Family Life

01.13.09 | FL News Team

Empty nests are beginning to fill back up. As the economy continues to crumble more and more young men and women find themselves living again with mom and dad. The "Boston Globe" quotes David Morrison, president and CEO of Twentysomething Inc. as saying "we confidently predict that there will be a notable increase in young adults boomeranging back home."

Morrison, whose business it is to research issues related to young adults, says more and more companies are rescinding job offers from pending college graduates. Add economic instability, job insecurity and the biggie, no longer any stigma attached to living with parents and you have a huge movement. The Census Bureau says in 2007, 55-percent of men and 48-percent of women aged 18 to 24 were still living with parents. 

Joseph Tecce, a psychology professor at Boston College says there need to be guidelines when offspring return home. Parents, he says "are not running a hotel." While he doesn't think charging rent is necessary he says there should be guidelines. Children need to find a way to contribute and enrich parents' lives in exchange for room and board, utilities and a relatively carefree life.

Psychotherapist John Dacey suggests both parents and children sit down before a single box is moved and make a couple of lists: What were the good and bad aspects of living together before and what do I need to change? The next census to be taken next year could be the first indicator of how much impact the recession has had on families and living quarters, shared or apart.