Weak economy leads to more boomerang kids

For more adult children, there’s no place like home as they struggle to make ends meet.

According to an Ohio State University study that examined U.S. Census data, 43 percent of adults under the age of 25 moved back in with their parents during the Great Recession.

Arizona State University student Diego Monsalve is among the 43 percent. After one year in the dorms and two years sharing a house with friends, Monsalve returned home.

“Toward the end of my junior year I was really getting stressed over money,” said the 22-year-old education major.

Moving back home meant a lot less stress for Monsalve, especially since he pays no bills. Plus, there are other perks, such as his mother, Nubia Glennon, making breakfast, packing lunches and even doing his laundry.

“I want to be the best mom for him,” she said.

Monsalve has his own room, but sometimes Glennon’s questions about where he’s going at night and when he’s coming home can be annoying, but Monsalve said he understands. Before moving in they set some ground rules, among them keeping his room clean and not slamming doors.

Both claim the arrangement is working, but neither knows for how long.

“We really didn’t talk about how long I was going to stay here,” Monsalve said. “I haven’t really given it a lot of thought. I’m just focused on the day to day.”