‘You just accept’: Australian parents’ and young adults’ feelings towards returning to co-residence

Drawing on a qualitative study of Australian families who returned to co-residence, this article focuses on the ways young adults and their parents come to accept the change in their living arrangement after time spent apart. Findings from in-depth interviews suggest that young adults experience mixed feelings about returning home on the pathway to eventual acceptance, whereas parents appear to be more accepting of the living arrangement from the outset. The current study also revealed that, although parents and their young adult offspring may have different degrees of acceptance, family members generally appreciated how the other member of their dyad felt towards the return. This acceptance meant that the return to co-residence proceeded and, in turn, engendered mutual benefits for both young adults and their parents.