“Was it all smoke and mirrors?”

Abstract

The present study utilizes the relational turbulence model (RTM) to illuminate adult children's experiences of relational uncertainty and interference from partners following late-life parental divorce (LLPD). In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 adult children who had experienced parental divorce later in life revealed that adult children grappled with four broad themes of relational uncertainty: (a) parent-adult child relationship uncertainty, (b) parent as individual uncertainty, (c) divorce-related uncertainty, and (d) being a family uncertainty. Interference from partners was couched within adult children's experiences of feeling caught and manifested as (a) disruptions to normative developmental stressors and (b) disruptions to maintaining family ties. The discussion highlights the theoretical implications of our results for the RTM and the larger divorce literature, along with practical recommendations to assist those grappling with LLPD.

Military children’s difficulty with reintegration after deployment: A relational turbulence model perspective.

“…We see potential for the model to expand its reach by considering proximal outcomes for romantic couples alongside distal outcomes for other family members. For example, does the relational turbulence of romantic couples spill over to how grandparents welcome a child's arrival (e.g., Dun, 2010), how family members grapple with a parent's medical condition (e.g., Lieberman & Fisher, 1999), or how adult children cope with a late-life parental divorce (e.g., Mikucki-Enyart, Wilder, & Barber, 2016)? If so, then the relational turbulence model may generalize beyond romantic couples to the larger family system.…”

Relational uncertainty management in adult children of divorce

“…The dissolution of a family unit understandably generates a multitude of relational questions as children confront concerns about the redefinition of family roles and boundaries (e.g., Hetherington, 1999). Although the negative effects of parental divorce are generally weak for adult children (Amato & Keith, 1991), recent research has revealed myriad uncertainties ACOD experience after parental divorce (Abetz & Wang, 2017;Mikucki-Enyart et al, 2017), such as concerns about the parent-child relationship, the parent as an individual, the future of the family system, and the divorce itself. Similar to adolescents, ACOD wrestle with "feeling caught" (Afifi & Schrodt, 2003) and renegotiating family rituals (Abetz & Wang, 2017;Mikucki-Enyart et al, 2017).…”

“…Although the negative effects of parental divorce are generally weak for adult children (Amato & Keith, 1991), recent research has revealed myriad uncertainties ACOD experience after parental divorce (Abetz & Wang, 2017;Mikucki-Enyart et al, 2017), such as concerns about the parent-child relationship, the parent as an individual, the future of the family system, and the divorce itself. Similar to adolescents, ACOD wrestle with "feeling caught" (Afifi & Schrodt, 2003) and renegotiating family rituals (Abetz & Wang, 2017;Mikucki-Enyart et al, 2017). However, other uncertainties reflect nuance of the ACOD context, such as uncertainty regarding family and individual identity (Mikucki-Enyart et al, 2017).…”

“…Similar to adolescents, ACOD wrestle with "feeling caught" (Afifi & Schrodt, 2003) and renegotiating family rituals (Abetz & Wang, 2017;Mikucki-Enyart et al, 2017). However, other uncertainties reflect nuance of the ACOD context, such as uncertainty regarding family and individual identity (Mikucki-Enyart et al, 2017). For instance, ACOD reported experiencing doubt over their family's history in the wake of parental divorce, making them question who they were as a family and who they are going forward.…”

“…Additionally, ACOD have to balance the dissolution of their family-of-origin alongside other normative developmental stressors, such as their own journey into marriage and parenthood, resulting in a cacophony of uncertainties and patterns of interference (Cooney, Smyer, Hagestad, & Klock, 1986). Mikucki-Enyart et al (2017), for instance, found that adult children's uncertainty over post-divorce family dynamics interfered with their ability to plan family celebrations, such as their own weddings or their birthday parties.…”