The "Re-Nesting" Effect: Implications for Family Development

Abstract

The return of adult children to parental homes is becomingan increasingly likely event for families. Young adults arereturning at a time in the family life cycle when they areattempting to separate from their families and their parentsare refocusing on their marriage. Although the "renesting"event negatively affects the development of some families,others manage to adjust and continue to attain their developmental tasks. Previous literature has focused almostexclusively on the negative experiences of families in suchsituations. This article provides a discussion and a casevignette that illustrate how families can cope with the renesting event and use it to address their developmental tasksmore directly and openly. Suggestions for counselors who areworking with families experiencing difficulty with this transition are provided.