The next 19 years

[Shawnee123]

Right before I graduated from college, I told my mom "Mom, you know, a lot of young people these days are opting to move back in with their parents for a couple years." My mom replied "A lot of parents aren't giving that option." My mom's a hoot. When I was a pre-teen, she told me when I got married she would give me a thousand dollars and a ladder.

Of course, if I needed to my childhood home would have been open, but they really did want me to be independent.

Hang in there, sky!

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Of course, if I needed to my childhood home would have been open, but they really did want me to be independent.

Same as my parents. They'd have me back in a heartbeat if they really thought it was my only option. But they'd make sure I had been through every other possible option first.

They love all of us, but as far as they are concerned we're adults now, and they are enjoying the life that they worked hard for, for 40+ years.

Oh and I paid rent/ housekeeping from the age of 16, as did my sister. My brother was in school til he was 18, but he paid from then. I'm not going to pretend it was anything like market rates, but it did impress on us that we were living in their house, not our house any more. In fact I paid 1/2 of the phone bill while I lived at home, because I was so fed up with my Mum locking the phone when she went out, as it meant my friends couldn't call me. They were quite shocked when I moved out and there was hardly a dip in the phone bill (these are the days before itemised billing). That was one of my few valid teen grips - I told you I hardly ever used the phone!