If a child has problems, parents should speak to the child. There are only a few parents who do that - too few of them " (Ramphele, 2002:73). Of potential significance to both generations are the shifts in responsibilities at home or in the family that function as informal rites of passage, including increasing domestic responsibility, deeper and more meaningful communication with parent figures and inclusion in household decision-making (Bray, 2009).To date, these relationships remain poorly documented, particularly outside South Africa.