Daisjia
Parents: dEENA (46) & CHRIS (47)
Adult Child: DAISJIA (28) & CHRISTIAN (26)
Location: NEWNAN, GEORGIA
Parents Deena and Chris are on their second marriage and have each raised a combined six children. Fortunately, four of those six are thriving and successful young adults, but unfortunately, two of the kids have failed to launch. Daisjia and Christian are both at home, struggling in life and living off of their parents. Daisjia is Deena’s daughter from a previous relationship and Christian is Chris’ daughter from a previous relationship. Deena and Chris believe that this is their “golden age,” where they can relish and enjoy being a couple and no longer a parent. They are desperate to have their adult daughters out of the house so they can enjoy their life together.
In 2020 the family moved from New York to Atlanta where Deena and Chris dreamed of living. The catch is that Daisjia and Christian tagged along. Now that Chris and Deena made the move to Atlanta, they are now looking to move again and buy their dream home. They want this move to be different, meaning they don’t want their adult children to come along.
Meet Daisjia, the "challenging child" of the two adult children. Daisjia had a stint with independence in college but returned home and has yet to strike out on her own again. She's struggled to find a career path that would allow her to take flight from her parents' home. Her employment history is marked by short-lived ventures, as she tends to lose interest once the initial excitement wanes. Then there's the mysterious "phantom job" Daisjia claims to have: a remote customer service position that her parents are understandably skeptical about. Despite claiming to have been "hired" months ago, Daisjia has yet to start her position, citing training delays or HR paperwork issues. Chris and Deena think it’s a lie and a fake job.
Additionally, Daisjia doesn't contribute to household chores or to buying groceries. Her room is perpetually in disarray, which Deena views as the ultimate sign of disrespect. Deena is often left wondering if her soft parenting style has seemingly hindered Daisjia and her independence. There have been several deadlines and ultimatums given to Daisjia by her parents, all of which have fallen on deaf ears. Daisjia thinks the world revolves around her and seems completely unphased by her dire situation. Deena feels like she and Chris need to draw a final line in the sand once and for all. Enough is enough.
On the other hand, Christian (Chris’ daughter from a previous marriage) is a nurse who has made efforts to live independently. Last year, Christian moved into her own apartment but later changed jobs, resulting in a significant drop in her income. Faced with financial strain, Christian returned to her parents' home. She's using her time at home to save money and learn better financial management skills before setting out on her own again. In contrast to Daisjia, Christian is doing everything right: working hard, continuing her education and focusing on a career. She contributes in the house, does chores, she is polite and respectful. Everything that Daisjia doesn’t do.
Because Christian is helpful, considerate and has a plan to launch, she is therefore welcome to join mom and dad if and when they move into the new home. Mom and dad, but especially her own, biological mother, wants her out and thinks this is the moment to get her to move on. Her step-dad isn’t so sure, which creates tension between Chris and Deena.
Deena naturally takes on the role of the "strict parent" and feels like they can't keep rewarding Daisjia's failures any longer. Chris, on the other hand, adopts a more lenient approach, and is worried about what will really happen if push comes to shove. This severe difference of opinions often leaves the couple grappling with how best to parent Daisjia.
The clock is ticking and Daisjia has made no steps towards finding a secure job so she can move out and live on her own. Out of sheer frustration, Deena has reached her limit when it comes to enabling her daughter's lack of motivation and says that Daisjia can live in her car rather than move into their next home with them. The million-dollar question: will mom and dad say enough is enough and not allow Daisjia into the new home? Or is it time to cut her off completely and send her on her way?