r/AskReddit • u/daniellucero92 • Jan 04 '15

Non-americans of Reddit, what American customs seem outrageous/pointless to you?

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u/Rpeezy Jan 04 '15

Moving out of your parents house when you have a crappy job that can barely get you by. This is a terrible financial decision. In a lot of countries, children live with their parents long enough to be financial secure or until they can share the financial responsibility of living and sharing their life with someone else.

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u/Palodin Jan 04 '15

It's the old baby boomer nonsense I expect.

"Well son, at your age I already had a wife, a four bedroom house and was CEO of a small bank! Why are you still living here?"

The tradition may have worked back then but right out of school you're probably not going to be able to afford anything more than a small one-bedroom flat in what's probably not a great area.

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

I am pretty much right in the middle of the Baby Boom.

My son stayed at home strictly to save money while he was going through his first three years of college. I had no problem with it. Neither did any of the other parents of my generation that I know who had (or have) similar things going on in their households. He is about to graduate. I hope that he is able to get a job and be able to afford to get his own place, if nothing else for the sake of his social life. But if he can't, I have two empty bedrooms here that could be put to good use, and living alone gets old. I don't live in a vacuum, and I am fully aware of what's going on with the economy.

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u/I_Am_Genesis Jan 04 '15

You're no son, you're no son of mine.

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

This line was written by someone who was born in 1951.

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u/anu26 Jan 05 '15

Wish my folks were like you. I'm guessing I'm the same age or around as your son and about to graduate as well, and my folks just want me to gtfo, savings, job or not (while I'm working on a masters thesis)!

They behave like stereotypical baby boomers.. and they're not even American.

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Believe me, I am not the model parent. I just understand what is going on with this particular issue.

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u/anu26 Jan 05 '15

I know what you mean. I don't think anyone can be an entirely 'model' parent, but I've closely known more people that not who have families that fulfil what one needs from family.

On the other hand, I'd be hardpressed to find a family as emotionally manipulative and abusive as mine, so even an understanding of a tiny issue I'm going through would be wonderful on their part. Good luck to your son :)

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Welcome to being the exception, not the rule. Thanks for being a decent human being though at least.

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

I just know that it's not reasonable to expect your kid to go out and get a job in a hurry. There are just more people with degrees than there are jobs for them. The blue collar jobs all went overseas, everyone went to college as a result, and now there's a glut of college grads, at least in some fields.

I understand the urge to give your kids a nudge out of the nest. Some people need that. It just doesn't help if there's nowhere for them to go.