Surviving living with your parents... again!

Moving back in with your parents for a while to save up a deposit? You’re not alone, and it’s becoming more and more common in the UK for adults to live with their parents for various reasons. However, if you’ve been enjoying your independence for a few years, you might find the following tips handy when it comes to encouraging a hassle-free stay at your parents’ place.

Set a Time Limit

If only for your own sanity, set a time scale. Look at how much you need to save, and how long it will realistically take - let your parent know how long you plan to stay. You might have the kind of parent who doesn't want you to leave and will make things so comfortable for you that you’ll drag your feet, or then again, there might be some friction in your family about you sticking around for years on end. In either case, it’s going to better if you have a clear time frame to work with.

Avoid the Teenager Trap

Living back at home doesn’t need to mean a return to teenage sulks.
Sometimes the problem is parents treating you like you’re still a 14 year old - sometimes it’s more the case that boomerang-kids (adults moving back in with Mum and Dad) expect to be treated like a teenager in advance of the fact and commence behaving like a stroppy adolescent. The best ways to get around this are to talk to your parent in advance about what they expect in terms of ground rules and to help out a bit around the place, just as you would if you were living with friends.
Communication is key – simply texting to let them know if you’re going to be home late takes seconds and will save them a lot of worry. If you’re saving for a deposit, your parents may well have offered for you to live with them for free, but arranging a token contribution towards bills can help keep the relationship at an adult level.

Texting can save hassle

Many people have found that living with parents as an adult was a great experience and that many of the tensions experienced during teenage years had disappeared. It’s also worth remembering that in many cultures, multiple generations living together under the same roof is completely normal. With a positive attitude, you may well find that not only are you able to save for that all-important house deposit, but that you have a great time sharing with your parents, and who knows, you might even enjoy being looked after for a while.