The master's thesis aims to show how parents experience and cope with the independence and departure of their children from the family. The theoretical part defines the concept of family in the temporal context of the modern world and the impact of broader social changes that have contributed to the transformation of the forms, characteristics and dynamics and life cycle of families, with more attention paid to the single parent family. The developmental periods of young people at the transition of adulthood and middle adulthood are outlined, which usually coincide with the process of independence and children leaving home. We particularly focused on the phase of children becoming independent and leaving the family system in the context of the family life cycle. The empirical part of the study presents a detailed step-by-step qualitative research, within which six semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of single-parent families whose children had gained independence and left the family system.
The findings show that parents of single-parent families in the study accept and normalise their children’s independence and departure, but that there are some differences between them at the beginning. Most report initial discomfort, loneliness and missing each other, while a minority speak of the joy of their children leaving the family. All those who are afraid of children leaving, whether they still have a child at home or the family nest is empty, report the creation of a void which they try to fill in various ways. They highlight old or new hobbies, time for themselves, connecting with friends and the importance of work commitments. Half of the parents whose family nest is still filled with younger children mention a greater orientation towards them. Parents, when their children become independent, stress the importance of regular contact and maintaining good relations, without restricting each other. The findings show that, without any major crisis, parents accept and welcome their children’s independence at the transition to adulthood, and also report experiencing a sense of relief and satisfaction with their parental role.
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