Strollerderby : Boomerang kids

Helicopter Parents Make Boomerang Kids

makeitadouble — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:30:00 GMT

A generation of Helicopter Parents has in turn raised a generation of Boomerang Kids whose career paths follow a wide arcing curve that is ultimately leading them back to their point of origin; their parent’s homes.

An unstable economy, a weak job market, student loan debt and sky-rocketing housing costs have all been identified as contributing causes for this trend of nearly 60% of children returning to the nest, treating the family home like a free hotel and staying up until 3 am watching Adult Swim and Robot Chicken, but previous generations who haven’t been mollycoddled every moment of their life have had to deal with harsh times and financial adversity and you didn’t see them asking Mom to pick them up some Rogaine while she’s at the store.

Articles offering advice on how Mom and Dad can live in domestic harmony with their twenty-somethings like getting them to pay rent, agreeing on household chores and not waiting on them hand and foot may be necessary for some families, however it’s not too late for those of us with young children to stop Helicopter Parenting and start parenting like some other form of aviation like a Cessna light aircraft, the kind used for skydiving. Imagine 18 years of child rearing where instead of hovering and overprotecting we teach our kids to freefall and pull the parachute chord on their own; it’s easy if you try.

Maybe then we’ll be comparing the next generation of kids to some other archaic weaponry like a slingshot or a catapult; once launched the projectile travels further and further away from its point of origin. Who’s with me?

And if that doesn’t work, we can all just turn off the lights, crouch down and pretend we’re not home.

(photocredit:www.jonkeegan.com)

World's Oldest Boomerang Kid

MetroDad — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:14:00 GMT

For a brief period after college, I had to move back in with my folks. I quickly realized that grown men should not be living under the same roof as their mothers. But hey, we all have issues with your moms, right? Anyway, if you thought your relationship with your mom was complicated, check out this story about a Sicilian woman who grounded her 61-year old son for staying out too late and, uh, not liking her cooking!

According to Reuters, the mother took away her 61-year-old son's house keys, cut off his allowance and hauled him to the police station because he stayed out late. The son responded by saying his mother did not give him a big enough weekly allowance and did not know how to cook. Police helped the squabbling duo make up and the two returned home together, with the son's house keys and daily allowance restored.

Apparently, most Italian men still live at home late into their 30s, enjoying their "mamma's" cooking, washing and ironing.

Wow! What a bunch of wusses. Reminds me of the Alec Baldwin quote in "30 Rock": "The Italians have a saying, Lemon. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. And although they've never won a war or mass-produced a decent car, in this respect, they are correct.

Tips for Parents and "Boomerang" Kids

MetroDad — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 16:12:00 GMT

Despite increasing news reports about the increased proliferation of "boomerang" children (adult-aged children moving back home with their parents, usually for financial reasons,) ABC News reports on U.S. Census studies demonstrating that "boomeranging" is not really a new trend; it's a way of life. The numbers from the most recent census show that 13.5 percent of young men aged 25-34 and 7 percent of young women live at home, the same percentages in 1983!

Anyway, the article provides several tips for parents and adult "boomerang" children to co-exist peacefully. The advice covers everything from finances, curfews, sex, meals, and general house rules.

In all honestly, the advice is kind of boring and anecdotal. Personally, I find it more interesting that while the concept of "boomerang" children seems to permeate the media, the "phenomenon" is nothing new. Why do you think that is?