Jobless Kids Need Tough Love, not Coddling

Parents who want their adult kids to take job-hunting seriously shouldn't make things too comfortable for them at home, the British government warns. In the UK, the graduate unemployment rate is the highest it's been in 12 years, and a quarter of men 25 to 29 live at home, the Guardian reports. Hence, the new guidelines for parents eager to empty their nests. "If you are making life too comfortable at home, why would they get a job?" they are asked rhetorically. "So cut back to help increase their motivation."

Parents are warned against "providing free board and lodgings, a well-stocked fridge, washing and ironing done, plus an allowance," which could lessen an adult kid's drive to go out on his own. Bottom line: Don't be "too supportive." But parents are also told to avoid nagging because it "can make young people feel more stressed and makes failure to get a job worse." (More jobless stories.)