| | Stepping Stones
| March, 2016
Issue #147
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Do you have a friend whose Millennial has boomeranged home? Please let her know about our book, Whose Couch Is It Anyway? And you can share this Stepping Stones by clicking the black "Forward to a Friend" link on the bottom left of this newsletter.
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| | | The Positive Qualities of Millennials
 Our hearts go out to the injured and families of those who died in the Brussels terrorist attack. The 24/7 media coverage showed that many young people were first responders and joined together to help those less fortunate. If you're the Mom of a Millennial or have a boomerang kid back home, you must know they don't all fit into a single category. Yet the media continues to describe that generation as lazy, outspoken, with a sense of entitlement. Sure, they also mention the huge student loans, poor job market, and stagnant wages. But labels make you wonder about the credibility of the source. The financial collapse caught Baby Boomers by surprise and impacted the growth of their emerging adult children. Now, still, too many Millennials are not living on their own, getting married, buying houses or having kids, in part because of their debt. It's been predicted that they'll end up one of the first generations in recent memory to be worse off than their parents. Although they can't change the course of history, Millennials all over the world are trying to make the most of it. Here's a random sample of 20-30 year-olds we talked to in Europe over the summer about our book, Whose Couch Is It Anyway. A recent college graduate from NYU was staying in hostels with her dad for a week. And for the next six months she was volunteering with physically challenged children in Burma before going back to study for a masters' degree in physical therapy. A 30-something Swedish man moved his wife and baby to his parents' home and is saving money so they can afford to buy an apartment. Hearing about how the Swedish system helps students with tuition and families with childcare made us think, there's a lot to learn from other countries. An entrepreneurial young man from Sicily studied business and English in London and then returned home. He has renovated the garage of his family palace as a bed and breakfast. Passionate about building infrastructure and bringing prosperity to this charming ancient village of Noto, he's lucky to have the support of his family. If you're in Sicily, look up Marcello. A third year student from the Middle East was traveling in an entourage with his father, an Imam. The university-affiliated group was visiting ancient Greek ruins and meeting with anti-extremist factions to foster goodwill. A 23-year old woman from Japan has been living with her parents again because she was working different jobs, trying to settle on the best one for her. Grateful that they supported her decisions, she knew that setting goals toward moving out was a major part of that. Although this is a tiny cross-cultural and multi-national illustration, we can get a glimpse of the complex nature of this cohort. And it contradicts the narrow view so often espoused. If we want to do better as parents or employers, we must first understand the Millennial generation. That requires time and effort but, most importantly, listening to what they have to say. Stereotypes are overly simplistic and inaccurate. Relying on them won't help any of us. © Her Mentor Center, 2016 |
 We're pleased to share with you some interim results from our survey of parents whose adult children have returned home to live. The Survey is still open - so you, or those you know who have a "boomerang kid" back home, are all welcome to participate. We value your input - please fill out our survey and invite your friends as well. Simply click on the Survey link to answer the questions and provide us with your comments. In return for giving us your feedback, we'll gift you with a complimentary PDF copy of our book, Whose Couch Is It Anyway? Moving Your Millennial. In our sample, the reasons for their child's move back to the nest covered a full array, including: convenience; saving money; illness; decision-making about further schooling or a job; difficulty supporting oneself; alcoholism; or PTSD. Before their young adult's return home, most parents prepared in order to make the transition work better for everyone. They: - discussed expectations for each other
- wrote ground rules of the house
- made rooms and space available
Most did not set a move out date ahead of time, instead tying it to the realities of the situation. Next month, we'll feature some of the challenges and benefits parents say they experienced when their nest was re-feathered - be sure to check out Stepping Stones in April. If you would like to add your feedback to others in our Survey, please click on the Survey link and join in. Feel free to forward the link to friends you may know whose adult children have moved back home, even if they are now back on their own again. Thank you! |
You May Be Interested.....
Even if you missed the virtual symposium in which we were featured, it's not too late. Transitioning into Retirement: overcoming the non-financial challenges was recorded and you can purchase the transcripts.
According to one enthusiastic participant: "The amount of true and useful information that each of your presenters is putting out is making this, by far, the very best presentation I have ever attended."
We discussed Family Relationships in Retirement. The other 12 speakers covered topics like Today's 'Retirement' - How It's Different, Building Your Life Portfolio After Your Career, What It Takes to be Happy in Retirement, and Successful Aging: Why the Old Picture is Wrong Now.
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| | About Us
HerMentorCenter provides information, support and direction for women. We are here to support you as you nourish your family relationships.
Her Mentor Center does not provide psychotherapy, consulting, or any other psychological or medical services. If you feel the need for psychological help, please contact your local mental health association.
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