Readers speak out on Gen Zers living with parents

Comments: 

• I moved out for work after my degree but with the office closed in 2020 I was able to spend a year with my parents. It was a wonderful time and I cherish it. We spent lots of time together and I could see my presence brought them happiness. I had a feeling of purpose.

 

• As long as everyone understands boundaries and are contributing members of the community, working and maintaining healthy relationships, this works great. We love our situation.

 

• Our son is 22 and lived solo in an apartment and found it to be too lonely. He returned home and finished college and then moved into a 4-bedroom apartment with three roommates. His rent was still very high, $1,650 a month. However, his roommates had lots of parties and the police showed up twice and while the roommates were nice people, the living situation did not work. Our son was so happy to move back home. It made all of us feel good to be living together again.

 

• Young adults should either be in school, working, or doing both. I will give you first and last month’s rent, and y’all are always welcome for Sunday dinner. But it is time to learn how to budget, save, live with roomies, and do your own laundry.

 

• If you desire that lifestyle, fine. I believe some of it is the cause of a worthless or undervalued education. It’s hard to justify a $120,000 college debt for a $45,000 per year job. That compounded with this current inflation rate needs to make people to reflect on many things.

 

• Children need to be on their own, parents need their independence.

 

• This is not going to be a popular comment, but so many parents here aspire only for their children to attend college in-state or close by. You can’t expect them to become independent if they rely on Mommy and Daddy for everything. Raise them to grow and be independent! They are unlikely to return home to live.