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"We Had a Nice Little Chat"

Age and Generational Differences in Mothers' and Daughters' Descriptions of Enjoyable Visits

^a The Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Karen L. Fingerman, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, 110 Henderson Building South, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 E-mail: kxfl8{at}psu.edu.

Decision Editor: Toni C. Antonucci, PhD

Mother–daughter relationships are generally characterized by frequent contact and high levels of regard. Yet little is known about what mothers and daughters find enjoyable about their contact. Forty-eight pairs of older mothers () and their middle-aged daughters () and 44 pairs of middle-aged mothers () and their young adult daughters () () described recent enjoyable visits. Younger mothers and daughters emphasized the daughters' entry into adulthood and the strength of their ties as agreeable, whereas older mothers and daughters focused on the larger kin network in describing their enjoyable visits. Some older mothers and daughters also made negative comments, suggesting greater individuation and less idealization of the relationship. Mothers in both age groups appeared to be more invested in the relationships than were their daughters. Implications for the strength of the mother–daughter tie are discussed.

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