Economy Forces 'Boomerang Kids' Back Home

After losing their jobs and homes, some middle-aged adults are losing something else—independence from their parents, the Washington Post reports. The recession is forcing so-called “boomerang kids” back into their childhood homes, raising questions about how easily parents can accommodate refilled nests amid tough economic times. "It's much more everyone pulling their weight, because the parents are hurting as well," a consultant says.

About 20 million 18- to-34-year-olds live with their parents, and a Monster.com survey indicates that about half of recent college graduates plan on returning home. "In some ways, we're coming back and living together the way we did during the Depression," one expert says, when families lived under one roof for financial reasons. But parents may be “stealing from the future to help pay for the present,” another expert warns.