'The Boomerang Effect' By Thomas Allen

An exceeding number of baby boomers are caring for their aging parents while also supporting their adult children, for a second time. Many question whether returning to “the nest” is a mark of implosion on the adult child’s part or a strategic opportunity for the entire family. These “children” are depending on their parents for emotional and financial support and are moving back home after their pursuit of education, adventure or employment. They have become a burden and a hindrance to their parents who struggle to get them out of the house and these “aging boomers may feel they are shouldering a great burden: parenting their adult children.” (The Boomerang Effect. Marni Jackson. 2010) However, should the “forever young generation” be blamed
There is a question of responsibility in consequence of the fact that this generation will not leave the “nest”. Who is censurable for the recurring dilemma of the eminent return home? The article, “The Boomerang Effect” by Marni Jackson, discusses how the baby boom generation has affected their children. The Boomerang Effect is an adaption from the novel “Home Free: The Myth of the Empty Nest” by Thomas Allen. The narrative is about an apprehensive mother and her twenty-something audacious son who complicates matters by dropping out of school to travel the world, followed by returning home once again. The article discusses this “twenty-year-old son dropping out of university to hit the road - or taking a semester off to travel”. (The Boomerang Effect. Marni Jackson. 2010) In the past, emerging adults were expected to adhere to the life-course perspective of leaving home at a young age to pursue a career and then, create their own family for themselves. However, ideas about when the transition of leaving home should occur are predominantly influenced by social factors. In a world undergoing constant change, this tradition is no
Traditional roles are also expected to shift, however, whether or not there is an equal family dynamic, conflict or stability may occur. The return home leads to healthy adult relationships between parents and children. As the newly legal child reaches adulthood and maturity, the family relationship changes for the better, as there are expanded opportunities to connect and communicate efficaciously. On numerous occasions however, the returning children have difficulty readjusting to their parents' domestic expectations and may find it difficult to become an adult. With the expectations of being treated as an adult with added freedom, the children find it disconcerting when their limited high school lifestyles complete with curfews, rules and expectations of conformity recurs. This can create strain between the family, leaving both parents and children bewildered at the actions and expectations of one another to the point where the situation becomes intolerable or even volatile. Another disadvantage is that the living space is communal which means cramped living conditions. While this generation wants to continue living their lives at home, parties and gatherings prove to be burdensome for the parents who should be able to live their own lives. Traditionally, while the children make a name for themselves out in the professional world, the parents have the opportunity to fulfill their