The chapter gives an overview on the development of the relationships of parents and their offspring. While the selection of issues addressed is not meant to be comprehensive, the chapter focuses on conceptualizations and findings of particular relevance: Individuality and relatedness, the active role that parents and their offspring play in shaping their relationship, the importance of a biographical perspective on relationship development, and contextual influences on child-parent relationships. The chapter concludes with consideration of directions for future research.

Child-parent relationships are special. This is obviously true on an individual level. For example, children see their parents as outstanding people – at least up until the transition to adolescence. Likewise, some parents are infatuated with their children and expect much of their sons and daughters, sometimes to the point of overtaxing their abilities and patience. At the same time, child-parent relationships, in general, have features that give them a particular significance. As compared to other types of relationships, bonds between parents and their offspring are of an extremely long-standing nature. Moreover, when parents and children interact, aspects of socialization and education tend to play a more important role than is the case among siblings, friends, or romantic partners. Finally, it has to be recognized that child-parent relationships represent an intergenerational constellation.

Relationships between children and parents surpass most other relationships in duration. We take Germany as a case in point.