Is 25 the new 15? Many parents find that their adult children have one foot in adulthood and the other back in their childhood bedroom.

Many factors explain this alarming trend. Times are tough, and that means a lot of young professionals are looking to Mom and Dad for help. Many young adults who entered the workforce before massive layoffs began may still have jobs, but wage freezes could prevent them from moving out, or affording the lifestyle they thought their new job would provide them. Those who had yet to enter the workforce may be waiting for the unemployment rate to drop or going to grad school.

Either way, it’s likely your children have asked you for financial assistance and, if they haven’t yet, may eventually do so. Because you are a parent, your natural inclination may be to help them without any regard to your own financial well-being. That is why it is important to think of helpful but affordable ways to assist your children through these financial challenges. Here are some tips to guide you:

Pay their insurance premiums

If your children have car insurance, renter’s insurance, homeowner’s insurance, or life insurance, these key protections may be the first to go when their financial situation looks dire. Instead of allowing them to risk forgoing insurance coverage, offer to pay their insurance premiums for a limited period of time. This fixed expense would be easier for you to budget than a large loan, and you can rest easy knowing that you are providing them with extremely valuable protection.

Offer your skills, not money

In this challenging economy, some parents cannot afford to provide any financial assistance to their children. Parents with certain skills can save their children money by offering to tune up their car, paint their home, fix their plumbing, or repair faulty wiring for free (or just the cost of materials). Parents can also run errands for their children or offer free babysitting. It is important to set limits from the beginning so you don’t feel taken advantage of and your children have realistic expectations of the help that you give to them.

However you decide to help your children, don’t lose sight of your own needs and goals. Retirement may be just around the corner. Spending your retirement savings to help your children could hinder your quality of life in retirement. When you follow these suggestions, your children get the assistance they need and you retain the retirement savings you’ve worked so hard to build.