In Defense of Boomerang Kids Boomerang kids - those young adults who left the family home only to move back in because they can't make it on their own - have gotten a bad rap. A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that the number of people between the ages of 25 and 34 living with their parents nearly doubled between 1980 and 2008. Tough economic times over the past few years have only hastened the trend. Of late, many have lamented the phenomenon, from an opinion piece in this newspaper dubbing Gen Y the "Go-Nowhere Generation" to a news article in The Times that lays some of the blame for the anemic economic recovery squarely on the boomerangers" shoulders. Countless books, stories and blog posts have also told parents how to best manage living with their adult children - or, better yet, how to coax them out the door. The Pew study showed that not only do the vast majority of boomerangers say these multigenerational living arrangements have been good for them, but their parents also seem quite pleased (perhaps because three-quarters of their adult children contribute to household expenses, and more than a third pay rent). In fact, parents whose children have moved back in with them are "just as satisfied with their family life and housing situation as are those parents whose adult children have not moved back home," according to Pew. Still, despite the evidence, the pundits won't let up. "Today's generation is literally going nowhere," Todd Buchholz and Victoria Buchholz grumble in their New York Times op-ed. I just don't get it. What's wrong with being a boomerang kid - or the parent of one? A friend suggested to me that the trend flies in the face of Americans" spirit of independence. But I'm not so sure. It wasn't until after World War II that the extended family fell out of favor. Before that, we lived and worked together in multigenerational households because it made economic sense - just as it does now. There are limits, of course. I'm not advocating that adult children move back in with their parents forever, taking advantage of the hot meals, laundry service and other amenities that living at home provides. Most of us would agree that the best indication of our success as parents is how well our adult children ultimately manage on their own. But the truth is, parents who are in a position to help their children are generally happy to do so when asked. Meanwhile, most kids want to build an independent life, even if they require a helping hand every now and then. I myself moved back in with my family in my mid-20"s after being on my own for years. I needed a place to live while I completed my last year of college. My parents" largess allowed me to go on to graduate school and earn the degree that made it possible, in time, for me to leave home for good. When my own children graduate from college and are ready for their first jobs, I hope they find them. And I hope they're able to make a successful transition to independence, finding their own places to live, paying their bills and learning to navigate the minutiae, frustrations and joys of everyday work and life. But if for any reason they need our help along the way, they will always be welcome to boomerang back home. Randye Hoder is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.