my mom's been saying this for years.

I am twenty-seven-years-old, and excluding a year stint living in Myrtle Beach, I have been living at home my entire life. I only recently purchased a house which I move into next week, so When Will My Grown-Up Kid Grow Up? by Jeffrey Jensen, Ph.D. and Elizabeth Fishel speaks to me, and my poor mother.

This parenting guide focuses on loving and understanding your emerging adult (or man child, in other words). "Children" ages 18-29 fill their parents with a certain amount of worry. There comes a point when mom and dad start asking themselves: Will my twenty-something child ever leave home? Will they find love? Will they find the right job? Will they keep that job? Will they stop needing money from us and quit stealing our toliet paper? So many questions, folks, and if you start badgering your child with these questions, all you're going to do is stress them out, which will stress you out, and you'll potentially ruin your relationship. So Dr. Jensen and Fishel are here to guide parents through this process.

The DO's and DON'T's include:

• DO insist that your freeloading kid has a plan, a REAL LIFE plan.
• DON'T get involved in your kid's love life, say very little, when they are making an horrendous decision, simply encourage them to involve themselves with people who help them be the best person they can be.
• DO have the money talk with your kids after high school and college.
• DON'T contact potential employers for your kids, but be available to help them with resumes, cover letters, etc.
• DO take care of your own life
• DON'T worry about your kids' lives more than they do. You are only human.