How Not to Raise a Boomerang Kid

Numerous bodies of research concur that American young people are experiencing what sociologists call a “prolonged adolescence.” Many 20-somethings are graduating from college and returning to their parents’ homes, rather than finding jobs and pushing forward into lives of their own. Our current sagging economy and record unemployment is making it even harder for these young people to “launch” according to schedule.

So what’s a parent to do? After a quarter-century of nurturing and caring for your kids, you just might be ready for them to take over the responsibility! Check out our 4 Ways to Encourage Independence in Your Teen. It’s not mean or hard-hearted to insist that they do everything possible to care for themselves and contribute to society—even if their life plan is taking longer than expected to come together.

If your children are younger, be intentional with these 4 Ways to Set Expectations for Your Children to help them envision what life should look like after they’ve been educated and gone out on their own.