Blog Post: 'Boomerang' Kids Are Returning Home

As a parent, did you ever have one of those days when your child is being more difficult than usual and you rather guiltily say to yourself, "I can't wait until they leave home?" I think, to be honest, most of us have had at least one of those moments. However; if it's something that you're truly looking forward to, don't hold your breath waiting for it.

A new report by the Pew Research Center finds that 29 percent of those between the ages of 25 and 34 have returned to live at home at some point during recent years. Ironically, most of them say that they are fine with that and they remain optimistic about their future. Interestingly though, Pew Research Center apparently have no findings about what their parents thought.

It's not a big news flash that many 20 and 30-somethings have moved back home out of economic necessity, not as a choice. Overall, the study shows that there are now more multigenerational households than anytime since 1950. Economics and the delays in the age of marriage have been the deciding factors.

The current recession has hit young people hard. Has your teenager tried to even get a minimum wage job lately? Has your college graduate? It's competitive and tough out there, so in many cases, the living-at-home trend is not exactly due to laziness or separation anxiety.

In some cases, the decision for young people to stay at home is beneficial. Almost half of the 25-34-year-olds say they contribute to the family household by paying rent or helping to meet other expenses. Others do chores around the house. So many of those who are staying at home are being beneficial to their parents.

This generation that is living with parents in their 20's and 30's has been dubbed the "Boomerang" generation, for obvious reasons. Nearly 80 percent say that they can't afford the life they want. Sadly, some of them aren't willing to compromise and lower expectations. You can't just start out living in a $500,000 house or having a job that pays $100,000. It takes time and perseverance to achieve those things. Some young people don't seem to ge' that. On the other hand, many still live at home to save money and have goals in mind and that seems reasonable to me.

For those young adults living at home, most of them said that it didn't damage their relationships with their parents by staying at home longer. About 25 percent of them said that it had been harmful.

A University of Pennsylvania sociologist maintains that this trend should not be seen as surprising or disturbing. He maintains: "We should be much more disturbed if the family wasn't there as a safety net, and if these people were out on the streets. This is an adaptation to a difficult time."