What Are Boomerang Children?
Boomerang children, or boomerang kids, are terms used to describe the phenomenon of an adult child returning home to live with their parents for economic reasons after a period of independent living. In 2016, 15% of millennials lived in their parents’ home, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of monthly U.S. Census Bureau information.
Fast forward four years, this figure has jumped to 52% of young adults living with their parents, based on the same analysis by Pew in mid-2020. The cause for the uptick? The global outbreak, which as of February 2021, continues to negatively impact jobs, health, and social welfare in the United States.
Key Takeaways
- Boomerang children are young adults or other adult children who move back in with their parents after living independently.
- Often, boomerang children return to their parents for economic reasons such as low wages, low savings, high debt, or unemployment, or global financial crisis.
- Family circ*mstances such as divorce may create boomerang situations.
Understanding Boomerang Children
Boomerang is an American slang term that refers to an adult who has moved back home to live with their parents after a period of living independently. Frequently used in the press, this term is sometimes applied to individuals and describes a generational shift, referred to as the boomerang generation.
When applied to an individual, a boomerang indicates a person who returns home due to overwhelming or unsustainable costs associated with maintaining a separate household.
Generationally, the term references the economic shift that occurs after the Baby Boom generation, based on the notion that subsequent generations, including Generation X and Millennials, could be the first generations in American history to earn less than their parents.
Impact of the Boomerang Generation
According to Census Data, adults ages 18-24 attributed to most of the growth in the 2020 statistics. Census data also indicates that since 1981, the rate of adult children living with parents has risen steadily, even before the 2020 economic crisis.
There are many potential benefits to parental households welcoming boomerangs back home, including emotional benefits of avoiding empty nest syndrome, as well as mutual financial support with household expenses. However, such arrangements can present significant financial complications.
Boomerang children may present a drain on a parent’s retirement savings, sometimes prompting a decision to delay retirement.
Boomerangs Around the World
While the term boomerang primarily refers to an American phenomenon, other countries experiencing similar conditions have adopted descriptive terms to identify the children who return, or never leave, home. For example, in the U.K., children boomeranging back home has given rise to the acronym KIPPERS (or Kids In Parents' Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings).
In many cultures, however, intergenerational cohabitation is commonplace. In many ways, the practice of adult children moving away from parents is a more modern practice facilitated by Western industrial development, and an overall trend for generations to pass increased prosperity to the next generation.
FAQs
Boomerang children, or boomerang kids, are terms used to describe the phenomenon of an adult child returning home to live with their parents for economic reasons after a period of independent living.
How might boomerang children affect the lives of their parents? ›
And the parents can have all sorts of reactions, good and bad, to their boomeranging kids. Some parents get stressed out by young adults who return home because they need financial support. Others welcome having the kids back to pad the empty nest, help with household chores, or help pay the bills.
Which of the following is a reason grown children become boomerang kids? ›
In American culture, those young adults moving back home to live with their parents have been labeled “boomerang kids.” For many, excessive unpaid student loans and high credit card debt force the decision.
What are the reasons that cause the boomerang generation to move back in with their parents? ›
Today, it's common for adults to move back in with their parents after leaving home for college or careers. These boomerang children are adults who may not have started a job right after college or find themselves in financial crisis. They need help, so they turn to their parents.
What is the meaning behind a boomerang? ›
More on the boomerang. Earliest evidence of the boomerang in Australia. The boomerang is a symbol of cultural endurance and a tangible link to the long presence of Aboriginal people on the continent.
What is the boomerang message? ›
: an act or utterance that backfires on its originator. boomerang intransitive verb.
How can having a child impact your life? ›
Relationships with others will change.
You are a parent. This responsibility changes your life with your partner and how you manage your home life. Family, especially your parents, will have a different role to play. Friends, work colleagues and neighbours will all have a new way of interacting with you.
How are children impacted by their parents? ›
Parents and other caregivers are essential resources for children in managing emotional arousal, coping, and managing behavior. They serve in this role by providing positive affirmations, conveying love and respect and engendering a sense of security.
What is the boomerang effect parenting? ›
In contrast to the alienation hypothesis, in fact, children reported feeling more distant from the parent who did the denigrating than from the parent who was the object of their denigration. Rowen calls this a “boomerang effect.” The stuff you throw comes back and hits you.
What generation is known as the Boomerang kids? ›
In Western culture the Boomerang Generation refers to the generation of young adults graduating high school and college in the 21st century. They are so named for the percentage of whom choose to share a home with their parents after previously living on their own—thus boomeranging back to their parents' residence.
7 Strategies For Setting Boundaries & Supporting Your Boomerang...
- Set Clear Boundaries. ...
- Ask that They Contribute Meaningfully. ...
- Give Them Space / Have Your Own Space. ...
- Resist the Desire to Rescue. ...
- Be Sympathetic. ...
- Set Markers and Discuss a Timeline if Necessary. ...
- Talk About Mental Health and External Guidance.
The boomerang and spiral models suggest HRO activity provokes third parties, such as other states and international organizations, to pressure violating states. This pressure, in turn, drives violating states to improve human rights conditions.
What is the boomerang effect in real life? ›
In other words, the boomerang effect is a situation where people tend to pick the opposite of what something or someone is saying or doing because of how it is presented to them. Typically, the more aggressive something is presented, people would more than likely want to do the opposite.
Why is the boomerang important? ›
For Aboriginal people the boomerang is a symbol of cultural endurance and a tangible link to their long presence on this continent. The boomerang features in Aboriginal creation mythology, and for Aboriginal people the boomerang is considered as old as the continent.
What is a boomerang for kids? ›
A Boomerang is a curved throwing stick, traditionally made from wood. Some are designed with a curvature that allows them to be thrown so that they return to the thrower. These Boomerangs are small and light. However, some Boomerangs are non-returning by design, and these are heavier.
What is the spiritual meaning of a boomerang? ›
The principle of reciprocating action, the spiritual boomerang, is the scriptural way into the Lord's blessings. Therefore, let us be gracious to those who have offended us, liberal in sharing our physical resources, abundant in our kindness to strangers, and generous in loving our neighbors.
What generation is called the boomerang kids? ›
In Western culture the Boomerang Generation refers to the generation of young adults graduating high school and college in the 21st century. They are so named for the percentage of whom choose to share a home with their parents after previously living on their own—thus boomeranging back to their parents' residence.
What does the term boomerang age refer to? ›
Modern-day transitions to adulthood are also deemed to be less permanent and subject to reversibility, leading to conceptualization of young adults as “adultescents” and members of “the boomerang age” (Mitchell, 2006).
