‘Boomerang kids’ are the children that are returning home after a period of independence. This time period could have been for university or when they entered into their first serious relationship and have lived with their partner for a time. Whatever the circumstance many are finding they need to return home which means ‘empty nester’ parents, enjoying their time of independence, are finding grown children moving back in with them.

There are a number of reasons why a child may return to live with parents. These can include:

• Financial hardship (redundancy/job loss).
• Post-breakup recalibration.
• Debt clearance/consolidation.
• Saving to buy a home.
  
  

Having a family member move back into the family home is not an easy undertaking. As a child the family dynamic may have been quite set, built after decades of forming an understanding each other’s needs and expectations. However, after a period of ‘finding themselves’ any child comes back with new needs and requirements in their living conditions. In many cases, this may be as simple as new sleep patterns, a need to socialise at irregular hours or greater demand on the home internet! For many young adults, a desire for increased privacy becomes a paramount need as their recent independence unlocks a new way of living that is hard to ignore.

Friction can develop as the conflict between the benefits of low or no-cost living rub against giving up all recently found freedoms. The joy of having a family reunited can quickly dissolve as small annoyances become big issues. Parents with boomerang children, and the young adults alike, often report living in an environment where everyone is ‘treading on eggshells’ in an attempt to prevent further friction arising.

So where can compromises be made to offer the best of both worlds? How can there be an environment where a changed family can live together without tearing apart the bonds that tie them together?

A transportable unit can be just the answer. And here are 6 reasons why a HouseMe unit should be the first place you look when a child or dependent wishes to return home.

1. Close but not too close - everyone still benefits from close proximity as transportable units are typically put in a back section and hooked into existing electricity and plumbing. This means the child can still use the laundry facilities and attend a home-cooked meal with ease!
   
   
2. Non-impacting independence - when occupying a bedroom in a house any late-night returns or friends coming over is experienced by the rest of the household. With a separate transportable unit, the late nights and friendly visits are apart from the main household.
   
   
3. Sleeping patterns remain intact - Whether it be those that are early to bed wishing the gaming would end, or whether it’s those that like to lie in longing for the early risers to go back to bed, having a transportable unit means everyone can stick to their old routines.
   
   
4. Freedom of space - When sharing a house everything becomes a shared space. From shelves in the fridge to living areas. And whereas this may seem fine for a time, the reality is that tastes in TV shows rarely align and someone either takes up too much space or doesn’t tidy as often as they should. A transportable unit enables the returning child to treat the space as their own while the main household can remain as tidy or messy as it likes!
   
   
5. Low cost - With a one-bedroom transportable unit with bathroom costing as little as $180 per week the cost of living is extremely low, and when compared to the arguments, stress and hassle of sharing space is often viewed as a small price to pay for the benefits seen by both parties!
   
   
6. It’s temporary - whether the child or dependent chooses to stay for 6 months or a few years a transportable unit can go when they do.

The above are all enhanced if your child or dependent chooses to return home with a partner, or even children. In which case the need for everyone to have a little extra space can become an essential part of happy cohabitation.

So if you want to give your kids freedom and support, without heaping a bucketload of stress onto everyone, then consider renting a transportable cabin. This may be an even more pressing consideration in the lead-up to Christmas where the home may be even more full than normal!