Parenting projects as children transition to adulthood

This investigation describes the joint goal-directed series of actions, or projects, of 20 parents whose children were entering adulthood. Data were collected over an eight-month period using the qualitative action-project method. Data included joint parent-youth conversations, video recall interviews, and self-report logs. Detailed within-case analysis of the elements, functional steps, and goals revealed the parenting project each parent was engaged in. Comparing across cases, similar parenting projects were grouped together into three sets: (a) striving for child-environment fit: forecasting, coordinating, and assessing; (b) pressing for acceptable change: stepping back or stepping up; and (c) separating: adjusting relations and managing emotions. These descriptive findings illustrate the complexity of parenting during the transition to adulthood and how parenting projects are jointly constructed between parents and young adult children.