Are you still living at home with your Mum? No, I’m not having a dig here, but the very fact that you maybe thought I was should be indication enough that it’s time to get out of there. Unfortunately living with your parents just isn’t thought to be cool and is something that people just aren’t impressed with. And there’s merit to what they’re saying too, so it’s worth listening up. You save a lot of money yes, but ultimately it’s just not worth the toll it can take on your social life and your individuality. Here then we will look at some of the top reasons why it’s not a good idea to stay living at home with the folks…
Space
One of the main issues when you live with your parents is space. The problem here is that you are essentially only renting one room, which is the equivalent of living in a bedsit. This then means that you will have only one room that’s ‘yours’ and that you can decorate and change as you wish. That first of all results in your having much less room to store your belongings which in turn really limits the things you can keep and buy. Want a bench press to work out at home? Well then that’s going to take up just about all of your own living space.
It Stifles Your Social Life
That then also means that if you want to have someone round, that they will have to either sit with you in your bedroom as they would have done when you were 10 years old, or they will have to sit in the living room with your parent’s decorations and probably with them listening in to your conversation.
Parents Are Awkward Housemates
Living with anyone is very much a test of your relationship and will be the cause of many arguments about leaving the toilet seat up or leaving the sponge in the sink. However when those housemates are your parents this is five times worse – a) because they are a completely different generation and demographic to you meaning their entire lifestyles are less compatible (body clock, standard of cleanliness, priorities) b) but also because it’s their house meaning that they can win practically every argument and that the balance of power is very uneven.
The Dynamic
Parents will always for this reason be the ones in charge – you might be 30 years old, but they’re the ones paying for the mortgage and the ones who have been in charge for the last 30 years. Thus they will always have rules for you to live by, and this can be very stifling if it means you have to ask your friends to leave by 10pm, or if it means that you can’t turn up your music as loud as you like.
It Doesn’t Look Good
You might not really care about how you look to other people, but you need to realize the impact that this can have on how others see you and how this in turn can affect your relationships and even your career progress. The point is, that having a place that you can call your own is a sign of emotional maturity demonstrating you can stand on your own two feet. At the same time it’s also a sign that you are able to afford a property, and thus that you have been at least moderately successful in your life. However if you live at home then people will ask themselves why that is, and it won’t show any signs of development. Then when your Mum comes in and asks you all to keep it down during a dinner party you’ll lose a lot of respect – and this can alter your social status badly.
Personal Development
If you are still living at home then there are hundreds of things you won’t have done yet and won’t have tried. You’ll never have paid your electricity bill for instance, and never have had to unclog a toilet, and you will develop a lot less as a result. When Mummy is there to do everything for you, there is no incentive to grow and you miss out on many crucial life experiences. This becomes all too apparent when you’re in a group of friends who are moaning about rent prices going up, or their broken boiler, and you really can’t join in. If you want to mature quickly, and to sample more of life, moving away from home is one of the best ways to do so.
Choice
Not only can you choose to decorate the whole house as you see fit when you move out, but you also get to choose where you want to live, and the kinds of features you want (balcony!). This way moving out is simply an opportunity to have the home you want. And to buy the food you want for dinner too. And to paint everything green if you wish. Until you move home, you really aren’t free in the same sense.
For Their Sake
One reason many people stay at home is to save themselves money, but it seems that these people haven’t really thought about their parents’ money. When you live at home, as much as your parents might love you and might enjoy being able to spend time with you, they will also likely find that you cramp their lifestyle.