Moving Out: Exploring Negotiations Between Emerging Adults and Parents of Indian-Origin Around Relationship

This study explores the negotiation processes between emerging adults and their parents, focusing on how their communication patterns and, in turn, their relationships changed after the young adults moved out of their parental homes for higher education. Using narrative analysis, interviews were conducted with eight participants (four parent-child dyads) to examine how they managed conflicts, disagreements, and compromises. Key themes included communication patterns such as seeking help, persuading each other, and negotiating needs. The evolving parent-child relationship is characterized by a generally cordial bond, with parents acknowledging their children as emerging adults. However, the level of autonomy granted remained relatively limited, and hence, an imbalance exists between independence and parental involvement. The study also reveals that having conflicts and miscommunications impacts the parent-child relationship, which in turn influences the psychological well-being/ mental health of the emerging a