With the cost of university surging in recent years, many students these days are cutting costs by staying at home during their studies. In fact, almost 40% now do!
For parents, they can look at it two ways. They’ve got their loved one living with them for that little bit longer. Or, their grand plans for their bedroom or enjoying a few adventures need to be put on hold that little while longer.
It can be difficult, particularly as your child is now an adult and there are only certain things you can control about their lives. So what do you do about it?
Communicate effectively
Communication really is key in these instances. It’s not like when they were little and you could tell them off for coming home too late or not tidying their bedroom. But equally, if those things are upsetting you and you deem it inconsiderate, then you need to feed that back in a constructive manner.
It’s all about being clear, constructive, and not seeking confrontation.
Still keep an eye on them
That doesn’t mean you should stop caring about them though, just because they are now an adult and allowed to make their own decisions. Even when they are 40, you will still care about their welfare.
University is a period of time when they could suffer, whether that be through stress, relationships, or quite possibly drinking too much. Many students can’t cope and turn to the bottle, and it can lead to addiction and the requirement of an addiction treatment centre to get through it. If they were living away from home, there’s less chance of you noticing any problems, so don’t let them pass you by when you are under the same roof.
Again though, it’s considerately communicating that to them, and that you are still here to help.
Money matters and they should earn their keep
When they eventually head out into the real world, they’ll have to pay their way and that should be the case here too. Discuss budgets with them and what they need to be doing in the home. They are now equal to you, and that means pulling their weight in the home too.
Set them specific chores that you both agree upon, and then decide how they can best contribute to household costs.
It’ll teach them to stay within their means, a lesson that will be so, so valuable when they do eventually fly the nest.
