August 09, 2026

Illustration of a dad wearing a button-down shirt and tie sitting in his living room on a couch on his laptop. He's surrounded by toys - trains, crayons, swords, blocks, balls, teddy bears, etc. - scattered all over the floor and coffee table, while his kid nearby is playing with a cardboard box.

Lucy Knisley

Editor’s note

Good morning. Today’s special edition is all about the evolving business of parenting. We’ll explain why so many young adults still financially depend on their parents, discuss the rise of platonic co-parenting (yes, that’s a thing), visit the Hogwarts for nannies (yes, that’s also a thing), and much more. Whether you’re a parent to humans, hope to be one someday, or are content with just keeping your Sims alive, there’s something for everyone in Parenting Brew.

PAYING ’RENTS

Supporting kids doesn’t end with adulthood

Adult daughter sitting on couch in between her parents watching a movie and eating popcorn

Getty Images

Kids can be expensive—even after they age out of begging you to buy them candy at the checkout. No one knows this better than the growing number of Americans who provide financial support to their adult children.

Half of parents with adult kiddos helped at least one of them financially in 2025, up from 45% in 2023, according to a Savings.com survey. Often, it’s more than a one-off Trader Joe’s gift card:

Less than half of American adults age 18 to 34 say they are entirely financially independent from their parents, according to a 2024 Pew report.
And it’s not just college-aged adults: More than a third of those age 30 to 34 still aren’t financially independent from mom and dad.

The average yearly support amounts to $7,000 per family, according to a recent AARP survey.

It wasn’t always like this. While today’s young women are more likely to be financially self-sufficient than in the past, young men have become more reliant on their parents. In 2021, 36% of 25-year-old men depended on their parents for cash flow, compared with 23% in 1980. Researchers say the trend is driven by a tough job market and the rising cost of living, including soaring rents and college tuition saddling people with loans.

Full house

On top of Venmo transfers from mom, adulthood increasingly involves being roomies with the ’rents. Almost half of Americans age 18 to 29 live with their parents, according to a Federal Reserve report published last year, up from 37% in 2019. The rise of multigenerational households is partly why many boomers are choosing not to downsize their homes as they age.

But delaying empty-nesthood can actually be a boon, and not just because it gives parents someone to watch Cheers reruns with. Almost two-thirds of young adults who live with their folks contribute to household expenses, like picking up groceries and paying rent.

Many parents can afford to help. As of 2022, the median baby boomer-headed household is sitting on $432k in wealth—about 30% more than their parents’ generation.—SK

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TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

Paid family time off is on the decline in the US

Overhead view of newborn baby in mother's arms while she sits at a table with an open laptop

Unsplash

Staying home for a few months after the birth of a child is great for bonding and adjusting to a life-changing event. You know what else is great? Rushing back to the office and being a more productive worker, according to a rising number of employers.

In 2025, the share of US companies offering paid family leave fell two percentage points to 31%, according to an annual survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. Deloitte and Zoom continued the trend this year, when they announced they were cutting back on the perk: Deloitte cut paid parental leave from 16 weeks to eight weeks for some employees, while Zoom slashed parental leave from 22 weeks to 18 weeks for most birth mothers, and from 16 weeks to 10 weeks for other parents.

Why are companies comfortable whittling benefits?

As the job market weakens, employers don’t have to be as competitive with benefit programs to keep employees happy.
Some of the decline stems from the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back DEI initiatives, which often include parental leave programs, experts told the New York Times.

Before you leave: The US lacks federally mandated paid family leave and has historically ranked near or at the bottom of global rankings when it comes to the quality of family leave.—DL

place to be

At the dealership, buying a minivan

A line of white minivans in a dealership parking log with American flags

Getty Images

Your mom always knew this day would come. After enduring decades of slander, minivans are one of the hottest vehicles on the block. According to Edmunds data provided to Yahoo Finance:

Last year, minivan sales rose 21% in the US.
Meanwhile, overall auto sales only rose 2%.

