Adults living with parents - Sample

In the Western world, the majority of fresh graduates choose to move out of their parents’ house and start their independent lives. In contrast, Eastern adults usually live with their parents until they get married, even if they have found jobs and can afford to live alone. There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these approaches.

There are many upsides to living with one’s parents. Perhaps most notably, young people can retain their support system. Since the day their children were born, parents have stood behind their children and would continue to do so with no strings attached. Since residing alone is more costly than living with roommates, this will financially benefit young people by reducing living expenses. There are other merits as well, such as emotional support during tough times, or a lessened load of household tasks. Consequently, many Asian people opt to stay with their parents until the need to move out arises, such as when they start their own families.

The parents in this equation reap some benefits as well. Beyond the aforementioned psychological and economic benefits that go both ways in this living arrangement, parents also get to spend a longer amount of time with their sons and daughters before they leave the nest. Furthermore, as they get older, having caregivers when their health deteriorates is a major comfort, especially when those caregivers are family. Thus, the cohabitation of parents and children is a mutually beneficial relationship.

Admittedly, there are some downsides to living with your parents. As adults, everyone in the household will have their own opinions and personalities. From time to time, these opinions and personalities may clash, and when they do, these familial conflicts are harder to resolve than others, perhaps even more so when everybody is living under the same roof. Nevertheless, these drawbacks can easily go away if everyone adjusts their expectations and allows each other some room for understanding. Thereby, the negative aspects of parents and children living together can be mostly mitigated.

In conclusion, although the choice to live with one’s parents, even when one can afford to move out, comes with certain complications, they are far outweighed by the potential benefits.

(Band 7-7.5)