I don’t really talk about this on the regular – more because it just hasn’t come up than that I’m hiding it – but I’m 23 years old and I live with my parents. For those of you who are new around here, it’s due to my health, and once I hopefully get into grad school we’ll reevaluate the living situation. But today it’s all about how to live at home with your parents in your twenties.
Step one: make sure you’re all on the same page and draw clear boundaries. What are your responsibilities? How do they differ from when you lived at home as a teenager? Do you need to check in if you’re staying out past 10?
Step two: give some time for new routines and adjustments. It’s going to take some time for everyone to adjust. Your parents may automatically act like they used to because it is hard to get out of those habits, so remind yourself to just let everyone get settled.
Step three: address individual concerns as they pop up appropriately. Try not to get overwhelmed with frustration and to calmly address them. After all, if you want to be treated like an adult, act like one.
Step four: remember that they are your parents and not your roommates. At the end of the day, there will be things that none of you want to talk about or see. Keep it appropriate for your relationship, even if it is a little different than it was before.
Step five: try to have some breaks from each other on a regular basis. Not only will you probably be craving a parent-free zone, they probably will want a break from you, too! After all, you are kind of cramping their style. Breaks will make the time you spend together better.
Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.
Yes, i love this post. I moved into my own apartment when I was 22, then when I was 26 I moved back home suddenly to get out of a really bad situation with an ex and I have 4 dogs so I couldnt rent anywhere else. It's perfect tho becuase it helped me get out of debt and I'm gonna get my own house this year. But man there are struggles. my brother is 24 and lives at home too so there are 3 other people besides me. Theres hardly any room for me to store my groceries which is hard especially when you are trying to eat better. And I hate the fact that half of my things are in boxes in the basement (all the things of mine from the house i used to live in) but it's better than being homeless so I try to suck it up but it's definitely hard at times. Hang in there girl!
I also am 23 and live at home with my parents due to health issues. It was really hard at first because I thought going away to college meant that I wouldn't ever live with my parents again, but now that I AM living with them again, it's not really a bad situation. I am lucky enough to consider my parents my best friends, and they take care of me when they are able. I do wish that I could be independent enough to live on my own at times, but then I just have to think realistically and realize my situation would not pan out well. We have our tiffs, and sometimes I feel like I'm an adolescent again, but I know everything will work out for the best in the end.
This is great advice! I went from college right into grad school, so I lived with roommates and then completely alone for six straight years before I had to move back in with my parents. Six months back under their roof was enough for me. I give a lot of credit to the people my age (25) who can still live with parents while job hunting or while just starting out. It's a tough thing and an ego check sometimes too. I was thankful to have them there when I needed them but I'm more appreciative of them now that I've moved out!
-Chelsea
chelsandthecity.blogspot.com
I lived at home until I was 26…it wasnt too bad…i guess lol It allowed me to save money and travel so that's good news! I went home for 2 weeks over this past christmas and my mom still asked me where i was going, who i was with, and when i would be home! yeesh! haha!
I lived at home for almost 3 years after I graduated college. It was def trying at times Bc I felt like an adult but they often still treated me like a high school kid! It was financially necessary for me at the time and I'm thankful now they allowed me to live there until I could afford to move out. Now I've lived on my own for over 10 years and love it so much! Not sure I could ever go back at this point 🙂
Seriously SO good and true and spot on. I lived at home again when I was 23-24 and it was really strange…like you said, it's like when you were in high school but also completely different. This is a FANTASTIC list, anyone that's moving back home needs to get on this!
Thanks for featuring me! 🙂
Yes to all of these. I moved back home for a short time after graduation and it was difficult, but doing things like setting boundaries and addressing things as they came up made it SO much easier.