The idea that children leave home when they are 18 is...
There is an idea that children grow up and leave home when they are 18; "the truth is far from that," says sociologist Larry Bumpass. Today according to the US Census Bureau, 59% of men and 47% of women between 18 and 24 depend on their parents for housing and/or college expenses. Children who leave home usually return to their parents' home. There are a variety of reasons for this return. Nowadays people get married late in life and this fact makes staying at home attractive to young people. In addition to this, the expenses of college education are so high that students cannot afford housing costs .
Sharing the family home, of course, requires adjustments for all. There are the conflicts and disagreements over bathrooms, telephones, and privacy. Some families, however, manage to deal with these problems. At 24, Mary Brown was afraid of returning to her parents' home because she thought it was going take away her independence. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised when her father installed a desk and phone in the basement so that she would have a private study room.
Just how long should adult children live with their parents before moving on? Most psychologists feel that living with your parents for a long time is a mistake. Adult children may not learn to be independent and end up feeling insecure. Short visits, however, can be good for everybody. Ellen White, 26, returned to her parents' home and stayed three weeks. "It made us feel much closer," she says.
