More and more adults are living at home with their parents

Once upon a time it was the norm for teenagers to pack up and leave home as soon as they could and not a second later. They wanted independence, freedom, and their own space to figure out life and their place in the world. 

Now though, it seems that the age young adults move out of home is getting higher, with recent statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics suggesting that more than half of Australian adults aged from 18 to 24 are still living at home with their parents. 

This can be put down to a variety of factors, including the fact that people are getting married and starting families later in life, as well as the high cost of living and the rising number of people going into higher education after leaving school. 

The high price of rent in many cities also leaves many young people stuck at home with mum and dad, unless they rent a share house with five or six other students crammed in together. 

Young adults living at home isn’t an ideal situation for either the parents or the child, with a Deakin study last year reporting that young adults living at home with their mum and dad scored the lowest on a wellbeing survey. 

Unfortunately, the situation can also be disheartening for the parents, who feel like they’re being taken advantage of for free meals and free rent. Which begs the question; should adult children living at home be paying board?

Even a token amount towards rent and bills can foster independence, and not only help mum and dad cope with the extra expenses, but teach good habits for when their adult child eventually moves on. 

Do you think adult children living at home should pay board?