Jul 1, 2009 8:20 am US/Eastern
Boomerang Kids Head Back Home
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Layoffs, hiring freezes, high rents, student loan debt -- it's a tough world out there for 20-somethings trying to make it on their own. The economy is forcing millions of them to move back home.
No one likes moving, but this time it's particularly tough for Ryan Dube.
"I can't believe I'm back here," said Dube. "What am I doing? I've got to get out of here."
After living on his own during college, Ryan is unpacking everything he owns in the basement of his parents' house. Ryan is a boomerang kid -- young adults who move home because they either can't find work or can't live on what they make.
"Money, money brings me home," said Ryan.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 6 million young adults lived at home in 1960. In 2008, that number ballooned to 15 million.
"In this economy, a lot of kids are ending back home," said Dr. Ruth Nemzoff, who wrote a book on the relationship between parents and their adult children. She says families need to establish ground rules.
"Is this a time-limited invitation? Are you paying? Are you paying with money? Are you paying with goods and services?" asked Dr. Nemzoff.
Ryan's parents aren't charging rent, but he does have to help around the house -- and he has a curfew.
Ryan's dad's TV room now looks like a storage unit. "I do feel bad because my room is a mess, too," said Ryan.
Dr. Nemzoff says consider the child's emotional health. "Sometimes kids come home because they want to save money, and they feel very good about themselves," said Dr. Zemzoff. "That's a very different emotional situation when kids come home feeling defeated."
Ryan is optimistic. He's waiting tables until he gets a job as a graphic designer. He hopes to be packing again soon to move into his own place.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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