April 18 , 2006
FEATURESTime to grow up!
Leaving the nestLeaving home can be hard on both parents and children, but there does come a time in each person’s life when they need to move on and parents need to let go. But when exactly does that time come?
According to infoplease.com in the 1960 there was a total population of 6,842,000 males and 7,876,000 females. 52 percent of those males lived at home and 35 percent of those females lived at home. Today, of the approximately 14 million males between ages 18 and 24, 55 percent live at home and 46 percent of the females live at home.
These numbers show that more and more adults are starting to live at home well into their twenties and thirties. Some might be lazy and just want to live of their parents forever, while others might find it financially safe and it is a way to possibly save money. Whether it is in a movie or in real life, a lot of adults are making the choice to live a home.
A group of 10 parents were asked various questions about how they felt about their son or daughter staying at home or living elsewere. The first question asked was, “Do you want your son or daughter to eventually move out?” All 10 answered yes, that at some point they would like to see their child go out and be on their own.
The next question asked was, “At what age would or do you want your child to be living on his/her own?”
The answers for this question varied as only two couples gave an exact age of 21. The rest felt the age was tough to go by and it depends on what the child is doing.
One mother said, “If my son is working hard to get a degree in school when he is 25 then I have no problem with him being at home, but if he’s sitting around doing nothing, then you’re out.”
The final question that was asked was who the parents felt a move would be harder for, the parents or the child? The tally was split on this one as five said the parents and five said the child.
The parents that thought it would be tougher on the child all seemed to feel that homesickness could become a big deal for their son or daughter, especially if they lived far away.
It was interesting to find out that all five of the parents that felt they would miss their child, most had only one child. One mother who has three children said it was tough when our first born moved out.