Adult Children’s Visits to Their Parents: Recomposition and Renegotiation of Family Roles and Responsibilities

This chapter explores the recomposition and renegotiation of family roles and responsibilities during adult children’s visits to their parents in Poland and France. Based on 87 qualitative, in-depth dyadic interviews conducted in 2018–2020, the study focuses on the transition from adult–child to new, adult–adult relationships, which are reflected and re-established during family gatherings. The authors aim to find regular transition patterns among different families and national contexts, examining how adult children interpret this new situation as an intersection of a family setting and a staged event. The study highlights the empty nest as a stage for domestic hospitality, a trigger for family roles, and a display of a family ideology. The chapter provides insights into how families can navigate this transition in their relationship.