While many Americans embrace multigenerational living and encourage older children to remain in the family home, Gen X has other ideas. There’s a trend among Gen Xers in encouraging their young children to leave home sooner than they might have left home themselves. We look at 16 reasons why Gen X wants their children to live independently:
Student Loan Burden
According to the Education Data Initiative, Gen X parents are aware of the weight of student loan debt, with an average of $37,088. Rather than allow their kids to stay home and slowly make a dent in their debt, they’re encouraging young adults to find work and become financially independent sooner to clear the debt quicker.
Rising Housing Costs
The ever-increasing cost of housing can strain even a two-income household. Encouraging children to find roommates or explore more affordable living situations can alleviate financial pressure at home.
Retirement Savings Focus
It looks as though Gen X will be working for longer unless they can boost their retirement fund. Having adult children in the home increases the amount of money needed for food and energy costs, so if they move out, the money saved can go into retirement funds.
Delayed Marriage and Childbirth
Millennials marry and have children later in life than previous generations. This is usually because younger generations want to invest in their careers and have more time to travel and enjoy life. This attitude means Gen X parents see their adult children capable of independent living sooner.
Focus on Individual Growth
Parents may believe their children will benefit from the challenges and responsibilities of independent living rather than staying at home and having their every need attended to.
Self-Reliance
Gen X is known for its independent and resourceful spirit, which they want to pass on to their kids. Some believe early independence will encourage their children to be resourceful, and while they will always offer support, they want them to go it alone and work things out for themselves.
Focus on Responsibility
Taking care of a home and managing finances independently can be a valuable learning experience. Gen X parents might see this as a way to prepare their children for the future, as they cannot always be around during a crisis.
Empty Nest Opportunity
After years of raising children, some Gen X parents might welcome the chance to have their home to themselves again. It’s a time to refocus on their relationships and personal interests rather than be caught up in their children’s lives.
Technology Overload
Gen X parents might find themselves frustrated by their millennial children’s constant screen time, from cell phones to constant streaming of TV boxsets. These parents simply want their chilled lives back, so making their kids move out allows for a tech-free zone.
Differing Communication Styles
As children grow, they can often develop different personalities and communication styles from their parents. This can often lead to friction, so encouraging children to move in with a roommate could be better for the parent/child relationship in the long run.
Blended Families
According to Pew Research, 16% of children live in blended families. Because blended families can often become difficult to manage, some Gen Xers are encouraging adult children from previous relationships to live independently.
Differing Personalities
Not all personalities blend perfectly, and some parent-child relationships might benefit from physical separation. Being apart can often bring strained families closer together.
Focus on Partner Relationships
With children out of the house, Gen X couples might have more time and energy to invest in their own relationships. On the other hand, if a young Millennial is in a serious relationship, they may want to move out of the home rather than share with their parents.
Remote Work Opportunities
According to the U.S. Career Institute, 36.5% of Americans working from home are aged 25-39. The rise of remote work opportunities allows young adults more flexibility in choosing affordable locations to live independently. For many Gen Xers, having their child live and work at home is too much so separate houses is the best solution.
Strong Rental Market
In most areas of America, there’s a strong rental market, which often makes finding affordable housing more feasible. Parents will often help their children with a down payment on a property or act as guarantors if necessary and may even supplement their child’s income to help pay rent.
Cultural Shift
The idea of boomeranging back home might be less socially acceptable than in the past. This means that children who leave for college or their first job are less likely to return to the nest. They will also find less expectation from parents that their child will move back home, so they will quickly find another use for the vacated space.
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