Family Tree CSS

Is there a way to get a child element to follow its parent?

The problem is that if there is only one child and the parent has a huge text to it, the position of the connector becomes really bad. How can I fix it?

Fiddle demo

* {margin: 0; padding: 0;}

.tree ul {
    padding-top: 20px; position: relative;  
    transition: all 0.5s;
    -webkit-transition: all 0.5s;
    -moz-transition: all 0.5s;
}

.tree li {
    float: left; text-align: center;
    list-style-type: none;
    position: relative;
    padding: 20px 5px 0 5px;
    transition: all 0.5s;
    -webkit-transition: all 0.5s;
    -moz-transition: all 0.5s;
}

/*We will use ::before and ::after to draw the connectors*/
.tree li::before, .tree li::after{
    content: '';
    position: absolute; top: 0; right: 50%;
    border-top: 1px solid #ccc;
    width: 50%; height: 20px;
}
.tree li::after{
    right: auto; left: 50%;
    border-left: 1px solid #ccc;
}

/*We need to remove left-right connectors from elements without 
any siblings*/
.tree li:only-child::after, .tree li:only-child::before {
    display: none;
}

/*Remove space from the top of single children*/
.tree li:only-child{ padding-top: 0;}

/*Remove left connector from first child and 
right connector from last child*/
.tree li:first-child::before, .tree li:last-child::after{
    border: 0 none;
}
/*Adding back the vertical connector to the last nodes*/
.tree li:last-child::before{
    border-right: 1px solid #ccc;
    border-radius: 0 5px 0 0;
    -webkit-border-radius: 0 5px 0 0;
    -moz-border-radius: 0 5px 0 0;
}
.tree li:first-child::after{
    border-radius: 5px 0 0 0;
    -webkit-border-radius: 5px 0 0 0;
    -moz-border-radius: 5px 0 0 0;
}

/*Time to add downward connectors from parents*/
.tree ul ul::before{
    content: '';
    position: absolute; top: 0; left: 50%;
    border-left: 1px solid #ccc;
    width: 0; height: 20px;
}

.tree li a{
    border: 1px solid #ccc;
    padding: 5px 10px;
    text-decoration: none;
    color: #666;
    font-family: arial, verdana, tahoma;
    font-size: 11px;
    display: inline-block;
    border-radius: 5px;
    -webkit-border-radius: 5px;
    -moz-border-radius: 5px;    
    transition: all 0.5s;
    -webkit-transition: all 0.5s;
    -moz-transition: all 0.5s;
}

/*Time for some hover effects*/
/*We will apply the hover effect the lineage of the element also*/
.tree li a:hover, .tree li a:hover+ul li a {
    background: #c8e4f8; color: #000; border: 1px solid #94a0b4;
}
/*Connector styles on hover*/
.tree li a:hover+ul li::after, 
.tree li a:hover+ul li::before, 
.tree li a:hover+ul::before, 
.tree li a:hover+ul ul::before{
    border-color:  #94a0b4;
}

<!--
We will create a family tree using just CSS(3)
The markup will be simple nested lists
-->
<div class="tree">
    <ul>
        <li>
            <a href="#">Parent sdkfjnsdkfsdnfksdfnskfns</a>
            <ul>
                <li>
                    <a href="#">Child</a>
                </li>
            </ul>
        </li>
    </ul>
</div>

Solution

Change from float:left to display: inline-block in your .tree li rule

/*Now the CSS*/
* {margin: 0; padding: 0;}

.tree ul {
	padding-top: 20px; position: relative;
	transition: all 0.5s;
	-webkit-transition: all 0.5s;
	-moz-transition: all 0.5s;
}

.tree li {
  display: inline-block;
	text-align: center;
	list-style-type: none;
	position: relative;
	padding: 20px 5px 0 5px;	
	transition: all 0.5s;
	-webkit-transition: all 0.5s;
	-moz-transition: all 0.5s;
}

/*We will use ::before and ::after to draw the connectors*/

.tree li::before, .tree li::after{
	content: '';
	position: absolute; top: 0; right: 50%;
	border-top: 1px solid #ccc;
	width: 50%; height: 20px;
}
.tree li::after{
	right: auto; left: 50%;
	border-left: 1px solid #ccc;
}

/*We need to remove left-right connectors from elements without 
any siblings*/
.tree li:only-child::after, .tree li:only-child::before {
	display: none;
}

/*Remove space from the top of single children*/
.tree li:only-child{ padding-top: 0;}

/*Remove left connector from first child and 
right connector from last child*/
.tree li:first-child::before, .tree li:last-child::after{
	border: 0 none;
}
/*Adding back the vertical connector to the last nodes*/
.tree li:last-child::before{
	border-right: 1px solid #ccc;
	border-radius: 0 5px 0 0;
	-webkit-border-radius: 0 5px 0 0;
	-moz-border-radius: 0 5px 0 0;
}
.tree li:first-child::after{
	border-radius: 5px 0 0 0;
	-webkit-border-radius: 5px 0 0 0;
	-moz-border-radius: 5px 0 0 0;
}

/*Time to add downward connectors from parents*/
.tree ul ul::before{
	content: '';
	position: absolute; top: 0; left: 50%;
	border-left: 1px solid #ccc;
	width: 0; height: 20px;
}

.tree li a{
	border: 1px solid #ccc;
	padding: 5px 10px;
	text-decoration: none;
	color: #666;
	font-family: arial, verdana, tahoma;
	font-size: 11px;
	display: inline-block;
	
	border-radius: 5px;
	-webkit-border-radius: 5px;
	-moz-border-radius: 5px;
	
	transition: all 0.5s;
	-webkit-transition: all 0.5s;
	-moz-transition: all 0.5s;
}

/*Time for some hover effects*/
/*We will apply the hover effect the the lineage of the element also*/
.tree li a:hover, .tree li a:hover+ul li a {
	background: #c8e4f8; color: #000; border: 1px solid #94a0b4;
}
/*Connector styles on hover*/
.tree li a:hover+ul li::after, 
.tree li a:hover+ul li::before, 
.tree li a:hover+ul::before, 
.tree li a:hover+ul ul::before{
	border-color:  #94a0b4;
}

/*Thats all. I hope you enjoyed it.
Thanks :)*/

<!--
We will create a family tree using just CSS(3)
The markup will be simple nested lists
-->
<div class="tree">
	<ul>
		<li>
			<a href="#">Parent sdkfjnsdkfsdnfksdfnskfns</a>
			<ul>
				<li>
					<a href="#">Child</a>
				</li>
			</ul>
		</li>
	</ul>
</div>