Many generations, one roof

President Barack Obama does it, and according to a study by the AARP, so do 33 percent of all 18 to 49 year olds. Living with your parents or in-laws is sometimes done out of necessity, other times voluntarily, and in many other cultures, much more frequently.

Sharing statistics on who’s doing it, and tips on how to make the most of this situation if you’re in it, is Ylonda Gault Caviness, a longtime family and parenting journalist whose work regularly appears in Redbook and iVillage.

And Kristen L’Esperance, of Burlington, Vermont, tells us from first-hand experience what it’s like to be an adult living with one’s parents. A thirty-year-old interior architect, she was forced to move back in with her parents last year due to under-employment.