Got My Diploma, Ma; I'm Coming Home College Grads Return Home Due to Slow Economy and Lack of Job Opportunities

Olympia, Washington (PRWEB) June 7, 2007

Graduation announcements are in the mail, the big day arrives. Before the strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" have faded, many parents will be holding their heads with migraines. College kids are returning home, staggering under student loan and credit card debt, with few decent job prospects in sight.

According to recent statistics, adult children are returning home in alarming numbers. The latest U.S. Census data reports one out of four (27%) 18 to 34 year olds are living with their parents across the country. For many young adults the jubilation of graduating will be short-lived, since the number of students with a job offer in hand when they graduate remains far below the levels of the late 1990s at most schools. Where does a new graduate look when corporations continue downsizing and outsourcing positions, manufacturing is shrinking, and buyouts and mergers force newly unemployed baby boomers to flood the job pool? They look to home.

The Crowded Nest Syndrome:
Kathleen Shaputis, author of "The Crowded Nest Syndrome: Surviving the Return of Adult Children," knows about this phenomena. For over thirteen years, her home has been invaded with aging parents, adult children, and grandchildren. "CNS is survivable," Shaputis said. "You have to keep a sense of humor about you."

Empty nesters beware. You may be wiping tears of joy during the celebrity commencement address, but before you blow your nose, your child is throwing his or her cap and gown on the floor of their old bedroom, moving in with bags of laundry and asking what's for dinner. Make plans now to post their resume on Monster.com or a local employment agency. Shaputis advises, "Keep your sanity intact by researching job opportunities for your new graduate wherever possible, from your chamber of commerce to Fortune 500 companies."

CNS Awareness Day -- June 12
June 12 is CNS Awareness Day. Celebrate this year by taking care of yourself. You're going to need every brain cell and ounce of body strength to endure the Crowded Nest Syndrome. Exercise, eat right, and get plenty of rest. Adult children fresh out of college only worry about you taking care of them, so take care of yourself first. When all else fails, circle the wagons. Create a safety net of your friends where you can whine and moan about the kids, releasing the emotional pressures from a crowded situation.

Millions of people across the nation are suffering in crowded nests with the return of adult children, grandchildren and aging parents. Remember, you have lots of company while standing in line to use the bathroom in your own home, or waiting your turn for hot water.
Copyright © 2007

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