Once parents were supposed to take care of their kids until they left home. Now Mom and Dad are subsidizing their offspring well into their adult years. A new study says these days, leaving home is optional, and the money flows to most young adults even if they do make their way into the big, wide world.

Just how much are parents supporting their grown children? Here, a by the numbers look:

65 Percent of young adults (age 19-22) who live at home for a significant part of each year 

42 Percent of all young adults who get help paying their bills (average $1,741 a year)

22 Percent who get help with their rent (average $3,937 a year)

82 Percent of high-income parents (earning $99,910 or more a year) who dole out help

$15,449 Average annual assistance from the high-earners 

47 Percent of low-income parents (earning less than $37,274 a year) who provide assistance

$2,113 Average annual assistance from low-income parents

More numbers

(Source: theweek.com)

Gender identity disorder (GID) is a rare diagnosis given to young people who believe they were born into the wrong sex. Estimates suggest that 1 in 10,000 children may have the condition, and new reports published in the journal Pediatrics say parents and doctors are increasingly willing to administer sex-changing drugs as early as age 16 to make the transition as smooth as possible. But is it safe? 

More American children than ever before are now homeless, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Center on Family Homelessness. One out of every 45 kids in the U.S. is sleeping on the streets, or lives in a shelter, motel, or home where struggling families are doubled up. That’s 1.6 million kids in all. What does this say about the effects of the Great Recession?

Came into the office this morning and found this gem waiting for us.

“Mr. Malca’s 8th grade American History Class loves The Week”

We especially love the kid on the left who looks like he might karate chop the magazine. Glad to see The Week is getting some good use in the classroom. Thanks, Mr. Malca’s class!

npr:

Many Women Underestimate Fertility Clock’s Clang

A new survey finds many women dramatically underestimate how much fertility declines with age.

Photo courtesy of Kate Donnellon Nail

Pippi Longstocking… racist? According to one theologian, Astrid Lindgren’s classic children’s novels about the pig-tailed adventurer feature unsavory “colonial racist stereotypes.” In 1959’s Pippi in the South Seas, for instance, “the black children throw themselves into the sand in front of the white children.”

From Babar to the Smurfs, here’s a look at 6 other racist children’s characters.