How many members of Generation Z will become Boomerang Kids that go back to living with their parents? Has America wrongfully stigmatized young adults living with their parents for years? Public opinion marks it as irresponsible without drive and ambition. However, the COVID-19 Pandemic might change that perception. Multigenerational living might become the new accepted norm.
As emerging adults laid the foundations for their futures, mapping out their progress and visualizing their successes. Then, an uninvited guest in the form of a pandemic arrived and threw a spanner in the works. The dreams of many came crashing down, and as the flight of a boomerang, returning home was the only option. That is why they may become known as Boomerang Kids.
Was COVID-19 a blessing in disguise?
While it seems that the Novel Coronavirus brought nothing good, reuniting families might be an unrecognized blessing in disguise. Along with the public-health catastrophe and the grave economic situation, the circumstances have forced many families to reappraise living arrangements. What was, up to recently, regarded as unacceptable has become a new norm for American adulthood.
Relocations since COVID-19 outbreak
According to government data analysis, an estimated 2.9 million people relocated back to parental homes from March through May this year. The study subjects include college students, making the majority of these Boomerang Kids younger than 25 years. Some of the young adults moved into the homes of their grandparents.
Primary reasons for moving back
Various reasons brought about this change in family dynamics. However, the primary reasons are the suspension of college classes and the closing of campuses. Similarly, many young adults were victims of companies downsizing during the lockdown, with no guarantee of re-employment. Furthermore, almost every family has one or more members who lost their jobs.
For most young adults, justifying or affording to continue living apart became impossible. Rentals and the cost of living expenses are impossible to manage without an income. However, it may take a while to adjust to sharing living spaces with parents and siblings. Regardless, pooling finances might be the only way for families to cope with economic challenges.
COVID-19 left no time for planning
Under most other circumstances, proper planning and thorough consideration will occur before deciding to move back in with parents. Not only for the children but also the parents. But, amid the pandemic, there was no time to mull over the available options. For many, the only option was to move back.
Unexpected challenges
The new dynamics will bring challenges for all. Both generations may stare themselves blind to memories of a time when they were all sharing the same home. However, life went on, and many changes occurred. Parents might have downsized after their children moved out. Now, they will all share a smaller living area, and both parents and children might wish to make rules.
Parents who were free to come and go as they pleased will now have to consider the children again. Similarly, parents may expect their adult children to keep them informed of their plans and not stay out overnight. The younger generation might enjoy having access to luxuries like washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and more. But will the Boomerang Kids expect their mothers to do their washing, clean up after them and cook all their meals? The changed “normal” will be sure to test the patience of all concerned, Who knows, it might benefit all in the end.
