How to Get Your Child to Move Out After High School

Congratulations, your child is a high school graduate. It is an accomplishment that will open other doors of opportunity and you helped your child achieve it. You had thought that your job would be over when your child graduated. Maybe you were even looking forward to dealing with the empty nest syndrome you have heard other parents experience. However, your child isn't leaving home. Your child doesn't even seem interested in moving somewhere else. Look at the bright side; you didn't raise a stupid child. Where else can a person live rent free, eat free, come and go with no household responsibilities, and have free laundry service. Think about it, life doesn't get any better than that. Maybe if you made it a little less like heaven on earth your child would want to move. Maybe if it wasn't free, there were some rules, and household chores it wouldn't be so wonderful. Then your child might want to escape to find Narnia somewhere else.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A high school graduate
• Strict house rules
• A pickup truck
• Alternative housing

1. Sit down with your child about a week after high school graduation to have an adult talk. Reiterate how proud you are of this recent accomplishment.
2. Inform your child that parents are only responsible for their children financially until they become adults. Since your child is now an adult you will not be providing everything free of charge. If your child intends to live at home then you expect to be paid room and board in the amount of $XX.00 every week on Friday.
3. Acknowledge again that your child is an adult. However, make it very clear that you own the house and anyone who chooses to live there must follow your rules. You expect your child to be home by XX:00 o'clock everyday or call before XX:00 o'clock. This is not because you are considering him or her as a child, but because it is how adults treat each other with respect.
4. Adults are expected to help keep the house in order and to clean up after themselves. You expect your adult child to wash any dishes he or she used and clean up any mess made. You also expect him or her to XXXX everyday. You fill in the job you want your adult child to do.
5. Tell your child that no person of the opposite sex is allowed in the bedroom with the door shut. Nor will any person of the opposite sex be allowed to spend the night at your house.
6. If you make your home less desirable, alternatives become more desirable. If at first this doesn't succeed, increase the rent and make your house rules stricter.

Tips & Warnings

• Be very firm or your child will take advantage of you and blow off your rules.
• You could encourage your child to go to a college far away and help find a dorm room to rent.
• You could encourage your child to join a branch of the service.
• Your child may comply with all of your rules and stay, but maybe you will appreciate all of the help.