Is It Healthy for Young Adults to Live with Their Parents?

We've all heard the saying: little kids, little problems; big kids, big problems. But what about when they're not really kids at all any more? It seems like more and more young adults – our children's generation – are returning to the nest after graduation from college or beyond. Is this emotionally healthy? And at what point should we kick them out of the nest?

Researchers from the University of Minnesota tried to find some answers to these troubling questions by looking at housing and financial assistance data from the Youth Development Survey.  In a study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, they found that parental aid actually promotes progress toward independence.

About half the young adults surveyed in their mid-20s received money from their parents for living expenses or actually lived with their parents (or did both). But only 10 to 15 percent received that help in their early 30s.

The researchers noted that the number receiving financial help declined 15 percent a year and the number living wit their parents declined 18 percent a year. That means that young adults are progressively becoming independent.

Researchers call this process "scaffolding." To learn more about the changing roles of young adults, click here.

So here's the takeaway: In an uncertain economy, parents provide a critical safety net but it won't be needed forever.