The Effects of Childhood Family Structure on Leaving and Returning Home

Abstract

This study concludes that in the US the timing of children leaving home to establish households of their own in the transition to adulthood and the leave-taking pathways are linked to parental investment in their children. Findings suggest that children living in households with more resources and fewer siblings are equipped better to make the transition to adult and separate living arrangements. More resources in households means a college education is affordable. Youths may stay at home until they are ready to obtain secure career options marriage or independent living. Youths experiencing family disruptions particularly in adolescence leave home at an earlier age and leave for independence military duty or employment reasons. Youths from disrupted backgrounds tend to move into less supportive and less stable settings. Although the probability of returning home is similar for children of varied socioeconomic backgrounds the chances of returning home to a nontraditional family structure are reduced. However if youths left from nontraditional homes for college the likelihood of returning home was similar as for youths from two-parent biological families. Youths from stepparent homes were less likely to return home than those from single-parent families. Youths experiencing multiple changes or residences in nonparental families were less likely to return home. Youth from a stable single-parent family were the only nontraditional family form that did not have the strong effects on leaving home for cohabitation or single parenthood or other nontraditional family forms. The effects of growing up in nontraditional families mimics the effects of growing up in families with lower socioeconomic status. The route out of the parental home impacts on the chances of returning home. Those who leave to get married are least likely to return home. Those leaving home to cohabit are more likely to return than those who married when they left. The chances of returning home were highest among those who left for the military. Data were obtained from the 1987-88 US National Survey of Families and Households.