The film My Parents’ Basement (Judge, 2002) is a documentary that grants us a view of the development of three adult children returning to live in their parents’ homes. This documentary not only delves into each of the subjects financial and societal concerns likewise examines the dynamic variations between the parent-adult child 's relationship.
As a humbled and mature member of the Boomerang Generation (Burrell, n.d.) there has been an increase of adults moving back into their childhood homes. According to J. Burrell, “there are many reasons why this becomes necessary. The biggest cause in this latest generation was a stagnant economy that caused problems in the job market”. Through my experience and encounters with other boomerang members,
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This would include not having enough money to retire, the choice of cooking for two and wanting to a smaller home that they eventually live in with Bob. Bob 's parents are at the stage of life where freedom and less responsibilities should be their way of existing. Regardless of their opinions they are compassionate and a strong family unit that puts their children first.
As a social service worker I would address the need to implement a Plan of Care for Bob. I would advocate for counselling services as his outlook on life is worrisome. The feeling of hopelessness can be debilitating and paralyzing. Moreover, a referral to an employment centre to gain resume and interviewing skills would be of benefit. Allowing his parents time for self-care could be ideal. My final assessment would be for Bob to understand the family support that he has been given is astronomical and showing gratitude to his family is paramount.
The ensuing subjects of the documentary are David and Denise. They are a married couple, in their 20’s living in Denise’s parents’ basement. They are living in the basement with the intention and desire to save money to buy a home and not sponge off of the family as her mother
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Accusations of jealousy between Denise and David’s friend “good for nothing” Glen surround the couple, while her mother claims she has never witnessed a spark in her daughter’s marriage.
As an advocate for this budding family, I would encourage them to seek counselling individually to affirm that they are still both committed to being in the marriage. Once that has been established, couple counselling can advise for open lines of communication. I would also refer them to a financial adviser to guide the couple on saving money. Moreover, David’s financial disregard may discourage each partner from being motivated and stifle their independence. Furthermore, I would encourage them to gain independence and comprehend that parental boundaries can lead to stress and pressures in a new
gets the help that he needs then he can begin to get his life back on
The Sandwich Generation refers to middle –aged adult children, usually between the ages of 35 and 59, who find themselves taking care of their elderly parents along with their own adolescent children, often under the same roof. Multiple generations living under one roof is a common occurrence in other countries such as South Africa and India; it is only recently that it has been re-introduced as common in the United States. Factors such as today’s economic state, home foreclosures, the declining job market, single parent households and the increase in life expectancy are a few key factors that have contributed to the rise in multi-generational households in the United States. Why have these types of living arrangements become some popular? Multi-generational households are often formed for financial reasons but in turn provide for a stronger, mutually beneficial relationship between generations.
Most couples will at one point or another in their lives consider marriage. Perhaps the two persons have known each other for years, or perhaps they just met each other a few months ago. While love and affection might be some of the key components in a marriage, or any relationship to say the least. Some of the largest and most crucial factors of a relationship’s standing have to do with decision making, conflict resolution, and finances. Whether both of the individuals work full-time, or one partner is the “stay-at-home” type, we can honestly say that spending habits and conflicts should be properly addressed. If one of the partners feels that the other partner is being negligent in regards to the couple’s financial standing, it can be considered grounds for possible conflict and even divorce. Being negligent of finances in a marriage can cause the divorce of what was at one point, a happy marriage.
Today in approximately 95 million middle-class American homes the idea that you can pick up the phone on a Friday afternoon and invite a friend over for dinner is foreign. It is a completely alien concept that a family could make plans to share quality time with friends and extended family without a two to four week advanced notice. However, in the 200 million working class and poverty level homes the idea of not being able to make those last minute plans is the foreign thought. Parenting styles in these American homes is what Annette Lareau addresses in “Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life”. Based on my experience and other evidence, Lareau’s argument that middle and upper class parents use concerted cultivation and working class parents use natural growth is accurate because our personal calendars of events do not lie.
The Frontline documentary “Two American Families” produced by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), portrays the life of two typical middle class families living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Frontline Video, 2013). This follows the life of the Neumann family and the Stanley family as they pursue the ideal type of life, The American Dream, from 1991 through 2011 (Frontline Video, 2013). However, the pursuit of their fantasy quickly turned into a fight for economic struggle (Frontline Video, 2013). These struggles were all brought about by the new shaping economy (Frontline Video, 2013). At the beginning of the documentary, the Neumann family seemed well put together (Frontline Video, 2013).
