How to Move Back Home

Moving back in with your parents as an adult can be a trying experience for all parties involved. Whether motivated by financial necessity, a parent in need of caretaking, or location, it can bring up a myriad of issues. When approached properly, however, moving can ultimately be a beneficial situation for all involved. Here are guidelines.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Establish ground rules early. Even if you are returning to your childhood home, you are no longer a child, and it is important to discuss expectations in terms of household duties, guests, visits from a significant other, and shared responsibilities.
2. Make sure to discuss finances. Will you treat this situation as you would if you were a roommate and share rent and utilities? Or will you rely on your parents to pay these items?
3. Share meals together. This is a great time to touch base with your parent or parents during the day and come together as a family.
4. Respect your parents’ wishes. Ultimately, this is their home and you are a guest in it, whether it’s a short- or long-term arrangement. Assert your independence, but try to recognize that they have their own lives to lead, too.
5. If feelings of discontent arise, communicate, communicate, communicate. Though it is possible to treat your parents as you would roommates, family relationships are deeper and more intricate than most traditional living situations. Don’t forget it.
6. Thank them. This simple step may be the easiest to overlook, and yet one of, if not the most, important.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t revert to childlike behavior just because you are in your childhood home!