Reply to Michelle Singletary - WAPO finance expert has three failure to launch kids in their 20's living at home

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Mathematically, it makes a lot of sense. If her kids could save aggressively for retirement while living at home (say more than 50% of their earnings), in 3-5 years their retirement accounts would pretty much be set (or at least light years ahead of peers who didn't have free rent).

Realistically though, living with your adult siblings and parents is not the same as living independently. There is more to life than money, and depending on the kid, they may not develop those other skills you need to independently run a household someday.[/quote]

But it is very simple for the adult kid to develop those same skills while living at home and saving.  It can be done, and often happens.  I'd argue a kid living at home saving 90% of their income, paying for their cell, car, auto insurance, medical bills (okay to be on parents if that's better/cheaper than thru their job), fully funding retirement all while saving for a downpayment is extremely independent and responsible.  As long as the kid helps with cleaning the house, yard work, etc and is aware of the costs of running a household (food, utilities, internet, streaming for watching tv, etc) I think they can fully understand that while not actually having to pay for it.  Heck, they are saving 90% of their income, they are fiscally responsible and looking to get ahead in life.  Way more mature than many 25 yo are.  
If parents treat them like adults (they can be out until whenever, just please let us know if you will/wont be home for dinner and if you won't be coming home tonight so we don't worry---just like my spouse lets me know when they have to work late/have a business dinner, common courtesy).  Parents can give them full independence and should.  
But then again, we started gradually giving our kids more independence when they were much younger.  By time oldest was 14, we could leave them for 2 nights at home with their sibling (10 yo at time) while we "got away for a weekend" less than 2 hour drive from home.  They knew how to handle emergencies, and had adult friends within a mile to help if needed.  By age 15 same kid was left "home alone" for a full week while we were off house searching on the other side of country for a move.  They got themselves up for school each morning, got meals for themself and touched based with the adult watching their sibling daily and us.  By time they could drive, we could then actually leave them for a week while we flew to a vacation (all with adults nearby to help if needed).  It taught my kid independence and responsibility.  So by time they went to college, they were already leaps and bounds more mature than most kids.  Because they had been given the opportunity to be an adult and responsible.  Now imagine how much more responsible/independent they were once graduated college.  
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