Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Migration of the younger generation

As more and more teens who have graduated from high school, more and more of them are returning to mom and dad’s. Some make it thru college, some don’t even leave after high school. Some say it is the economy. Some of the adult children are there until their high 20’s and low 30’s.

Those of us over 60 remember that there were a lot of kids who didn’t leave home until they married.  Of course, in those days, there weren’t as many houses for rent.. and the apartments were taken up by young couples. Sometimes even the young couples lived with one set of parents or the other..  And in some homes there were 3 generations
living together. Or even 4 generations, if there were children with the couples.

But somewhere around the 60’s and 70’s more and more teens left home. Some even before they graduated. Some sleeping on their friend’s couch,especially the males.  Some group of males would share a house. I think with the Vietnam War and how people felt about it.. it was a separation of
the generations and what they thought of the war. Of course you had the Hippie life as well.  Free love…sleep in tents, huts, beaches and etc.

Now adult children are gravitating back home to the folks.. Some parents welcome it.. some thought they were finally having an empty nest and loving it, so are less than thrilled.  In a way it is kind of funny, as the generation that started the taking off.. leaving Mom and Dad with no problem.. are the ones who are having adults children coming back to the nest. Some in hopes that hey will get a job, save money and get their own place… Hopefully.

I had two boomerangs, to get back their legs… One left quickly as she had trouble with Mom’s house…. Mom’s rules.. Meaning, you had to call if you were not going to be home for dinner.. No excuses, just notifying… No coming in late in the night or early morning… the rest of us have to get up early and need our sleep. And you had to do your fair share of chores.  The other one, found a job and after 2 paychecks found a place and was on her own.

We joked about at the age of 18 we broke their plates.. guess the rest of them believed us.  As they were gone after graduation.  

And all of them are hard working, responsible adults now.

 

1 comment:

Bay Views said...

There is nothing free about love.