Originally Posted by emerald46
Sorry, I cannot imagine charging my children rent.
Kids are all different. I have 2 sets of retired neighbors who are all supporting their adult children. One is a good friend, she has a son the same age as me living in her basement. She and her husband are raising their granddaughter, the son's child. The son doesn't do a lot with the girl. They are also caring for her elderly MIL. She is so stressed out I'm afraid she's going to have a nervous breakdown, but they refuse to do ANYTHING to give their 40-year-old child a reason to stand on his own two feet. The same goes for the other neighbor - they have 2 adult sons in their 30's who live in THEIR home. The parents moved out, the sons party all night and sleep all day. It's like living next door to a frat house. I wonder what will happen to these adult children when the parents are no longer able to support them - they'll be in their 40's and 50's and will have NO CLUE how to support themselves and live their own lives. It's very sad.
When I was 19, I lived at home while attending the local college and paid rent. I still had a curfew and was still required to abide by the house rules. At 20 I finally realized I'd have a lot more freedom if I supported myself and moved out. My parents were SMART.