Over the last decade, a sizable percentage of young adults have opted to move back home after college or simply never leave in the first place. There are a number of reasons for delayed independence, with heightened cost of living and stagnant wages chief among them. Unsurprisingly, this arrangement is often less-than-ideal for every party involved. Parents frequently resent their adult children’s perceived lack of ambition, leaving young adults feeling like they have to walk on eggshells whenever they’re at home. While few people relish living with their parents in young adulthood, there are numerous steps you can take to make the experience less stressful all around.
1. Pull Your Weight
While most parents are unlikely to outright evict their adult children, it’s important to realize that as an adult, you don’t technically have the right to reside under your folks’ roof. Even if they grumble about it, your parents are doing you a kindness by allowing you to continue living at home. That being the case, pulling your weight around the house is now far more important than it was when you were a child. At the very least, this means cleaning up after yourself, but it also extends to helping out with assorted chores and errands. Furthermore, if you’re currently working, consider offering to pay a little bit of rent.
2. Respect Each Other’s Space
Unless you have a very good relationship with your folks, odds are they don’t want to spend every waking minute with you. With this in mind, make a point of eating separate meals on occasion and giving your parents plenty of time to themselves. Additionally, if you sense that your parents want some alone time, find an outside-the-house activity with which to occupy your time.
3. Build up Your Savings
If you’re currently employed, your folks are probably expecting you to build up your savings so that you can eventually move out. As such, you’d do well to avoid copious frivolous spending when living at home. Spending the bulk of your money on frivolous items and partying illustrates a lack of priorities and will give your parents the impression that you have no desire to leave the nest. This isn’t to say that you can never treat yourself to a new gadget or a night out, but after your bills have been paid, the majority of what remains should go straight in the bank. In addition, you can show your folks that you’re serious about moving out by regularly perusing apartment and home listings. Adult children living in the Garden State would be wise to check out the current mortgage rates in NJ.
Living independently has become a harrowing prospect for many young adults. With stagnating wages, an overcrowded job market and increased rental rates, there’s little wonder as to why a growing number of children are remaining at home well into adulthood. There’s no denying that this can be a difficult situation for both parents and children, but more often than not, a little bit of consideration and gratitude can go a long way for young adults living under their parents’ roof.