Gosh, all the parents on this thread HAVE a home. I wish I could offer this to my kids. Right now one of my kids is visiting a tiny apartment that I have rented for the summer, with one bed in it, and one couch. Then I go to a winter rental that is also tiny. This is not how I expected things to be. Long story. In any case, be grateful if you have a basement to give!
On the other hand, I talked to my SIL today, and at 64 she has 8 people in the house: herself, husband, daughter, son-in-law, grandson, 21 year old grandson from daughter’s first marriage, 31 year old son, and his pregnant girlfriend. A large dog. One bathroom.
Sadly, the husband is the one that she’d most like to see leave.
Yikes!
When I was in my early thirties my DH and I, together with my parents, bought a large Victorian in my hometown. We lived with them and raised two children as a three-generation family, with no separate apartments. Four years ago job changes forced us to move to another city, although we still co-own the house. Now my 20 year-old daughter has taken a year off from school to work on some depression / anxiety issues – and to work and save a little money – so we’re once again a multi-generation household and I’m happy to help her out. Given the situation in which she grew up, I don’t think it seems odd at all for her.
Sensible? Um, we aren’t Europe as much as some are trying to turn us into that. The bottom line is we’ve raised a spoiled generation who has lived so well they can’t imagine living in a starter home or a basic (not so nice) apartment driving a sub-par car that’s paid for. And the parents - enablers. The millennials delay responsibility as long as they can. Many don’t even drive any longer. We’ll see what the I-Gen does. The Greatest Generation made this country and I am saddened with each passing one of them. The face is the economic boom has come and gone and we may never see it again in our lifetime. 1% yearly economic growth does not take you from a small apartment to a McMansion. The coming generations are going to have to accept that. Especially since many of them favor an economic system that will not support the lifestyle they are accustom to.
“Sensible? Um, we aren’t Europe as much as some are trying to turn us into that.”
Hello!? :-h Given we’re a country made up of different backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths, etc., it’s faulty logic to insinuate there is any wrong or right way to do things, any “American” way because “we aren’t Europe”.
Also, it’s silly IMO to lump a generation together with stereotypes - far too simplistic.
Additionally, you can’t talk economic growth without considering things like the rate of inflation not to mention that 1% growth is an exaggeration to the negative side. https://www.thebalance.com/us-gdp-by-year-3305543
Many don’t drive because they live in more urban areas and have more cost effective and environmentally friendly options,
Neither of my kids drives regularly, although they both know how and have licenses. They live in urban areas where parking and insurance are very expensive. They use public transportation or bicycles to go back and forth to their very good jobs, and when they have something for which they need a car they use a car-share service or Uber (or, OK, in one case now the significant other’s recently-acquired car).
Neither lives in my basement or within 100 miles of where my basement would be if I had one. They are fully self supporting. One just bought a house (very much a starter house), and the other is saving furiously to do the same. They just don’t see car ownership as a necessary part of adulthood. Terrible news for Detroit, but otherwise not such a bad thing.
FYI: Most of the Greatest Generation grew up living in multi-generationed homes due to that being the prevailing practice…even among the well-to-do and the Great Depression.
Moreover, many conscripts/volunteer military personnel had to move back in with parents once they were discharged because of economics and a severe shortage of housing stock despite massive efforts to build new housing stock for all the returning GIs.
Most WWII vets I knew would have laughed at the idea that they could move into their own apartment even if they were married upon discharge considering the endemic housing crunch in many areas of the country at the end of the war.
There’s some amusing irony in that sentence considering where I came from, having any sort of vehicle…especially paid for as a teen/young adult meant one was considered “rich” and “spoiled” at best.
As long as there isn’t too much toxic behavior from any side, I think it’s fine.
From a selfish point of view I’d love to have a live-in dog sitter. 