According to Psychology Today’s diagnosis dictionary, Empty Nest Syndrome “refers to the feelings of depression, sadness and/or grief experienced by parents and caregivers after children come of age and leave their childhood homes.” Luckily, Spanish parents have discovered an effective antidote to this horrible affliction: keep the nest full as long as possible.
One cultural difference between the United States and Spain that continues to surprise me is the average age that young people leave home. Through conversation with my classmates I discovered that many of our host-families have “grown” children living at home. (I use the word “grown” loosely because I know that maturity and independence cannot be accurately measured in years, but once a person reaches 30, I believe it is safe to say that he/she is grown.) There are many theories as to why young Spaniards tend to stay at home longer than Americans. One theory is that the Spanish have stronger family bonds and values—I can only guess the nationality of this theorist. Another is that housing in Spain (and Europe) is more expensive than in the United States so it makes economic sense for young people to live at home until they are financially secure—logical. A third possibility is that the American higher education system encourages independence more so than the Spanish system because a significant amount of American students live either on campus or in an apartment during college and then on their own post-graduation. Meanwhile, many Spanish students attend a university close enough to their home that they can continue living at home during and after college. It is hard to say whether these systems are the source or product of the different cultural norms surrounding the moving-out process, but regarding the age cut-off there does seem to be an unspoken agreement in the United States while in Spain it is much more dependent on the individual. But as we know, even if some need more time, eventually all of the little birds leave the nest.
One cultural difference between the United States and Spain that continues to surprise me is the average age that young people leave home. Through conversation with my classmates I discovered that many of our host-families have “grown” children living at home. (I use the word “grown” loosely because I know that maturity and independence cannot be accurately measured in years, but once a person reaches 30, I believe it is safe to say that he/she is grown.) There are many theories as to why young Spaniards tend to stay at home longer than Americans. One theory is that the Spanish have stronger family bonds and values—I can only guess the nationality of this theorist. Another is that housing in Spain (and Europe) is more expensive than in the United States so it makes economic sense for young people to live at home until they are financially secure—logical. A third possibility is that the American higher education system encourages independence more so than the Spanish system because a significant amount of American students live either on campus or in an apartment during college and then on their own post-graduation. Meanwhile, many Spanish students attend a university close enough to their home that they can continue living at home during and after college. It is hard to say whether these systems are the source or product of the different cultural norms surrounding the moving-out process, but regarding the age cut-off there does seem to be an unspoken agreement in the United States while in Spain it is much more dependent on the individual. But as we know, even if some need more time, eventually all of the little birds leave the nest.
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