Why the Prodigal Daughter always gets a cool welcome but son is greeted with open arms

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 05:16 EST, 21 February 2011

As their sisters would bitterly agree, it seems boys can get away with anything – especially with their mothers.

And it seems such unfairness can carry on well into adulthood, a study has found.

It shows that mothers are happy to have a grown-up son return to the family home – but will do their best to avoid having their daughter do the same.

And the reason? The research reckons that a mother is much more keen to have her boy back because he is more likely to pay rent, pitch in with the housework and take her advice.

By contrast, daughters are cut much less slack and are deemed to be ‘lazy’ and far less likely to contribute around the house, according to the poll of 3,000 mothers and fathers.

That is despite mothers expressing a fear that boys may become ‘too comfortable’ back at home and ‘weren’t independent enough’, the research commissioned by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and coinciding with the DVD release of Cyrus found.

Discussing the results, London-based clinical psychiatrist Dr Avie Luthra said: ‘It’s not surprising how much boys seem to get away with compared to girls when it comes to their parents. Boys traditionally are always treated very differently to their female siblings.

'There has definitely been a resurgence in adult children living with their parents.'

'Kids who boomerang back and forth to their parents every time something goes wrong can have a real effect on a couples' relationship, be that a new relationship or a long term one.'

Nearly half of parents have had their child move out only to have them ‘boomerang’ back home, the study found.

It also emerged the most common reasons for 'boomerang kids' returning home was debt, unemployment, being unable to get on the housing ladder and relationship issues.

Almost half of those polled said they would have preferred not to have the kids move back in but 'understood why they had to'.

The report also found less than half of over 18s living with their parents pay rent.

And on average they only pay £111 a month despite hardly having to lift a finger at home.

A third of parents said having their child back at home lead to an increase in the number of arguments.

One fifth of parents said they felt embarrassed their kids had returned home.

Moneywise the report estimates bills go up by around 17 per cent when an adult child moved back home.

The study found twice as many mums admit to getting wrapped around their sons little fingers and admit that they spoil them more than their daughters.

Sons are also more likely to have their dinner cooked for them every night, have their washing and ironing done and be driven by mum or dad when needed.

Sons also receive more cash gifts, with 43 per cent of parents admitting to dipping into their savings to help them out.