noun
one's parents' home; the home where one's parents live
Refers to the household or place where one's parents reside, often used when talking about living with or returning to one's parents.
大学を卒業したら親元を離れて一人暮らしを始めるつもりだ。
After graduating from university, I plan to leave my parents' home and start living on my own.
彼は失業して親元に戻った。
He lost his job and returned to his parents' home.
実家 refers to one's family home or the home of one's parents, often with a nuance of the family's ancestral home or the house where one grew up. 親元 emphasizes the presence of one's parents more directly and is often used in contexts of living with or leaving one's parents.
Compound of 親 (oya, 'parent') and 元 (moto, 'origin' or 'base'), literally 'parent-base'.