Grandparents

Due to the recession, grandparents are playing a bigger role in child rearing and often serve as the financial safety net.

I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing, as I'm sure the rewards work both ways as grandparents likely enjoy being a part of the lives of the grandchildren.

On an unrelated note, last night I got to thinking about my friends and peers in our early 30s living in LA and SF and I couldn't think of a single person who has purchased a home without parental assistance. I don't know if this is normal or not. But it strikes me as unimpressive. Either me and my friends are all losers, or housing prices are being propped up by poor government policies.