Which family life cycle stage occurs when the head of the household is married and still in the labor force, but the couple has no children at home?

• A. Empty nest stage one
• B. Full nest stage two
• C. Empty nest stage two
• D. Retired solitary survivor stage

Answer: (A)

When children have left home, families move into the empty‑nest phase. In this stage, the couple has fewer familial roles tied to childrearing, and their everyday dynamic often centers on sustaining the partnership and managing the household as a childless unit. The early empty‑nest phase, specifically, is when the couple is still in the workforce and actively contributing financially, even though there are no children at home. That matches the scenario described: the head of the household is married, both are presumably in the labor force, and there are no children living at home.

The other possibilities don’t fit as well. Empty‑nest stage two would typically involve retirement or near retirement, not ongoing work. Full nest stages would imply that children are still living at home, which contradicts the no-children-at-home condition. A retired solitary survivor describes a single surviving older adult, not a married couple.