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December 14, 2007

Livin' at Home
4.64.64.64.64.6
Nov 30 2007
 

Intro

When angry, American fathers commonly shout, “As soon as you’re 18, you’re on your own!” Being 18 in the USA means a lot. It means you’re a legal adult, and, more often than not, people move out of their parents’ home when they are 18.

...And some of them come back or never leave at all. Adults live with their parents for lots of reasons. Sometimes their parents need care, or they need a place to stay to save up money after college. Even though it’s relatively common, people tend to look down on adults who live with their parents in the United States. Listen to Beren and Marni talk about it.

Dialogue

Marni: So I was reading that Time Magazine article recently about when you…Like, people in their 30s and moving back in with their parents…

Beren:  Yeah, that’s a huge thing.

Marni:  Yeah, and I was thinking, you know, in this culture, there’s such a stigma against living with your parents past a certain age. Like, you’re sort of viewed as a failure or something. But in many cultures, in many places in the world it’s pretty normal to live with your family.

Beren:  Yeah, you don’t move out until you’re married. And if you never marry, you never move out.

Marni:  Well, that or even sometimes you marry and yet you just live with your family and then, you know…Sort of in this country, I think parents move back in once they’re elderly, but it’s like, there’s this huge gap of time where it’s totally taboo and frowned upon, if you will…

Beren:  I know a bunch of people who are actually moving back in with their parents.

Marni:  I did it for like half a year when I was 29. It was great. I saved a lot of money.

Beren:  Yeah?

Marni:  Yeah. And my parents were happy to have me there. It’s an interesting thing. I don’t know…Is it so terrible?

Discussion

Marni recently read an article about how many grown Americans are moving back in with their parents. It made her think about how in many countries, it’s perfectly normal to live with your parents past 30.

Beren notes that in a lot of places, people live with their families until they get married. But Marni points out that sometimes even married people continue to live with their family.

In the US, parents sometimes move in with their children when they get older and need someone to help take care of them. But there is a gap of 30 or 40 years between when the child turns 18 and the parents become elderly when it’s regarded as strange for them to live together.

Nonetheless, Beren knows a few people who have moved back in with their parents. Marni lived with her parents for a brief time a little while ago. She saved money and her parents were glad she was there. What’s so wrong about living with your parents when you’re an adult?

Vocab Quiz

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Quiz

  1. How old are most Americans when they leave their parents' house?
    • 16
    • 18
    • in their 20s
    • 30 or married, whichever comes first
  2. Living with your parents into adulthood is frowned ___ by some.
    • on
    • upon
    • at
    • No word necessary.
  3. Why is living with your parents into adulthood looked down on by some?
    • It is a remnant of the past, not modern.
    • It implies an inability to support yourself.
    • It is strange and baby-like.
    • It is morally wrong and incestuous.

More entries: Livin' at Home

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Info

58

Male


Location

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

Study

College

English Study

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

Intermediate

Interests

Reading, chess, computer related activities

Truth Fidelity

Hate Smoking

Green

Fruits

Milk

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