How To Help Your Kid Move Out Of Home
As much as you might not like the idea, there will come a time when your child is ready to ‘leave the nest’ and build a life for themselves. When this time comes, they may well need your help to do it, and if you aren’t prepared, this can become an extremely stressful moment. Here are some tips on how to help your child move out of home so that both you and they have a positive experience.
Let Them Go
The first tip when it comes to helping your kid move out of home and begin a life of their own is to let them go. It will be hard for most people to say goodbye, but it’s not forever, and with technology as it is, you will be able to see them regularly, even if it’s through a screen, no matter where they go after leaving home.
In order to let your child go, you shouldn’t try to make them leave; this is going too far the other way. You simply need to respect their plans and help them when and if they need you to. Fighting to make them stay or looking overly pleased that they are leaving (both signs that you really want them to stay, of course) will upset them and you and probably won’t change what is happening. Be kind to them and let them go. They know you are there for them if they need to come back.
Get Them Started
It doesn’t matter how much money you have; you will be able to help your kid get started on making their own way. You could, for example, set them up in their own apartments, you could give or lend them money for a down payment or deposit, you could buy them a car, or you could provide them with a box of everything they will need to keep their new place clean and tidy. You might stock up their kitchen for them to settle in and get used to being alone.
You can do just what you feel comfortable doing, and if that means giving them emotional support and no more, then that is enough. Of course, you should also make it clear that this is a one-off gift or loan. The point of your child moving out is that they are ready to make it on their own, and if you need to continue helping them, they are not ready and need to re-think the situation.
Give Them Skills
Think back to when you first moved out of your parents’ home. What skills did you have to navigate the world with? Could you cook? Budget? Do laundry? Clean a house? Pay bills? If not, how did you learn? Think of your child; do they know how to do these all-important tasks? If not, could you teach them?
Everyone has to learn how to live somehow, and it is a parent’s job to pass on this crucial knowledge if they can. Giving your child the basic skills to make it on their own will help them not just now but also into the future; they may even be able to support their own children in the same way.
