Full Nest Syndrome? More Young Adults Living With Parents

More than 50 percent of young Americans age 18 to 24 are living at home, according to a new study.

Reuters has more:

"Unfavorable employment conditions make school and educational investments a more attractive option for some young adults," said Vanessa Wight of Columbia University in New York.

The study also showed that one in seven young adults is emerging from their teenage years with no pathway to financial and economic independence.

The phenomenon of adults moving back in with their parents has been nicknamed "Full Nest Syndrome." The adult children have also been called "boomerangers."

In New York alone, about 20 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds live in multi-generational households, and increase of nine percent since 1980.

Reuters also reports that young adults are putting off getting married and starting families, which, according to Wight, indicates that the "notion of adulthood is changing."

What do you think? Are you/are your children living at home? Share your story below.

Comments

[Kuncous]

05:35 PM on 12/23/2010

I'm 33 with a 15 year old in the 11th grade....She made 1900 on her SATs but I fully expect her to come home when she graduates even if she makes my dreams come true and finish med school.... Hope she's prepared....

[mavjade]

10:41 PM on 12/18/2010

I'm one of those boomerangers. I went to college got a degree, came home to live with my parents while I got another degree. I was to be married last August and the fiance and I were living with our parents to save money for a down payment on a house. He broke it off and I started looking for apartments when my parents told me just to live with them an save my money. So now I'm 26 I have a full time job and I live with my parents. I don't plan on staying forever, but for now it works for all of us.

[Meranda F]

01:46 PM on 12/18/2010

If only life were FAIR.

My parents could not afford for me to stay at home.
So I am determined to leave and start my own life. Some of the things I would like, such as traveling, owning a car and spending quality time with friends are things that DO require some money and we just don't have any of that.

My biggest regreat wtih college is that no one helped me understand it would be in my best interest to study something I could get a job with out of college and move out asap.

I now tell the youger kids, plan to move out once you finish college. If you do move back in , make sure you can be as independent as possible by helping with costs and taking care of your own needs.

[WaterCloset]

10:56 PM on 12/17/2010

It is quite accepted in my culture that adults live with their parents even if they can afford to live on their own (I'm Asian btw). They would eventually leave the house hold once they marry. I kind of like living at home and living with my mom. Although she kind of drives me nuts at times, I like spending time with her. Also, living at home allowed me to save money, pay off my school loans, and help my mom with the utilities. When I lost my job, at least I still had a home (mom's) and I hardly touched my savings while I was unemployed for two years. So, I'm happy that I decided to live at home after I graduated because if I didn't, I'd probably be broke.

[Andy Sebastian Guillen]

02:36 PM on 02/11/2011

I'm Mexican American and I'm the same way, about to finish college and it just doesn't seem realistic to move out just so I can have my "independence". Sure, I wish I could live with my gf of 5 years but we both are willing to wait till we're at least 28 to get married. But hey, I can save up a butt load of money with my nice, well-paying part-time job. Thanks to this article, I have decided to persue my MBA by saving up now that I know that it's not seen as socially unacceptable to still live with my parents till I'm 28.

[SilentSolidarity]

01:53 PM on 12/17/2010

The real problem is that people think it is bad when young adults stay at home. People need to get out of that 1950s mindset when children left home at the age of 16. Do you think they lived long?

There he/she has a warm safe home. People who move out early and go to college have to work to keep their home, their car and whatnot. That's time this person could spend on studying to earn better grades in college for a higher-paying job. It's also one more helping hand in the house and covering some of the bills.

On top of that, we are in a recession. I don't think it's smart to kick out that old child. In the end you end up with a boomerang child* which is far worse than someone who overstays. You don't want your child to drop out of college because he can't pay his bills and be full-time student. Not when you/he/she jsut spent $15,000 in tuition, books, and other college fees.

Last, but not least I want to mention that it's actually a sign of wealth when children overstay until they can fully provide for themselves. This has been a long tradition in very rich families where the parents try to get their children the best start in adult life.

*Boomerang child: A young adult, especially a college graduate, who has returned to the parental home especially from college due to unemployment.

[alexii]

11:33 AM on 12/17/2010

I wish my 24yr.old daughter would come live at home. She's living paycheck to paycheck in an apartment with a couple of girls. Never going to get ahead that way..some people have to learn the hard way.

[daisy111]

07:22 AM on 12/17/2010

The health care bill encourages kids to live with parents till age 26.

[mattsm84]

07:54 AM on 12/17/2010

The NRA encourages parent's to shoot them

[JStading]

12:18 PM on 12/17/2010

Yeah, it really doesn't.

[zenrunner]

03:51 AM on 12/17/2010

Two words of wisdom for the newly graduated and unemployed: GO OVERSEAS, silly!

If you have a technical background, you can probably find computer-related work; if you are a humanities grad, you can probably get a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) job especially if you are willing to invest about $1500-2000 on a monthlong intensive certificate (CELTA) course. Of course neither pathway is likely to make you rich, but you should be able to earn enough to have a very comfortable and leisurely lifestyle most places you go---but it's the life experience which is the best reward, rather than being cooped up at home with mom and dad all over again. After a few years, you can return to the US (assuming you don't decide to live overseas permanently, as many do) when the recession/depression has subsided and resume doing whatever you were hoping to do, but with the adventure and experience of international living under your belt and on your resume.

