: there was little challenge at their current job; the challenges became routine; their jobs changed in ways they do not like; they lost their current jobs, so they are switching careers all together; they were asked to do more with fewer resources; technological advances rendered their jobs no longer enjoyable; they were unhappy with their status and wanted a fresh start; they feel burned out; this is the last time they can make a meaningful change towards more job satisfaction before running out of time. Which of these reasons would compel YOU to change jobs in midlife? Describe your thoughts for each answer you select.

4. How do you see your midlife years leading you to successful (or unsuccessful) aging in the near future?

5. Regardless of whether you are a parent or step-parent in your virtual life that you are leading, why do you think many parents report difficulties in maintaining or increasing intimacy with their adult children? In your answer, consider that for some parents their children often provide a perceived source of validation of their own beliefs, values, and standards. What are some reasons why or how children might resist their parents' desires to maintain a close intimacy with them?

6. Sometimes older adults hesitate to give their adult children or other family members unsolicited advice or feedback because it might cause tension in the relationship if that feedback is negative. How do you feel about giving younger adults your advice or opinions, particularly if it might cause tension? Are there times when it is appropriate or inappropriate to give someone unsolicited advice? Draw on your own experiences or even your virtual person to provide examples.

7. Based upon the theory and research about mid-life crises discussed in your textbook and class, how might you explain a 40-something-year-old family member's sudden change towards unpredictable behaviors and emotionality?

8. How can involvement in civic or religious activity buffer you against stress effects? Give some examples from your personal life.

9. What are some reasons why you or your friends might continue to work past the age of retirement?

10. Imagine you are 65 years old and you are experiencing conflicts with your adult children over a number of things: communication and style of interaction; lifestyle choices and habits; parenting practices; values, religion, ideology, and politics; work habits; and standards of household maintenance. How might you approach these conflicts or communicate with your children about them? Which differences could you feel at ease with and which would really bother you?

11. What employment problems might an older person face that could be the result of their age?

12. What are some internal and external factors that might contribute to a positive outlook about aging?

13. According to Nancy Schlossberg, there are multiple paths of retirement that adults may follow.

(a) Continuers;

(b) Involved spectators;

(c) Adventurers;

(d) Searchers;

(e) Easy gliders;

(f) Retreaters.

Which of these paths seem most probable for you? Why?

14. How much and in what ways are older persons like yourself influenced by gender identity beliefs? Do you think that gender issues are of concern for older adults?

15. What factors might lead a person to select gender atypical activities and life roles?

16. Some of the best predictors of successful aging are an individual's general outlook on life and his or her ability to adapt to life's events-expected and unexpected! Looking back over your virtual life, which experiences could contribute to successful aging, and which could have put you at risk for unsuccessful aging?

17. What are the benefits of connecting with others throughout life and particularly during Late Adulthood? If you could do your virtual life over, would you do anything differently?

18. What model would you use to describe your coping with death and dying? Use your textbook to identify the model and describe how the stages you confront might be played out in your late adulthood years. Comment on previous experiences in your life (in childhood, adolescence, or emerging adulthood ages) which might also contribute to such a response.

19. What model would you use to describe your coping with death and dying? Use your textbook to identify the model and describe how the stages you confront might be played out in your late adulthood years. Comment on previous experiences in your life (in childhood, adolescence, or emerging adulthood ages) which might also contribute to such a response.

20. Do you expect to have a sense of ego integrity or ego despair as you move into and through late adulthood? What might make you more or less likely to have a sense of integrity? What decisions might you have made either now or in your virtual past to cope differently with either negative or positive experiences you have had in your virtual life?

21. Why are siblings such an important factor in elderly individuals having successful coping skills? Does this mean that aging persons without siblings (either due to loss or perhaps because they were an only child) are more at risk for problems in coping with aging?

How might only children compensate for lacking siblings and have positive outcomes in later adulthood?

22. As a projective assignment, write your own obituary about your virtual life. What significant others in your life remain after you? What would you list as your meaningful moments or accomplishments, either those addressed within this virtual life course, or drawn from experiences not mentioned previously? You can write this from an observer's point of view (third-person), or from your own perspective (first-person) as an autobiographical letter. Your instructor will provide you with more details about this assignment.