You’re in college. You’re on the path to an amazing career and a bright financial future. Since you’re reading this blog, I’m willing to bet you are a step ahead of the pack.
You care about your financial situation and you are mapping out a plan for eventual financial freedom.
But, how many of your peers can say the same?
The Spoiled Adult Children Epidemic
Parents taking care of their adult children is something in my career that I see all too much. I mean really, should parents buy their 23-year-old children new cars and pay their insurance?
I don’t think so.
I see this daily in my job and I see it in my personal life as well.
When I turned 18 my dad gave me all of my own bills. Sure, he would help me out if I really needed it but I paid my car payment, insurance, bought my food, and ventured out on my own at a very early age.
I wouldn’t accept money from him even if he tried to give it to me. I have always had a strong sense of independence and it felt wrong to ask my father for money no matter what financial mistakes I had made.
However, this is not the case of my brothers. At age 21 and 24 their rent, car insurance, occasional utility bills, and at times gas and parties are still funded by my father. And, more than likely they always will be.
The result? They’re losers. They have no drive, no ambition, and no goals. But, why would they? They have a mediocre life handed to them. Why work hard for something more when they barely have to work at all?
Sadly this is the case of many, many adult children in America today.
When Parents Push Money in Your Face
I want to disclose that I don’t think it’s awful to occasionally let your parents help you out financially. If you are giving it your absolute all then you may have no other choice. And, borrowing money from parents is better than taking out a payday loan any day.
As a parent myself, I would do anything in the world for my two kids. The majority of parents feel this same way. They don’t want to see their children struggle or go without . . . anything.
Personally, I would never accept a dime from my dad. As an immature child I may have thought my dad was rich. As an adult I can see that those thoughts were far from the truth. I realize what financial burdens my brothers are to him and it makes me sick.
He loves his children. He thinks he is helping. He just doesn’t see that he is enabling two of his adult children to do as little as humanly possible. He doesn’t know how to stop.
So, if your parents are pushing money at you but you know you can make it on your own, resist the money at all costs. Be polite. Let your parents know you appreciate the gesture but you’ve got this on your own.
If you take unneeded help from your parents too often you will come down with the spoiled adult children syndrome and all of the negative associated consequences.
Why Help from Your Parents Should Be a Last Resort
I’m sure you can think of a least a couple of your peers who seem to have it made. Their parents pay for everything and at times you can’t help to be a little envious.
Really you’re the lucky one.
Adult children who have everything given to them from their parents often lose sight of their own goals. They don’t get to experience the character-building that trying to make it on your own instills. They often have a horrible work ethic and bounce from career to career.
They have no drive, ambition, and develop a sense of self entitlement.
This creates a vicious cycle. Before long they are so dependent upon the money from their parents that they can’t fathom surviving financially on their own.
They turn into spoiled, often depressed, adult children. And their parents wonder where they went wrong.
You Should Thank Your Parents
It can be hard for parents to hold back from over-providing for their children. If your parents were strong enough to do this you should thank them.
They gave you the opportunity to learn valuable life lessons. You know what barely scraping by feels like, the importance of picking the right career, and the value of financial freedom. That is something that money cannot buy.
What are your thoughts on the increasing support parents are providing their children?
Editor: Clint Proctor Reviewed by: Chris Muller
Alexa Mason is a personal finance writer, blogger, and entrepreneur based in Ohio who has been sharing her financial journey online for over a decade. She is the founder of SingleMomsIncome.com, a popular blog that chronicles her experience as a single mother building financial stability from scratch — one side hustle, budget win, and debt payoff milestone at a time.
Alexa writes from lived experience. When she became a single mom to two young daughters, she faced the same financial pressures that millions of Americans deal with every day: tight budgets, unpredictable income, the need to earn more without sacrificing time with her kids, and the challenge of planning for the future when you are barely making ends meet in the present. That firsthand perspective is what makes her writing resonate with readers who are in the thick of it.
At The College Investor, Alexa covers topics like frugal living, earning extra income strategies, debt payoff plans, and how to pay for college as an adult returning to school. Her articles are practical, encouraging, and rooted in the kind of advice you would get from a trusted friend rather than a finance textbook. She understands that building wealth is rarely a straight line — and she writes for readers who know that too.