I’m an adult. Why do I regress under my parents’ roof?

Parent-child conflict can be acute during the holidays – or when an adult child returns to live at home. Illustration: Rita Liu/The Guardian

My friend has started seeing a man who lives with his mother. This isn’t the punchline or deal breaker it once was: these days you can’t begrudge anyone trying to save on rent. But it can still come at a price.

His mother texts him when they’re together to ask when he’ll be home, or simply to check in. One illustrative example: “Are you having a nice time?”