#126 – They’re Back! Parenting Our Boomerang Kids

Nearly half of recent college graduates are finding themselves back in their childhood bedrooms, and it’s not just nostalgia pulling them home. Financial pressures are nudging this generation towards a new developmental stage of life. These shifting family dynamics come with their own set of challenges and opportunities. In this episode, Vicki and Lynn explore the concept of “boomerang students” and share their personal journeys as parents navigating this transition. We discuss the practicalities of living with adult children, from negotiating household contributions to ensuring everyone maintains their independence. With open communication and a bit of humor, this life stage can be a chance to strengthen family bonds and gain fresh perspectives on adult life.

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Some families may plan from the beginning of college that their student will move home after graduation. Other families may be taken by surprise when their college graduate arrives – or be surprised by how long they stay! But whether it’s in the plan or comes as a surprise, the phenomenon of “boomerang kids,” students who move out and then return, perhaps several times, appears to be here to stay.

In this episode, we shared some of the statistics about how many students are returning home (it’s nearly half), and the numbers keep growing. We talked about some of the reasons for the return – they’re mostly, but not entirely, financial, why this new living arrangement can be so complicated, and some of the positive outcomes parents may experience. We also shared a few tips from our own experiences of having our young adults return home to live for a period and how we all survived.

If, one of the things you may be talking to your student about might be politics and how to be an engaged citizen, Lynn also mentioned our recent interview with Lindsey Cormack about her book How to Raise a CitizenThis conversation can be a great start for talking to your young adult about how to get involved. Check out our podcast episode #123 – Is Your Student Ready to Be a Citizen? It’s Never Too Late to Learn.

There are some good books out there for parents who’d like to dig a little more into the topic and, of course, we shared those as well. We’re all about the books!

You and Your Adult Child: How to Grow Together in Challenging Times by Laurence Steinberg.

Emerging Adulthood by Jeffrey Arnett (Read our review of this book.)

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

The Hope Circuit by Martin Seligman

The Accordion Family: Boomerang Kids, Anxious Parents, and the Private Toll of Global Competition by Katherine Newman (Read our review of this book.)

and one to gift or share with your student – Adulting Made Easy by Amanda Morin. (Read our review of this book and listen to our interview with Amanda.)

Note: Some links in our post are for affiliate products. If you use our links, College Parent Central receives a small percentage of your purchase price. This does not change the cost to you.  We think it’s only fair to let you know that.


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