Nestleaving and Coresidence by Young Adult Children

Abstract

Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households on focal children in 1987-1988 aged 18 years and older and out of high school in 1992-1993, the authors investigated associations between parent-child coresidence in early adulthood and parents' reports of the quality of parent-child and marital relations. The quality of parent-child or marital relations at Wave 1 had little relation to whether children coresided at Wave 2; child situations were the primary predictors. Children who left and returned tended to be negatively selected on prior relationship quality, but parents accommodated them nonetheless. Coresidence between waves did not affect marital quality or general parent-child relations at Wave 2, though it was associated with increased parent-child disagreements, particularly when prior disagreement was greater. Coresidence appeared to be experienced as part of ongoing exchanges between parents and adult children.