When should (adult) kids launch?

[anothercog]

I'm paying for college for all 3 kids. Though they use their savings for other wants. Eldest has been making good money tutoring and taking advantage of free crap they give out to college kids. I may pay for grad school, we'll see. I'll probably gift each one a car after graduation if they need one.

We live in a VHCOL area and housing costs are absurd but there are lots of high paying jobs. I expect at least one of the kids will move back after college. I'll likely charge them a modest rent. Depends on how much they are saving. If they are blowing their dough I'll tell them they can afford to move out. But right now they are really good savers so hopefully that will stick and they will launch eventually.

I'll keep them on my phone plan, health insurance and possibly car insurance until they are 26 or so.

 

[levindb]

We have an eagle nest nearby with a camera on it to watch the activities. The "parents" prepare the nest each year (nestorations) and care for the newly hatched by providing food and warmth. As the young eaglets grow, the feeding changes from chewing the food for the young ones, to just bringing food to the nest. In a short time, the young ones are taught to fly, and later taught to hunt on their own.

While I covered all of my own college costs, when my children were making education choices, we planned on covering 50% of the total and they would cover the remainder with scholarships, work and loans. This taught them a lot about their future life...and I am proud that all 3 have done well, married, and have their own kids that are currently too young for college...but that time is approaching.

IMHO, college is a time for more that just getting smart with books...it is also a time to learn about real life away from the nest. If everything is paid for in the college years, then learning about real life will have to happen after graduation...but it still needs to happen.

 

[Koolau]

IMHO, college is a time for more that just getting smart with books...it is also a time to learn about real life away from the nest. If everything is paid for in the college years, then learning about real life will have to happen after graduation...but it still needs to happen.

I agree completely. AND parents need to guide their kids, based on their evaluation of each child. Some kids are ready to travel across the country or around the world to attend college. Other kids need the security/shepherding of living at home and starting in junior college.

 

[Calico]

We have an eagle nest nearby with a camera on it to watch the activities. The "parents" prepare the nest each year (nestorations) and care for the newly hatched by providing food and warmth. As the young eaglets grow, the feeding changes from chewing the food for the young ones, to just bringing food to the nest. In a short time, the young ones are taught to fly, and later taught to hunt on their own.

I love this!

 

[livingalmostlarge]

I discuss with my college friends that it sort of was a bubble to learn adulting. A safe, transitional space to being an adult. It helped in more ways than an education.

 

[SunGuy]

I moved out when I was around 22 by choice. Struggled for the next 10+ years and never could save or invest and worked my way up restaurant management. Running 3 chains.

Then I worked part time at a grocery store for a few years while I was mainly living off of forex trading funds.
I quit that job after about 3.5 years leaving for financial services companies.

 

[teej1985]

I moved out at 25 - when I was encouraged my dad to buy my first place with the first time homebuyer tax credit

 

[meleana]

We paid for son’s college ( outbid state tuition) only C grade in courses or better.

Gave him use of our older car. He was responsible for gas. He had to work for spending money. He had to pay for his cell phone service.

We told him he had to graduate in 4 yrs because that’s all we’d pay for. After he graduated he didn’t want to come home. He worked part time retail job. . Had some roommates. When they left he accepted free room and board at a ranch in exchange for cooking for foreign college students and cleaning up the stables, plus kept the part time retail job.

After a very long while I felt he was floundering and wrote him a letter. Told him he needed to step up his game to get a more sustainable job. Told him we were not waiting until he turned 26 to take him off our health insurance. (he was 25). Told him also we were not going to continue paying the car insurance.

It did the trick and he started to apply for jobs and go on a few interviews. He accepted a sales/account management job that was low paying but with benefits and would be good experience to add to his resume. He ended up staying on that job for 11 years living in the crummy apartment he first had with those roommates.

He’s still there in that apartment, but has since left that job to pursue his passion - craft beer business at a brewery- bartending, management and sales - A right hand man to the owner. He works 6-7 days per week. Has never been on a vacation.

Who knew he’d be like this? Not me.

He originally wanted to be a broadcast meteorologist. Couldn’t cut the chemistry and calculus (which he flunked and had to pay for). Changed majors to communications. Figured he’d maybe go into some kind of marketing. He was also always interested in cooking and the restaurant business. He initially started at the brewery making oven fired pizzas. He knows the whole business inside and out.

Anyway he’s now 37 years old. And upon retiring we’ve moved about a half hour from where he lives.

 

[meleana]

As for me way back in 1976 when I graduated 2 yr college I immediately got engaged and married a year later. Bought a handyman special house 3 months before the wedding which we worked on for 10 years as we both worked full time. Did not work in my chosen field of journalism, but in home healthcare as a coordinator and my husband was an auto mechanic at the time.