Our kids are college graduates, but we're paying their rent. We understand what they're up against.

Cherith Glover Fluker shares her perspective on supporting her adult children financially as they transition into adulthood. The author and her husband, both first-generation college graduates, are paying rent for their 23 and 25-year-old grown children. This decision is intentional, rooted in their own experiences of not having extensive financial safety nets due to their parents not having attended college.

While they acknowledge that their children graduated with some student loan debt, the family's financial stability allows them to provide this support.

Fluker emphasizes that this arrangement includes open discussions about finances, clear financial goals, and a timeline for gradually decreasing their financial assistance. The goal is to give her children the time and stability needed to establish their careers and build personal wealth. They track their progress, celebrate milestones, and work together to develop strategies for long-term financial success.

The author notes that this practice is not unique to her family; a survey by AARP found that 75% of parents with a child age 18 or older provide some form of support. Additionally, nearly half of Black adults ages 18-29 reported receiving financial assistance from family in the previous year, according to a Pew Research Center study.

Fluker's intention is not to shield her children from the challenges of the real world but to buy them more time to build a solid foundation that can support themselves and potentially future generations.