What if returning to live with your parents was the best decision? This testimony will make you think!

Returning to live with your parents as an adult may seem impossible for many of us. However, more and more people are taking the plunge and you will see that there are many advantages to this.

Credit: Laurel Collins

She returns to live with her parents at 45

This is the case of Laurel Collins, an American over 45, who before moving in with her parents lived in her own house in another state. But when her 19-year relationship ended, she suddenly felt very lonely and since she had moved there to live with her boyfriend, she now felt like she was in the wrong place. place. Often, grieving a relationship also has the effect of clarifying what is really important. So, with nephews who were growing rapidly and parents who were not getting any younger, she made the decision to sell the house where she had lived for six and a half years to return to live with mom and dad.

Initially, this situation was to be short-lived, the time to get a job and find a place to live. But she ended up teaching part-time, and the short-term fix became a long-term option. Her little sister, two and a half years younger, also did the same. She also wanted to be closer to her parents and had planned to take over an apartment one day, but the pandemic came and she stayed too. Currently, the mother, the father and the two sisters, in short the whole family , accompanied by four dogs and a cat, therefore lives under the same roof.

Their parents may be kind, generous and funny people, but living with them again in their forties was an exercise in patience and humour. Yes, we all have our habits and our preferences that it is not always easy to change. For example, the father may be listening to an audiobook with his headphones and a TV show at deafening volume at the same time, until someone tells him that the windows are shaking and asks if it is possible to lower the sound. On the other side, mom likes to eat dinner very early, sometimes even before most people finish work. Fortunately, to keep a balance, they help, inspire and congratulate each other on a daily basis.

We often hear that only unsuccessful people go back to their parents. This phenomenon even has a name: boomerang children. These children who are believed to be unable to support themselves and who end up going home eating chips and playing video games on the sofa. In reality, the truth is much more complex. According to a news study of the Pew Research span, 31% of young adults between the ages of 25 and 29 live in multigenerational homes. Among people aged 40 and over, women are more likely to do so. A study by Generations United shows that the proportion of Americans living in a multigenerational household has almost quadrupled in the last ten years, from 7% to 26%. And, of those who live in this type of household, about 7 in 10 plan to do so for the long term.

Credit: Laurel Collins

Returning to your parents: many advantages

The recent trend towards living in multi-generational homes is generally explained by the need to “compensate for a difficult situation” rather than by choice. This may be for medical reasons, loss of a job, or other life changes. Pooling resources, whether financial, social and emotional, has real benefits. Indeed, having several people at home allows everyone to do what they can to support the whole and greatly facilitates the management of animals, the maintenance of housing, travel for appointments, childcare, and many other areas.

Attention, all is not rosy for all that, there are definitely things that we put on hold during this period of return to the parents . For example, we don't invite people to dinner as often as before because it now concerns everyone in the house. Ditto for romantic dates, which are necessarily more complicated due to the lack of intimacy. “For example, my sister used to go on coffee dates with friends late at night. We all figured out she was dating and we didn't ask too many questions. We give ourselves space. I like the idea of ​​taking the time to get to know potential partners better before introducing them to the whole family.” said Laurel Collins.

As you test around, you'll notice that most young adults are shocked to find that a return to parents is possible, but older adults generally find it charming. Anyway, all are curious to know how it can work. And yet, 57% of people who live in multigenerational households say that their situation is positive or somewhat positive. It must be said that between the time it leaves to create memories with the people you love and the possibility of living without the pressure of paying for housing with your salary alone, this way of life has many advantages.

What do you think ?