I'm glad I never had to consider living with my parents. When I was a young adult there were still plenty of affordable rentals and I could live on my own quite easily. I did so for 6½ years, and most of the people I knew were equally self-reliant.
I couldn't possibly have moved in with my parents, they had very different personalities and opinions, and we'd have fallen out rapidly. As it was, I was estranged from my father for many years so living with him was never a realistic option anyway.
Apart from anything else, if I'd been under my parents' roof, I'd have had a very restrained existence. I couldn't stay out late and get back in the small hours as it would have woken them up. I couldn't get drunk as they didn't approve of alcoholic excess. I couldn't have had friends round as they were somewhat anti-social. It would never have worked.
Some parents are happy to have their children living with them again. They don't like being "empty-nesters" and can't adjust to a half-empty house. Other parents are glad to have the house to themselves and only reluctantly allow their children to return. My parents would definitely have been the latter.
But the Hotel of Mum and Dad has never been more popular.
Nick, parents will , under normal conditions , be parents all their life and will help if there is a problem. My family lived always with "open doors" and Saïd and I love to have family and people in general around. Your family seems to have been very special , I'm sorry for you, mum and dad's home ( which was yours too) in the best case should be the place where children can come back. 40% of the students in Germany are considered to be poor, need to go to the food bank and have no money to rent a room, so it's better to stay home .
ReplyDeleteHannah
I couldn't afford to leave the parental home until I was 25. With hindsight I wish I'd stayed with them longer and saved more money - but, young head, young needs!!
ReplyDeleteSx