Pity The Woman Who Bags Herself A Mummy's Boy

A study carried out on behalf of a pasta company has revealed that one in three men aged between 20 and 40 still live with their parents, compared with one in five women of the same age. To be fair, Yours Truly didn't flee the nest until the age of 25. But, 40? Hey, come on!

Still I suppose in these cash-strapped times, money (or lack of it) is bound to be a contributory factor and 59 per cent of the 3,000 men and women surveyed, cited 'cost' as their main reason for lodging Chez Mummy & Daddy. Apparently 16 per cent of male respondents admitted they enjoyed being looked after by mum (brave souls) and 11 per cent saying they'd miss their parents too much if they left home. Sniff, sniff.

With 56 per cent of adults having their meals cooked for them and 55 per cent getting their smalls washed for nothing, it's a wonder anyone ever budges at all. And get this - almost one fifth of respondents had a packed lunch made up for them every morning. I'm beginning to see the attraction. I suppose there's something to be said for squatters' rights.

And although I mock, I do know something of the mindset of a Mummy's Boy. You see, my dad (who died eleven years ago) was a late leaver of home. He was in his forties when he married my mum - and up until that point he'd shared a house with his mum and his elder brother - who never did leave home at all. And although my parents enjoyed a happy and enduring marriage, I can't help but think that Dad, constantly doted on by his mother, (unconsciously, perhaps,)transferred his pampered/ lazy ways into his relationship with Mum.

At times, bizarrely, (or maybe it wasn't at all,) it was as if he became the third child, along with me and my sister.

I don't intend to spill the finer details of our domestic arrangements here, save to say, that my gran used to prepare salads in a certain way - finely chopping the ingredients and adding a half-teaspoon of sugar - as if to cajole a child into eating. Guess who carried on the tradition so that my dad was eating shredded, sugared salad like a little boy, when us girls were eating whole foods like grown ups? Mum, of course. Quite weird, that, thinking back.

Or maybe it wasn't at all . . .

Any thoughts?