The Influence of Relationship History and Multi-Partner Fertility on Later-Life Contact with Adult Children

Edith E. Gray, Australian National University
Anna Reimondos, Australian National University
Ann Evans, Australian National University

Increasing relationship dissolution and repartnering rates mean that adults are less likely than ever to have parents who are still in a relationship with each other. The objective of this research is to understand how a child’s place in the parent’s relationship history affects intergenerational contact between adult children and parents. Using the 2019 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) panel study, we examine 6,382 older parents with at least one adult child aged 18 or over. We find a substantial percentage of children experienced parental separation by the time they were 18 years old. Fathers in particular were less likely to have high levels of contact with children when they separated from the child’s other parent at a young age. The effect of age at separation is also partly accounted for by two important post separation behaviours: repartnering and multi-partner fertility. Our results suggest that the configuration of a parent’s relationship history plays a pivotal role in shaping the frequency of contact with adult children, particularly for fathers. These insights contribute to a broader understanding of intergenerational relationships within the context of evolving family structures.

Keywords: Older Adults and Intergenerational Relations

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