After their refusal to leave the house, an Italian mother takes them to court. The court sympathizes with the mother and orders the sons, aged 40 and 42, to vacate the premises by December 18.
The phrase “boomerang kid” is not new. Many college graduates return home after graduation to hunt for work, save money, and figure out their next steps in life. That next stage in their lives usually entails them striking out on their own, acquiring their own place, and making their own life.
When it came to her sons, one Italian mother was not so fortunate. As a result, she took matters into her own hands.
The 75-year-old Italian mother from the northern city of Pavia had had enough of her sons, 40 and 42, and had attempted on multiple times to persuade them to seek their own independence, especially since both were employed.
Men, on the other hand, cannot take hints and become really comfortable with mommy cooking their meals and making their beds, so they gleefully overstayed their welcome. I suppose they were also fine with celibacy since how can you be 40 and bring a date back to mom’s house?
According to a story in the local newspaper La Provincia Pavese, despite her continual urging to her kids to go out on their own and explore what they could do on their own, “… neither of them wanted to know,” she added.
According to the publication, the mother was also fed up with her kids’ lack of effort in helping her take care of the house or contribute to household bills. So she took them to court, and a judge in Pavia, Simona Caterbi, agreed with her and issued an eviction order against the men.
Caterbi stated in her verdict that while the men still living at home were initially justified owing to the “obligation of the parent to provide maintenance,” it was no longer legitimate because they were over 40. The men have till December 18 to vacate.
This desperate step by an Italian mother is not the first in the country’s history. A Venetian couple initiated legal action to evict their 41-year-old son in 2011.
In Italy, living at home with family as an adult is fairly normal. According to 2022 data, 70% of Italians aged 18 to 34 still live at home with their parents – 72.6% of men and 66% of women.
According to a 2019 research by the Italian National Institute of Statistics, 36.5% of young adults living at home were students, 38.2% had a job, and 23.7% were looking for work.
Though Italy is recognized for developing a culture of many generations living under one roof, the number of young adults staying in the family home for longer periods of time has increased in recent years, owing primarily to difficult economic situations.
During the 2018 Italian elections, the issue of “bamboccioni,” sometimes known as “big babies,” was prominent in the campaigns of certain prospective politicians.
A few years ago, an Italian politician used the term derogatorily to describe what he saw as lazy and spoiled young Italians.
Matteo Renzi, the former prime minister and leader of the center-left coalition, once proposed a specific benefit for bamboccioni: a monthly payment of $190 to help them leave home and start their own lives.
The concept was criticized as a gimmick by the competing center-right Forza Italia party, which said that the bamboccioni phenomenon is a cultural effect.
“Some young Italians believe it is far preferable to be fed, housed, and cuddled by their mothers than to go to work,” Forza Italia Senator Lucio Malan stated. He promised that if elected, the center-right alliance will take steps to lessen it, but added, “We can’t do anything for the overburdened young men and women.” This is a cultural issue.”
Listen, even though I’m 34 years old, I still like a good snuggle from my mother. Living with her full-time, on the other hand, is a different matter.
