Rethinking relationships between divorced mothers and their children: Capitalizing on family strengths

Based on interview data front 58 young adult children who experienced parental divorce, this study examines qualitative aspects of mother-child relationships and strengths in these relationships. Boundary issues and roles shifts between children and their divorced mothers are particularly emphasized. A content analysis revealed that often times, mothers were viewed as friends, especially by daughters, and their withdrawal from caregiving was generally welcomed. Implications of mothers' reliance on their children for emotional support are explored from the child's perspective. While such behavior has largely been pathologized in the clinical literature, this data suggests that mothers' leaning on children for emotional support and advice contributed to a sense of equality closeness, and friend status. These qualities appeared to be valued by the participants in this study. Implications for family practitioners and scholars, as they relate to notions of boundary violation and adolescent development, are discussed from a family strengths perspective.