Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

Editorial | Living at home with mom and dad is a better deal than it seems

Editorial Board

"Oh, you still live with your parents?"

Cue one of those not-so-subtle faces of disapproval suggesting you don't have your life together. For many independence-craving students, living at home is synonymous with traveling back in time to the days of mom and dad packing your lunch and folding your laundry.

Young adulthood, many believe, is the time to live in a subpar apartment, stock up on Ramen Noodles and struggle until you land that dream job. It's the time to do anything, but move back into your childhood home, right?

Well, maybe not.

Moving in with your parents may have a negative connotation, however this lifestyle is becoming more and more common for young people today. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 36 percent of the nation's millennial generation lived in their parents' homes last year. That's the highest share of young adults since the 1970s.

The study points to declining employment and rising college enrollment as reasons for the growing number of adults bunking with their parents. As students hit the job market, it's not easy to support yourself right away - it can actually be impossible when you're just starting out. And with more students attending college nationally, it puts a greater number of young people in financial limbo.

Living with your parents during or after your college years can get a bad rap, however, the Editorial Board is here to cut us all some slack. We understand the many costs that come with being a young person and the harsh reality of lacking a substantial income. On top of the basic expenses of housing, transportation and food, we have Miami University tuition and potential loans to consider. Many of us won't be earning a high-dollar salary within the first few years of graduating Miami.

For the majority of Miami students, living at home is not an option during the school year, but the summers are a different story. It's an easy way to save money while working that low-paying summer job or internship.

Our generation might be more comfortable crashing with our parents, but the Editorial Board believes we are also, for the most part, highly reasonable and motivated people. It's not always an excuse to lazily mooch off your parents, but a way to transition from the comfort of college to the real world. Many students live at home while attending graduate school, working a summer job or paying their dues at an unpaid internship. In these situations, living at home is often the most sensible and viable option.

The downside to all this is overstaying your welcome. Once you reach a certain age and financial status, it's time to move on. Living on your own forces you to learn how to handle finances, to build relationships and to take care of yourself. You can't fully grow up if you rely on your parents to clean dirty dishes. It's all about achieving balance. The social acceptance of living at home has an expiration date - it's probably somewhere before you become that 30-year-old playing video games in your parents' basement.

So don't feel bad about living with your parents if it's the best option right out of college. Just don't stick around too long.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter