Family

In the Merriam Webster dictionary an adult is defined as, “fully developed or mature” (Merriam-Webster). In every culture, families have to make the same decision for what age they think their children are mature enough to be considered an adult, and then can move out. Some people end up living with their parents until they finish high school, or even until they get married. In the parent-child relationship, it is the parent’s duty to ensure their children have the necessary skills to be confident about living away from their parents. This could be as simple as making their children independent. Also, they can show their children how to be financially smart so when the time comes to move out, money will be less of an obstacle. Parents could also ensure that their children know how to follow their goals. All of these points could directly contribute to children becoming more confident about living by themselves, and this could help children move out at a more reasonable age.

First of all, in families today, children expect their parents to do everything for them. Parents need to teach their kids to be independent because if they do not, the children will not know how to take care of themselves when it comes time for them to move out of the house. In Alexandra Shimo’s article “Flirting with Disaster” she quotes a woman who has a 25 year old and a 26 year old still living at home. The woman, Margery Roden, says, “We talk to other parents about it, and we wanted to be fully independent at that age” (Shimo). Parents need to do simple things at an early age to help their kids learn independence, one of which being a regular list of chores. Even simple ones like making the bed would help. If kids are taught from an early age to be independent, then they will have more confidence when they decide to move out. The parents could have done more to ensure that their kids were fully independent by that age. Another way of promoting independence for teenagers would be to get them to do their laundry. In the movie Failure to Launch, Tripp’s mom Sue asks him to do some common chores himself, and he does not know how to do them. If his parents taught him do these chores before, this would not have happened. If parents do everything for their kids, their children will not gain any important life skills. These are some simple ways to promote independence that will help kids gain confidence so they will move out at a reasonable age.

Second of all, money is always an issue when it comes time for a child to move out of the house. Post secondary education always approaches far too quickly, and children become farther and farther in debt with student loans. Parents can show their kids, from an earlier age, that saving money is valuable for the future. On the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance website, it states, “The average debt for an undergraduate student in Ontario with a loan is $22,700. This has increased from $10,800 in 1990 and $14,504 in 1998” (OUSA, 2002). This proves that children are not being taught how to save for the future properly. Many students procrastinate when it comes to saving money, and they spend it just as fast as it is coming in. Before they know it, they have either moved back in with their parents, or they are so far in debt, that they would not be able to move out for a while. If they are taught to save from an