The effect of family and work transitions on mid-later life satisfaction domains

This study examined the role of work and family transitions on parental, marital, financial, and leisure satisfaction among mid- and older-aged parents of young adult children (aged 17-35). Guided by the life course perspective, this research, employed a mixed-methodological approach, which entails the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative analysis was conducted on a subsample of 391 married participants (mean age of 55) from the Vancouver-based Parenting Project dataset. In-depth qualitative interviews were also conducted with 12 parents to elucidate key quantitative findings. Findings showed that work and family transitions influence different satisfaction domains, but that these associations depend on the family and work contexts (i.e., presence of children, work/retirement status). Results can be used to assist in the development and implementation of workshops to assist families experiencing concurrent family and work transitions.