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Marital Implications of Parent–Adult Child Coresidence: A Longitudinal View

Department of Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York.

Address correspondence to Russell A. Ward, Department of Sociology, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY 12222. E-mail: r.ward{at}albany.edu

Objectives. This study assesses implications of changes in coresidence with adult children for parents' marital relations, hypothesizing that transitions into coresidence lower marital quality and transitions out of coresidence increase marital quality.

Methods. Panel data from Waves 1 and 2 of the National Survey of Families and Households are used to analyze whether change in three measures of marital quality—time together, happiness, and disagreements—is related to adult child coresidence.

Results. When adult children move out, parent couples increase their time together; there is a tendency for reduced time together when the nest "refills." However, there are no effects of moves in or out on the marital happiness of parents or the number of marital disagreements they have. There is also no effect on time together or on marital quality when one adult child moves out but another moves in during the same period. The presence of younger children has more consistent associations with marital quality.

Discussion. Coresidence with adult children does not appear to be an experience that disrupts the quality of marital relations. It may be that qualitative dimensions of coresidence experiences with adult children matter more than coresidence per se.

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