Examined was the transition made by parents to the "empty nest" phase of family development. Two basic hypotheses were tested: children's growing independence and departure from the home does not represent loss for most parents, but rather is experienced as a gain; and men and women appear to experience the transition differently and show contrasts in the extent to which they utilize children as resources. Interviews with middle-class families (N=22) in the "launching" phase of family development indicated that: (1) the transition stage was best described as a period of role re-alignment; (2) women's exchange with children was characterized by greater intensity and higher degree of reciprocity in the area of emotional support than was the case for men; and (3) the mother-daughter relationship appeared to be unique among the possible parent-child pairs. There is a need for further research on the quality of ties between adults and their parents. (KA)