This is what I would do if I were 23 and Starbucks was my main employment prospect.

[mattsm84]

07:26 AM on 12/17/2010

Thats what I'm doing right now. I've lived in Shenyang, China for about a year and I couldn't be happier. While many of my friends and cousins are moving back home with their parents, I'm learning a new language, and I'm able to make payments on my student debt while earning enough money to have some disposable income.

I know that I'm much happier teaching in a Chinese middle school than I would be living with my parents and working temp jobs through Manpower.

[Tropiholic]

07:52 AM on 12/17/2010

that's excellent advice zen. travel is the best education possible. i lived overseas for 15 years and wouldn't trade that experience for anything. it's shaped my life since and has had only the most positive effects. all of my children have traveled extensively and i hope they continue it throughout their lives.

[Montanagrl]

03:06 AM on 12/17/2010

My son fits this category, although he works part-time while attending community college and contributes what he can to his father's household. I wouldn't call him a bum, but to say that he has emerged from his teenage years "with no pathway to financial and economic independence" pretty well hits the mark. The situation is difficult and frustrating on both him and his father, (who conveniently forgets that he lived at home until he was 30) and son is chomping at the bit for true independence, but simply doesn't make the money that would allow for that. As I currently live abroad, there's not much I can do to help situation, aside from urging him to move to Belgium, where the situation wouldn't be any different. Among his friends, a lot of this is normal - most can only afford community college and as a parent, what are you supposed to do when your child is mmaking an honest effort at education? Kick them out?

[EliSpark]

05:36 PM on 12/16/2010

Unemployment is highest for people between 20 to 28. The only reason I am not living with my parents is because I dropped out of school to work full time. Before the economic collapse I had a real opportunity to go to college. But not now.

[vmlinux]

04:59 PM on 12/16/2010

I was out the door the day I graduated. Who wants to live at home? I'm sorry these folks can't go be a lawyer/accountant/programmer because they spent a lot of their parents and the governments money getting a degree. They should try picking up dog poop out of kennels at a veterinary clinic after hours, try seeing if they can get a job with an oil company cleaning up oil spills, and fixing the equipment, try getting a job roofing, how about a job as a salesperson in a shoe store, or grab mommy and daddy's lawn mower and start mowing lawns. If they can't find any of that to do how about getting off their rear and going and feeding homeless people for the local food pantry and put that on resumes, or donating time to the local small business group for free so they can meet people and get in good with someone who might get them a job. I may have been oilfield trash, but a summer in the sun in the oilfield building tanned muscles, and a work ethic got me a lot more interest from the girls than sitting at home playing halo.

I'll bet if mom and daddy stopped enabling nights of partying and sleeping in late, then these young folks would find a work ethic quick just to get out of the house, and not live under an oppressive thumb.

[EliSpark]

06:07 PM on 12/16/2010

I'm working too and not going to college. But I will never be able to afford children or to retire. I do not have health insurance. This is a decision I am making. If you can find a way to go to college it means you have a chance at those things.

[alexii]

11:57 AM on 12/17/2010

Sometimes going to college isn't the answer either. Unless you're going to become a nurse or going into some high paying field, you're better off not going to college. If it's possible you might consider working week-ends elsewhere so you can start saving some money for your future or so that you can put yourself through college.
Also.. You may already know this but..states provide free tuition (to state colleges) for those who qualify (through grants,etc.) You might want to look into that and maybe just work part time while you're going to school. Good luck!

[REDSTATEREFUGEE]

06:24 PM on 12/16/2010

I understand your post, VML, but I have to share with you my findings of community college students whom I teach. Many of them do remain at home because of the disastrous Great Recession, but most of my folks work at least part time jobs and some full time. Further, a minority of them reside at home with aging parents or other relatives who require domicilliary care. Too, some are parental-extenders, taking care of younger siblings while both mom and dad work at jobs. Finally, several of them are supplementing family cash flow with their earnings from largely low level McJobs that require long hours.

You were probably referring to those fortunate students who could attend colleges and universities away from home, living off of parental funding, and only having to worry about their next paper or exam. I guess that CC students tend to differ from these students and are notably not fixated on partying. Like you, VML, I, too, worked while attending an urban university, not living at home, but working and living on my own as a welder's assistant, hauling iron around in the Houston heat and humidity. Thanks for your post....

[Kirstizoe]

03:51 PM on 12/16/2010

I graduate from college in the spring and right now that's my plan unless I can find a job that I know that I can support myself on. Paying for college debt, as well as rent, utilities and food? In an economic climate where I'll be lucky to find a job much less on that pays for all of that? My parents are understanding and willing, and I'll be chipping in on rent and food. Its not what I want, but what my only real option is. I don't see how its such a big deal to some people.

[vmlinux]

05:03 PM on 12/16/2010

If you love living with your parents and your a female then that might work for you. Nothing screams worthless bum to a female faster than living with your parents if your a guy. I had a couple roommates, and it wasn't too bad. You learn to deal with other folks pretty quick :).

[kKirstenc]

08:33 PM on 12/18/2010

Boys get pretty creeped out if a girl lives with her parents, too, vmlinux...I do not miss those times!

[Said One]

03:24 PM on 12/16/2010

Its called "full recession" syndrome. Lack of long term employment prospects which is different to having a job, even people with a job might not have full job security. Its a cheaper option.