Fighting for Adulthood

When children leave the nest, their parents are often pleased they have the ability to go out on their own. They believe the heaviest responsibilities of raising their children are now over, and they begin to relax into a life where they are again a couple. When their children move back home, it can raise issues for all parties involved. They might all agree the move is best for them, but that does not necessarily mean there will be no fighting for adulthood by the children or their parents.

Moving in with anyone can be difficult, and living with family members carries just as many concerns as being with a spouse or roommate. Each person is affected by what the others in the home do, so all of them should feel responsible for making the situation easier. Coping with a child moving home is difficult as parents are used to treating them as children. Living with parents again can become a burden, and treating them with the same respect as a spouse or roommate might not come naturally to a child.

Learning how to handle this type of situation can be difficult for everyone involved because of the existing relationship between the parents and their child. Those who want to live the same way they did when they had their own place might feel their parents are smoothing them, and the parents could feel their child is being irresponsible or rude. Settling their differences will require talking openly together, and they might also formulate a plan to cope with the issues that have arisen.

It is never easy for parents when their children have to move back in with them, but it can be even harder for the child. They might have yearned for the freedom of adulthood for years, and they could see moving back as a failure to live as an adult.