Generation B: Generation Boomerang

It looks like my folks would never ever have an empty nest. My brothers and myself included, are boomerang kids.

Boomerang kids or boomeranging is going back to your parents home and living with them again. Reasons vary and the length of period a child spends to cohabitate with their parents varies as well. In some cases, children don't leave the nest at all.

But why do children, mostly Gen X and Gen Y's, go back?

There are many reasons and each situation is different. Some are purely economic e.g. loss of a job, bankruptcy, inability to support oneself due to debts or student loans, it's more cost effective to live with the parents and more. I could probably add emotional such as the need for constant moral support. But I'm on the fence about the latter because one can have the moral and emotional support he or she needs without having to move in with the parents.

Boomeranging is a sticky situation to be in. One, you have lost your privacy and two, you have to abide by the rules of your parents. Not really to abide per se, but more like compromising your principles versus theirs especially when it comes to child rearing.

Another issue is the money. The big issue, in fact. Moving back to the nest for economic reasons means you're strapped for cash. Inasmuch as you want to contribute, you are unable to do so because you don't have enough money to begin with. If you're worse off e.g. you lost your job or your credit card debts are up to your eyeballs, you may end up asking your parents to lend you some cash, too.

In the Philippine setting, I see a lot of kids living with their folks even if they're all grown up. And it's normal I suppose because extended families are tolerated by the society. Parents who willingly accept their boomeranging kids are not in any way, mollycoddling nor encouraging the kids to be dependent on them. I think parents only want to help out their kids as much as they can.

Having all the kids, plus the grandkids (if any) all in one roof may put a financial strain on the parents and not to mention the all-day chaotic environment in the household. That said, it is important for the children to share on the expenses while they're living with their parents. Plus, the parents are already in their retirement age. It will be unfair to burden them with additional money problems.

I don't want to be a boomerang kid forever. It was never my intention, anyway. And it's tough to be one. I say, set yourself a goal that after "x" year/s, you'll be moving out and living independently.