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What Exactly is a Safety Net?

The New York Times recently profiled a number of families whose living arrangements were dramatically altered after a younger generations' lifestyle and desires outpaced a realistic -- much less a failing -- economy and the "kids" (some in midlife) moved back in with Mom and Dad. While the article briefly explores the immediate causes and effects, and lays out a few ground rules (Whose house is it, anyway?!!), it doesn't satisfy as an all-purpose definition of a safety net and it didn't help me clarify when it's age- and/or circumstance-appropriate, and when it might simply be enabling. It should, probably make us all stop and think about what we're willing to do under the aegis of "family" and what's healthy and what's not.