Moving back with your parents might not be your first choice, but it is sometimes necessary when life throws you a curveball. It’s a chance to get back on your feet, find a job, get an education, or pursue something of interest.

About 15% of adult children currently live with their parents. It’s become an increasingly acceptable way to manage living costs, especially in NYC and other cities where rental prices are high.

These tips can make the transition a little easier for everyone when you face these circumstances.

How Can I Make It Easier to Move Back Open?

1. Try to help wherever you can.

When you start living with your parents again, it’s better to treat the relationship as a roommate situation. Doing your part around the home without being asked will help keep everything running smoothly. In addition, staying there gives you financial benefits, which means proactive support can make your presence positive.

If cleaning isn’t your thing, you can take on other tasks. For example, your parents might want help with yard work, dog walking, cooking meals, or other specific chores.

2. Respect the rules of the house.

Some parents don’t set guidelines for their adult children if they move back home. Others have specific expectations that they want their kids to meet to give them a place to stay.

It helps to have a meeting right away to discuss the rules. Although you might think these guidelines are arbitrary, choosing not to follow them could be seen as disrespectful. Your parents can kick you out as an adult as quickly as they let you in, even if you feel some rules are unreasonable.

Think of it as a negotiation. Give a little to get something back, and things will end up being a little better.

3. Set goals for yourself that include moving out one day.

When you need to move back with your parents, it’s understandable that you might not know what the future holds at that second. You’re not going to have a specific day that says you’ll move out by then.

That doesn’t mean you can’t set goals. If you’re unemployed, it might be good to try to find a job within the first month of moving back. After that, you might try to save some money, look for ways to get back on your feet, and maybe find a new place within a year or 18 months.

4. Spend quality time with your parents.

Most of the best memories you’ll have when moving back home involve hanging out with your parents. It’s an opportunity to spend time together without other pressures weighing on the relationship. You can eat meals together, have movie nights as you did as a kid, and have someone available to check in with about your day.

When your focus is on enjoying time with your family, it’s much easier to handle this transition. However, if the experience is miserable, you’ll end up counting the days until you can leave.

5. Have realistic expectations for the experience.

Your parents will have set expectations for you when moving home. There could be a little judgment included with their interactions in the form of tough love. These conversations could be uncomfortable, especially if you’ve made poor financial decisions or got fired from your job.

Some people in this situation resent the lack of privacy that comes from moving back with their parents. On the other hand, if you return home late from a party, your parents probably won’t be happy. That’s why being realistic about what you need and how you’d like the relationship to be is helpful.

6. Make the most of your time there.

Try to be proactive about accomplishing your goals. For example, if you need to save some money, take actionable steps that make that happen. Although moving back home usually means you’ll have fewer responsibilities, that also means there is more time to pursue something meaningful.
Dig into that job search, pursue a startup opportunity, or finish your education. Then, when your time there lets you achieve your ambitions, everyone will come away feeling like the investment was worthwhile.

Are You Moving Back Home with Your Parents?

It isn’t easy to move back home with your parents in some situations. These circumstances might even feel like a failure on your part.

The good news is that when your family has your back, you can accomplish almost anything!

At Expo Movers, we can help you move your belongings back home. Our team can also handle short- or long-term storage needs if your parents don’t have space. That way, you can take one more worry off your plate.