Are we too dependent on our parents?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/28/fashion/28mommy.html?th&emc=th

This is an interesting article from the NY Times about women of my generation being far closer with their mothers than previous generations, almost to the point of dependency. I think we all know that I'm pretty close with my mom, and it is a rare day that i don't speak to her at least once. In fact, if I don't, I generally get a D-I-D (dead in a ditch) phone call frantically inquiring as to my whereabouts, usually within 12 hours of the last time I spoke to her. But I'm equally reliant on her, and can get pretty frustrated if I need to tell her something and can't reach her because of something stupid, like her job working for federal government. Whatever.

But I've never thought of us as dysfunctional or co-dependent. My mom doesn't pay my bills, she doesn't call into work for me if I'm sick, she didn't fill out my law school applications or schedule my appointments or interviews, like some children are having their parents do. Growing up she was decidely un-helicoptery, and I became pretty independent, in the literal sense. I didn't feel the need or desire to move home, I didn't want to live closer to my parents so that I would have a safety net, and while I'm spending the next month with them, it is because I'm moving much farther away and am not sure how often I will get to see them. I love being with my parents, but I also know that living my own life on my own terms means I'm not going to be close to them (not because of them, more because they live in Kansas). There is nothing wrong with wanting to live close to your parents and be close with your parents, but I'm wondering at what point did it start being ok to continue pre-pubescent expectations of care and financial support into one's 20s and 30s?

I'm curious as to what you all think it the reason behind this phenomenon... read the article, and get back to me.