The Empty Nest With a Boomerang

If your first son or daughter is going off to college and you are sad, that is normal. This too shall pass! More and more parents are finding that their “Empty Nest” doesn’t stay that way for very long! My adult middle son just turned 30 last month and moved out yesterday, hopefully for the last time.

Due to the job situation, or the economy, I know many of my friends have at least one adult child living at home. Most of the time, this is something sudden and unplanned, but here are a few guidelines to make the best of the situation.

• Help them become independent, even before they leave for the first time. This includes knowing how to do laundry, cook, and do grocery shopping.
• Teach them money management skills while they are still living at home. Poor money management is frequently a reason that they return.
• I recommend living in a college dorm for as long as possible. Sometimes giving them too much freedom too early, causes them to fail academically, which is another return home for many.
• If college is not in their future, the military is an excellent option for building strong men and women. Not all positions will put them in harms way.
• Develop an “exit strategy” from the beginning of their return home. That way weeks don’t turn into years with no end in site.
• Love them unconditionally, but help them to understand that you are not obligated to care for them their entire life. ( many of this generation feel that it is an entitlement)

If you find yourself in the situation where an adult child is living at home with you, don’t feel that you are alone. Make the best of it, find others who have been through it, and keep reminding yourself that “This is ONLY temporary”.

Nancy Sutherland-
Direct Sales Marketing Queen
Independent Sales Director – Mary Kay Cosmetics