Are you part of the Boomerang Generation? This generation was born somewhere between 1977 to 1989. Makes sense they’re called the Boomerang Generation because many went off to college, received their degree and are now back living with Mom and Dad while working hard at their profession.

The primary justification for this cycle is economic. Where the young person and parents agree to this arrangement, it provides tremendous financial relief to the young person while it may also provide income to the parents.

Interestingly, Wikopedia states that the arrangement tends to force family members to communicate and negotiate in ways they did not when the children were pre-adults. In the best case, this can lead to healthy adult relationships between parents and children.

Wikopedia also states other positives to having the Boomerang Generation move back home:

Moving back home can benefit parents when they reach old age. In societies where it is common for children to live with their parents into adulthood, such as Asian and Hispanic cultures, children more frequently take care of aging parents, rather than devolving the responsibility on a third party, such as a nursing home.^{[citation needed]} Whether the Boomerang Generation will follow suit remains to be seen, as the older Baby Boom generation ages.

To look at this issue from a different perspective, Michael Rosenfeld, a social demographer at Stanford University says almost 41% of singles ages 20-29 in 2005 were living apart from their parents, compared with 11% in 1950 and about 19% in 1880.

“The boomerang idea,” as quoted by Michael Rosenfled on USA Today, “flatters our parental sense that our adult children need us more than they think. They think they’re going to be independent, but we know they’ll come back to the front doorstep and need us again.”

What are your thoughts on the Boomerang Generation? I’d like to hear them! Write me at Terri@SummitViewCareerCoaching.com

Enjoy Monday morning as much as Friday afternoon! 

This entry was posted on Friday, July 25th, 2008 at 6:56 am and is filed under HS & College Students. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.