Author Archives: Christina Newberry

London journalist looking for adult daughters living at home

A journalist in London is looking for women in their late 20s-30s who live with their parents and who would be happy to be interviewed and potentially photographed for a magazine piece to go in a broadsheet Sunday supplement.

From the journalist:

The piece will be a nice article, looking at the way the recession (among other things) is changing our perceptions of family and the different ways in which people successfully structure family life. Do get in touch and I can give you more information about what it would entail (not much – an hour or so of your time), and about me too. I can also credit businesses or any other activities (books or plays, for example, or charities). Thanks very much!

You can contact her at rebeccaLseal(at)gmail.com.

Are you spoiling your adult son?

Very interesting new information has emerged from a survey conducted in the UK by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. It shows (perhaps not surprisingly) that parents treat adult sons living at home quite differently from adult daughters in the same position. Among the findings:

  • Parents are three times more likely to let a son move back home than a daughter
  • Almost 60% of parents say they spoil their sons, while only 35% say they spoil their daughters

So, are you spoiling your son? And, if so, are you setting up inappropriate expectations that will make it harder for him to get established on his own two feet when it is time for him to leave the nest?

Researcher looking for families with adult children living at home

A researcher in the Los Angeles area is looking for families whose college grads have returned home to live to interview for a Psych paper. She is looking for families that have issues because of the living situation, whether it be joblessness, contributions to the household, personalities, economics, etc., as well as those who have a great relationship. Please email the researcher at the e-mail address below with a few lines about your family situation and leave contact information.

Contact Mollypp[at]mac.com

The perception problem

I came across an editorial in a college newspaper today in which the writer looked for reasons why so many college students and recent graduates are currently living with their parents. It’s always interesting to see how the situation is perceived by the adult children themselves. The writer’s perceptions are in line with what I see and hear from other adult children in their early 20s. Here’s my analysis of her points:

1. Generation Y had dreams of being independent at college, spurred on by unrealistic movies, and has “received another kick in the jaw” by being unable to do so.

My take: It seems to me the perception here is the problem. We all see idealized lives in the movies. There are few movies about people going to jobs they don’t like for 40 years to support a family that they can only rarely take on vacation. Feeling like you’ve been kicked in the jaw because you misunderstood your own financial ability to support yourself seems strange. Unless the kick in the jaw is that your parents are unwilling or unable to support the dreamed-of college lifestyle.

2. The economy is to blame for the lack of good, well paying entry-level jobs. “I’m sure every student knows a recent graduate who has a degree in something impressive like molecular biology but is putting that brilliant mind to work as a full-time barista at Starbucks instead of interning at a hospital.”

My take: I graduated from college 12 years ago. Then, unable to find a job that took advantage of my new skills and education, I went and worked for slightly more than minimum wage in a bookstore while, yes, living with my parents. My point is that it’s not a new problem that college grads can’t find jobs in their chosen fields, especially jobs that pay a living wage. Yes, this is a problem, but it it not new. The key is to find opportunities to grow in whatever job you can find. I built a website for that bookstore, asked for the responsibility of writing some newspaper ads, and started a community book club. These efforts made this job more than a sales clerk position and allowed me to use it as a springboard to my first “real” job.

3. Tuition has climbed out of proportion with family income.

My take: Yes –I absolutely agree. When I was in college, I made my way on scholarships, meaning I graduated unburdened by student loans. I’m not sure this is possible today. Parents and their children need to have conversations about college early — and if the children want to go, it’s a wise idea for both parents and teenagers to start saving. It’s much easier (and less expensive) to save at least some of the money ahead of time than to be burdened with loan payments for 20 years. This is a real problem.

But it’s the second point that I find most interesting. My perception is that no one has been able to walk straight out of college and get a “real” job since my parents graduated — about 40 years ago. At that stage, the baby boomers began to fill up jobs, meaning that there were not so many openings for young grads as older people retired. Hence the predicament of Generation X, which is now continuing with Gen Y, rather than emerging as a new problem.

I’m sure today’s college students will think I am an old crab-pot if they read this. But am I wrong?

You can read Brittany Forrell’s editorial “Tuition Costs Crush Students” in the Missouri State University Standard here.

TV producers looking for couples moving in with their parents

The producers of The Real Housewives of New Jersey are developing a brand-new series about couples moving back into their parents’ homes. If you are married, engaged, or just dating and are moving back in with your parents, they want to hear from you. Couples should have loud, fun personalities.

If you are interested in applying to be on this show,  send photos and/or videos, plus bios with an explanation of why you are a perfect fit for the show (and why your situation is unique, unusual or interesting) to: casting@sirensmedia.com

Informal poll shows only half of parents think their adult children should move out

A (very) informal poll on the website chazhound.com asked the question, “Do you think it’s okay to let your children live at home for eternity?”

Of the 41 people who responded to the poll, only 48.78% answered “no.” Only one person selected the answer, “Yes, I would love to cook/clean for my adult children forever,” but 14 people (34.15%) selected “Yes, they can live with me for however long they want as long as they contribute to the house.”

Of course, three people chose the answer “Clam Chowder,” so who knows what this poll really tells us! Still, it’s interesting to see that parents are clearly more willing to let children live at home — and feel happier about them being there — if the adult children are contributing to the household.

You can see the poll — and read seven pages of interesting follow-up comments — here.

52.8% of 18 to 24-year-olds living at home

A new study shows that more young adults are living at home — 52.8% of 18 to 24-year-olds. So, above all else, know that if you have adult children living at home, you are not alone — not anywhere near alone! Half of your friends probably have their adult kids living at home, too.

The study was conducted by researchers at Columbia University in New York based on data from the U.S. Current Population Survey. You can ready more about the study here.