Why? As millennials have kids, they’re increasingly attracted to the practicality of ample space, sliding doors, and extra seating. Affordability, improved styling, and outdoorsy features have helped close the deal, even getting the attention of a new type of buyer: men.

Van hailin’: Uber and Lyft drivers are also increasingly opting for spacious, fuel-efficient minivans, especially in areas where people need rides to the airport.—BC

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THREE FRIENDS AND A BABY

The rise of platonic co-parenting

A man and woman holding up two small toddlers in a backyard

Getty Images

It sounds like the kind of fantasy you’d dream up with your childhood best friend: Let’s live together and raise each other’s kids as siblings. But, for a growing number of millennials, it’s becoming a reality.

It takes a village: Some single-parent besties are moving in together after breaking up with their spouses, while others are deciding to (platonically) have children with longtime friends or like-minded nontraditionalists, sometimes using new apps that are like Hinge for co-parenting:

NPR journalist Ayesha Rascoe told The Cut that she and her college best friend bought a house together, saving thousands of dollars on mortgages and nannies by raising their collective five children together (a setup that’s sometimes called a “mommune.”)
Then, there are the friends with ticking biological clocks who choose to have children together—a movement that’s given rise to apps like Modamily, which connects people who want to start a family via dating, sperm donation, or platonic co-parenting. Users surged from 30,000 in 2020 to 100,000 last year, the New York Times reported.

People in these nontraditional situations often rave about them, in part because of the lack of romance. Without pressure to keep the spark alive, making child-rearing decisions and divvying up household tasks can feel less intense, some platonic co-parents say. So, go ahead and remind the group chat about those commune plans.—ML

SOCIAL STUDY

You probably can’t afford these nannies

Students in Norland College's uniform of brown hats and gloves with a traditional baby stroller

Ben Birchall/Getty Images

Movies would like you to believe nannies are carrying magical bags, refurbishing curtains into dresses, or donning prosthetic noses to trick their ex-wife into letting them see the kids. In reality, they are in England in white gloves and tiny brown hats, studying how to duck and weave away from paparazzi while pushing a stroller.

Norland College is the premier early-education school for nannies and au pairs for the ultrawealthy. The school doesn’t share its client list, but one of the few confirmed families that’s hired a Norland nanny is, well, the actual Royal Family, Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Just 300 students attend the four-year program in Bath, England. Founded in 1892, it’s the oldest early-education college in the world. Men weren’t allowed to apply until 2017, and students from outside the European Union weren’t let in until 2022. Future nannies learn everything from first aid to art to cybersecurity (remember, the families are rich). They even practice martial arts to protect children from potential kidnappers.

Most Norland nannies get around seven job offers upon graduation and earn six figures in their first role, so, no, they probably aren’t free Saturday to watch Timmy while you go to bar trivia.

Properly brought up: Norland will become Norland University of Early Childhood on September 7, making it the world’s first university dedicated to early childhood.—MM

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WAIT, WHAT?

Is Bluey for adults or kids? Bingo

Bluey animated dog family characters in their living room dancing

Ludo Studio

From magnetic tiles to Crunch Berries, there’s a rich history of adults liking things tailored toward children. The latest kidult craze: Bluey, an animated series (and soon-to-be movie) about a family of Australian dogs that topped the US streaming charts with 45 billion minutes watched last year.

Popular YouTuber Margaret Thompson told the Washington Post that half of her Bluey-themed channel’s audience is between 18 and 35 years old. And many brands sell Bluey merch specifically designed for adults.

What’s the appeal? Like a game of “pass the parcel,” there are layers to this. Unlike many kid shows that scream and strobe parents into oblivion, Bluey is story-heavy, exploring adult themes like infertility, death, and the “trifficulties” of parenting. Many nonparents watch the show, too, appreciative of its wholesome family dynamic. The phrase “healing my inner child” also gets thrown around a lot, which is somewhat fitting, because the Bluey family’s last name is Heeler.—BC

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