So Your Adult Child Has Moved Home?  Now What? 

 

It seems like just last week that your little bundle of joy was learning all of those important life skills – for instance, how to walk, talk, ride a bike, and maybe even how to drive.  Perhaps your child even attended college and/or was hired by an employer.  The natural progression then (one would think) is that this equally delightful, yet somewhat larger, bundle of joy would eventually move out on his or her own. 

 

Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned.   

 

More and more adult children are moving back home and taking advantage of the vast benefits that go along with such an arrangement – free rent, endless supply of food, no bills, loans that don’t need to be repaid, etc.  With benefits like these, it’s no wonder they return (or stay)! 

 

The question now is:  What do I do now that my adult child has moved back home? 

 

Well, there’s really no simple answer to that question.  I guess the answer depends on how the new living arrangement is affecting your life.  Having an adult child living at home is not always a bad thing.  A productive and helpful adult child can actually benefit the household.  An adult child that pays rent and who helps out around the house is clearly an asset.

 

But what if your adult child is more of a burden than an asset?

 

There are a few approaches that parents can try in this type of situation:

 

1.  Ignore the problem and simply deal with it.  The headache will never end but at least you won’t have to feel like a “meanie” by kicking him/her to the curb.

 

2.  Give said child a 30-day notice to move out.  End of story.

 

3.  Try using a behavior contract that addresses all of the issues caused by having an adult child still living at home.

 

If option number 3 seems most appealing to you then click on the link below and check out the “Contract for an Adult Child Living at Home” available on that page.