What to Do when Kids Want to Move Back Home

It happens to most parents with young adult children, sooner or later - the question is, what to do when kids want to move back home? Be it a young adult who has gone off to college and graduated and is having difficulty securing a job in a weakened economy, or a young adult who is taking time off from college or going to school locally, most parents have experienced young adults that return to the family home to live after having lived on their own.

The biggest issue is that once kids have moved out they form habits independent of the family home and have their own way of living. The other contributing factor is that they are grown and hence want to be treated as such. Chances are their new found freedom may not mesh with the way parents run their household particularly if there are younger children living in the house.

So if wondering what to do when kids want to move back home simply consider setting down rules and guidelines for them to follow. There are several things that can be done when considering what to do when kids want to move back home.

1. Sit down with the child and determine what his or her long term goals are. Are they moving back home for a specified amount of time or is it undetermined.

2. Set down your guidelines for a young adult moving back into the home such as guests, volume of music, curfew, smoking and drinking in the home and any other habits that directly affect the other members of the family particularly younger children. Older siblings are an influence on younger siblings and should recognize this as such.

3. Assign a bill for your child to pay to ensure he or she remains responsible. Whether the amount paid is for a utility, a set amount for rent, or other specified amount, it is important the young adult understands the importance of being responsible for his or herself.

4. Most importantly sit down as a family and emphasize the importance of mutual respect for all family members and the importance of maintaining a safe and well balanced home environment particularly if younger siblings are being raised in the household.

5. Make certain your young adult child performs duties that keep the household functioning such as laundry, dishes, housework, and yard work.

So if asking yourself what to do when kids want to move back home, just know you are not alone. It is not uncommon for a young adult to return to the family home particularly during this time. For this family dynamic to be achieved successfully and for the young adult to feel he or she is doing his part to support the family it is important that contributions be made to the overall support of running the home. With a few rules and guidelines set down, the entire family can grow during this time of need and giving.