He defines the show as “getting dumber” and “meaner” and how the present prevailing violence was occupied with complex discussions about Brad and Doris’ hopes and dreams for the future. He reminisces about his sentimental moments with Doris and how she used to be as compassionate and how she used to organize community events and volunteer, claiming “That was Doris.” The current Doris in contrast, is exceedingly selfish. She exasperatedly berates Brad for sheltering the corpses claiming their physical pain is lesser than her emotional distress over a dirty porch. She continues to rant about how his shortcomings has forced to “[live] the wrong life.” This comment accuses Brad’s compassion for the morphing backyard and emphasizes the importance of conformity for Doris to appear normal as she lists off neighbors that are perfectly assimilated. Brad momentarily loses confidence in his pursuit of compassion in fear of losing Doris but regains confidence as he truly believes that if speaks of his idea in a vibrant and entertaining manner Doris will revert back to her generous self. Saunders thereby highlights how an individual’s altruism is also an omnipresent force although futile since Brad is “locked out” thus symbolizing his displacement as a main
Having a house and having a home used to coincide. Families used to live in the same house for generations, but now the sentimental value of having a house has changed. As Quindlen puts it, “There was a time when where you lived often was where you worked and where you grew the food you ate and even where you were buried. When that era passed, where you lived at least was where your parents had lived and where you would live with your children when you became enfeebled” (Quindlen 215). However, over time even that changed. Now we have grown to live in a house and then move on like it was nothing. Sentimental value for a house has dwindled. Quindlen demonstrates that “suddenly, where you lived was where you lived for three years, until you could move on to something else and something else again” (Quindlen 215). However, for those without a house, they would give anything to have that sentimental feeling that used to come with having a house. But that’s just the problem; for most a house and a home no longer coincide. We can own a house but not have a home, or vice versa. After all, “Home is where the heart is. There’s no place like it” (Quindlen 214). People can have a home without having a house. A home simply means having a family,
When his parents divorced, his father was the one to move out of the house. When Jeff was 18, Joyce took David and left. Jeffrey was alone in the house with little food and a broken refrigerator until his father and his new wife found out about the situation and moved into the house.
Dave’s family controlled almost everything in their lives and were able to do so because Dave worked for the family business and was completely dependent on the family financially. Because he didn’t have a college education, it was difficult for him to break off on his own. The family even had Dave and Julie move into a family house that was only a few streets away from the business. Also, Ron was even an ecclesiastical leader in the church which caused even more enmeshment in the family. There were few boundaries between these two families which is problematic. As Harway. 2005, p.50 explains “Partners who have not sufficiently separated from their family of origin court serious interference from well-meaning but intrusive parents.” Dave and Julie didn’t have a
Looking back at my past, I recall my mother and father’s relationship as if it were yesterday. I am only four years old, small and curious; I tended to walk around my home aimlessly. I would climb book shelves like a mountain explorer venturing through the Himalayans, draw on walls to open windows to my own imagination, or run laps around the living room rug because to me I was an Olympic track star competing for her gold medal; however my parents did not enjoy my rambunctious imagination. My parents never punished me for it but would blame each other for horrible parenting skills; at the time I did not understand their fights, but instead was curious about why they would fight.
Being raised in a single parent house hold is shown to be a very common thing around the world, especially in America. Raising a child with two people is hard enough so imagine just one individual doing all alone. Divorce rates are going up more than ever as well as deaths and parents who are choosing to walk out. According to Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2009, there were about 13.7 million single parents in the United States and they were responsible for raising 22 million children (Wolf). Single-parent families have struggles that they face as well as long-term disadvantages. Some issues faced by single-parent families would be financial stability, shortage of quality time between the parent and their family,
Buying and owning your home is part of the American dream. Although the dream itself has since changed, the home still remains the main focal point. Today owning a home doesn’t necessarily mean a house. People now buy duplexes, cooperative apartments, and condominiums. For some families it could take up to a couple of generations before it’s able to have the capabilities of buying a home. To many people it means a certain achievement that only comes after years of hard work. It is a life altering decision and one of the most important someone can make in their lifetime. The reasons behind the actual purchase could vary. Before anything is done, people must understand that it’s an extraneous process and it is a long term project.
His mind was struggling to comprehend the news that seemingly loomed in, without any warning signs. But then it all clicked, his mind verifying the facts presented to him.. The mysterious new “friends” of his parents that had started invading his home more and more. Potential buyers of his house. His mom’s newfound frugality and how she had been meticulously clipping a plethora of coupons recently. She was saving to buy a new home. His dad working more and more and never being home. He was trying to escape the reality that they were moving. His mom’s urging to get him on social media. She wanted him to meet new friends. All of this added up to the stark, new reality. He was leaving Milwaukee, the only home he had ever know. He was leaving Nick, Chris, and Ryan, his best friends since he was six. But know it was all gone. Because of his ignorant and mindless parents. David couldn’t bear the sight of the viciously evil people who had ruined his humdrum, but still good life, so he ran out of the house, hurtling through the streets of Milwaukee with no destination on his mind, only hearing the endless drone of cars passing by
It is never a child’s decision to only live with one parent. There are many ways that single-parent homes occur. Some of these ways include unplanned pregnancy, divorce, the decision to be a single parent by choice, and death of a spouse. In every case families are disputed greatly. Parents might experience depression, emotional problems etc…. but the child is affected the most. Single-parent families are commonly targeted for controversial issues. We must be careful that we don’t stereotype these when they’re very hard to take care of themselves and their children. We do however need to notice distinct patterns in children who give up in a single parent home and what problems they face. Even though a dual family is noted as the best environment for c...
...money now or save it for the future. Additionally, many couples have not talked about their financial situation before getting married and do not often consider talking about the role money plays in their relationship and life (Lee, 2013). As a result, couples discover these things after getting married and realize that they won’t be happy and successful having financial troubles. This is when couples decide to divorce. Furthermore, some couples do not like to act as a couple and prefer to spend their money separately (Lee, 2013). They do not like to help each other when it comes to finances. This situation often leads to divorce, because couples are not able to achieve their future goals, since they are hiding their money businesses from each other (Lee, 2013). Hence, these financial problems tend to cause problems between couples and eventually lead to divorce.