We all want our kids to grow up and fly the nest, going on to lead successful lives with the skills that we've taught them. However, more children than ever are returning back to the family home. Some can't find a job after college, or end up falling on hard times - and who are we to turn them away when they need help, right? Despite our motherly instincts telling us that we're doing the right thing for our babies, one study has shown that we could actually be doing more harm in the long run.

Researcher Jennifer Caputo delved deeper into how returning to the homestead can affect young adults. Her results discovered that budding adults who continued to live independently had a better quality of life. They were usually happier, had more money in the bank and were more likely to have reached other significant milestones, such as good careers or even marriage. Those that never leave home or return home had a much lesser chance of achieving these positive goals.

Jennifer noted a marked impairment in those returning home after having had a taste of independence, with her research showing that they were especially likely to have experienced setbacks such as the breakdown of a relationship or a sudden decline in income. As she worked through her findings, Caputo recorded that moving back into the parental home remained a "significant predictor of depression", according to the Independent. With the pressure on young people to hop on the property ladder and the rising use of social media over the last few years, it's hardly surprising that those struggling could feel downtrodden.

On the flipside, Caputo is expanding her research to see how parents are affected by adult children returning home. While children can feel like failures, parents can also feel disappointed or concerned on their loved one's behalf, which can sometimes lead to an uncomfortable living situation. Numbers for adults still living at home in the US is at a record high, With 33% of 25-29-year-olds still bunking up with mom and dad. Across the pond, the UK is also reporting an elevated rate, with more than a quarter of adults age 20 to 34 still under the same roof as their parents.

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