There are a variety of reasons for which young adults move back home. Whether your move has been facilitated by limited employment prospects, going back to school or a desire to save money, the situation can be difficult for all parties involved. As anyone who’s temporarily returned to the nest can attest, even the most supportive parents are liable to become annoyed by a lack of consideration on the part of adult children. With the help of the following pointers, young adults who will soon be making a return to their parents’ home can preemptively de-escalate tensions.
Be Mindful of Your Parents’ Schedule
Conflicting schedules are among the most common causes of tension between adult children and their parents. That being the case, you’ll need to be mindful of your parents’ usual routine, especially if you have a tendency to keep odd hours. For example, if you go to bed much later or get up much earlier than your folks, make a point of being as quiet as possible to avoid disturbing their sleep patterns. Furthermore, if you enjoy hitting the town with friends, make an effort to avoid coming home at unreasonable hours and keep late-night visitors to a minimum. Staying out until the break of dawn may have been fine when you were living on your own, but when sharing a residence, you can’t expect other people to simply adjust to your erratic hours.
Of course, this isn’t to say that you can never stay out late. If you’re having a good time and don’t think you’ll be able to make it home by a decent hour, consider crashing at a friend’s place for the night. If this isn’t an option, take care to be as quiet as possible when returning home when your parents are asleep. Quietness is particularly important when dealing with parents who are light sleepers.
Help Out with Chores
When living under your parents’ roof as an adult, helping out with chores is an absolute must. Regardless of whether or not your folks are charging you rent, being a resident in their home should entail pitching in whenever possible. If you’re unclear on what you should help out with, don’t be shy about asking your parents. Even if they claim not to need help with anything, take it upon yourself to tackle any chores you come across.
Chip in Financially Whenever Possible
Some parents need financial assistance more than others. If your folks are comfortably well off, you being home is unlikely to prove financially burdensome. However, if your parents are struggling with money or on a fixed income, having another resident in their home stands to stretch already limited resources. With this in mind, adult children whose parents fit into the latter category should chip in whenever possible. If you can afford to pay rent to your folks, offer to do so. Should they prove un-amenable to this idea, take it upon yourself to pay for groceries or contribute money for bills. Replacing old appliances and footing the bill for much-needed home repairs are other great ways to show your parents appreciation.
Seek Outside Storage Solutions
If you own a sizable number of possessions, moving them all into your parents’ home is liable to prove inconvenient for your folks, especially if they’re dealing with limited space. As such, it’s recommended that you seek outside storage solutions for large items, particularly furniture and vehicles. To ensure that your things remain safe and well-guarded, seek out dependable storage facilities in your area. Anyone searching for good storage units in San Diego will find no shortage of available options.
Returning to your parents’ home as an adult can be an awkward situation for everyone involved. As an adult, you’re liable to resent any rules your folks try to impose on you, and since you’re no longer a child, your parents are liable to feel uneasy about enforcing these rules. Although some adult children get along swimmingly with their parents, this type of living arrangement generally requires concessions on the part of both parties. So, if you’ll soon be taking up residence in your childhood home, make sure to put the tips discussed above to good use.