Don’t worry if you take years to move out of your parents’ house – experts say you’ll be smarter

If you find yourself living at home after graduation, still being taken care of by your long-suffering mum — don’t worry.

A reassuring new study says having extra years living without any responsibilities could allow your brain to become more efficient.

Claiming adolescence may not end until at least the age of 25, researchers say there are more benefits to living with your parents as an adult beyond having your pants ironed and your packed lunch made for you.

Teenage mind expert Prof Beatriz Luna says an extended adolescence may allow the brain to “specialise” and become more mature in the long run.

The Chilean-American psychologist said: “People might argue that we take too much care of these kids and they never grow up.

“But there is also the proposal that protecting their ability to have a longer time of specialisation could potentially be a good investment, because then the brain really has the ability to specialise to a higher level; that you able to find ‘what is it that I really want to do with myself?’

“In my culture, in Chile, you stay with your parents until you get married.

“In the United States, I feel like they leave home too early. They finish high school and they are gone.

“Having the freedom to play a little bit longer in life might be a good thing.”

Speaking at a science conference in San Jose, Prof Beatriz explained the brain during adolescence was like a block of marble or granite being sculpted into shape.

The end result is a more efficient processing system and having longer to do this could improve the quality of your brain.