I know this is not a medical topic, but at a dinner recently, two other guys about my age (late 50s) and myself all still had grown children at home and wanted to get rid of them in the wisest and kindly way possible.
The “kids”, all 21 and over and without career direction, are living the easy life, going through the motions of going to college and taking advantage of Mom and Dad. These three lingering man-children, and they are almost always boys, do not want to leave.
I blame no one but ourselves. Like good parents we want to give our children the best. And that’s where we went wrong. The kids are so well off they think the easy life and well-paying jobs are birthrights. They don’t see the toil and anxiety that goes into a solid 45 to 50-hour work week by two parents.
Oddly too, most such drifters are second children who have taken up residence in the basements. Again, oddly, all have large rooms there with walk-outs. My advice to parents that want to get rid of their second child is: DON’T FINISH YOUR BASEMENT.
Another solution was to charge the son about $100 per week rent and acknowledge that the money would go toward college when he decides to return. But if he does not, he forfeits the funds.
What’s your solution to the lingering child?
How did you get rid of the boy in the basement?

Follow up, Feb 10, 2008

For those of you with grown children still living at home, take heart. They do mature and jump out of the nest with little further harrassement. But you have to wait till they slowly approach maturity, about 23, as our's finally did.

I did find a minor drawback following the move-out: shoveling snow alone and having to clean up that spare room in the basement.