Parent–Child Relationships in the Context of a Mid- to Late-Life Parental Divorce

Abstract

There has been much research on the influence of parental divorce on children, but less is known about whether and how a later-life parental divorce influences the lives of adult children. Through qualitative interviews with 40 adult children of divorce—those whose parents divorced after they were 18 years of age— parent–adult child relationships were explored to determine if a mid- to late-life parental divorce affects the parent–child relationship. About half of the adult children reported a change to a negative relationship with one or both parents during the initial stages of the divorce. In addition, many discussed how their relationships with their parents evolved over time.

Keywords:

• adult children of divorce
• intergenerational relationships
• mid- to late-life parental divorce
• parent–child relationships

Acknowledgments

I thank Glenna Spitze for her comments and suggestions on drafts of this article and her overall assistance with the preparation of this article.