Young people often dream about moving out on their own. You imagine an independent life when you can stay out as long as you want, go out with friends as often as you want, all without having to answer questions from your parents. If you end up out of school, why would you move back to live with your parents? It might seem strange to some, but many young people are now living with their parents, even after they graduate. The reasons for this vary, but mostly it comes down to job opportunity, lack of financial planning, climbing student debt, and the tremendous expense of living on your own today, in general.

According to Canada’s 2016 census, more than a third of young people aged 20 to 34, almost 35 percent, live with their parents. Sometimes, this might be because their parents are ill or elderly and need help. The young people might need to help care for their parents and make sure that they have what they need. Being in the same house makes it easier to give the right kind of help whenever it’s necessary.

Another reason for people to live with their parents is money. When people move out from their parents’ place, they usually have to start paying rent and other bills like electricity and telephone. This can cost a lot of money, sometimes thousands of dollars each month. Even with roommates, people might spend more money than they can afford. If they are also paying off student loans, they might not be able to earn enough to live on and might decide to live with their parents to reduce costs.

In some cities like Toronto or Vancouver, moving out might not be an option unless the young people can find an unusually inexpensive place where they can share with roommates. In other cities or towns, it might be financially possible but very expensive for them to live on their own. Finding a job can be very difficult, and often younger people have low salaries that make it difficult to live on their own.

Graduating from school can mean a huge change in lifestyle. When people leave school, they have to learn many things that they might not have known before, such as how to cook a nutritious meal, how to rent or buy a car, or where to find a permanent job. Often, learning all of these things at once can be too difficult for young people, and they find it less stressful to live with their parents. Even living alone or with roommates can be stressful for people who are not used to it. People in countries like the United States and Australia also experience the same thing.

Young people have many reasons for staying with one or both parents into their twenties or even thirties. Some of them might never have left, but others have returned after some time away, maybe at school in another province or just trying life on their own. In the past, people usually moved out of their parents’ homes when they got married or had children, but fewer young people now have families of their own. Whatever the reason, the structure of the family is changing as more young people live with their parents long after high school.

Bibliography:

DePaolo, Bella. “Why Are So Many Young Adults Living With Their Parents?” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-single/201605/why-are-so-many-young-adults-living-their-parents.

Evans, Pete. “Still Living with Mom and Dad? You Are Not Alone, and the Numbers Prove It.” http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/young-people-living-at-home-1.3599364.

Statistics Canada. “Census in Brief: Young Adults Living with Their Parents in Canada in 2016.” http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/98-200-x/2016008/98-200-x2016008-eng.cfm.

Young, Leslie. “More than one-third of young Canadian adults live with their parents: 2016 census.” https://globalnews.ca/news/3641743/more-than-one-third-of-young-canadian-adults-live-with-their-parents-2016-census/