Which term best describes the phase in which parents adjust as their children begin independent lives?

• A. Elderspeak
• B. Empty Nest
• C. Social Convoy
• D. Fictive Kin

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the shift in family roles when children grow up and leave home. This period is known as the empty nest. It describes how parents’ daily routines, identities, and relationships change as they no longer center on caregiving and supervising dependent children. With the kids independent, parents may redefine themselves, rediscover time for partners or personal interests, and adjust finances and social circles that were built around the children’s needs. The other terms don’t fit this specific transition: elderspeak is a way people sometimes talk to older adults, not a parental transition; a social convoy refers to the ongoing network of supporters around a person across life; fictive kin means non-relatives treated as family. So the term that best describes this phase is empty nest.