How to survive living with your parents for the summer (or longer)

By Danielle Lorenz in Living Space on August 20, 2009

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The academic year has drawn to a close and many students have moved back into their family’s home for the summer (or maybe longer for new grads).

For some, this time causes no conflict. But for many of us, moving back in with our parents can be difficult. Being away at school has changed our relationships with our parents, siblings, friends, neighbourhood and even pets.

Although there are some downsides, student living is awesome, for the most part, because we choose how to live. We decide what to eat, when we come home each night, who comes over and when they leave. These choice are usually different than how we lived at school and our parents may not agree with how we live your lives … and this causes conflict.

So what can you do to make it work?

Talk to your parents

You’re an adult now, so if you want your parents to have mutual respect for you, you’ve got to act like one.

Find out what your parents expect of you. For example, maybe your parents can agree they don’t care when you get home, but you have to call if you’re going to stay out past a certain time. Ignoring these expectations will only cause your family to treat you like a child again. Your rebellious teenager days are supposed over, remember?

And there will likely be similar rules which need to be discussed: Can your significant other sleep over? Can they sleep in your bed? If you’re still underage, are you permitted to drink alcohol in the house with their permission? When is it too late to play music loudly: 9PM? 11PM? Never? What time should guests leave the house?

There may be multiple rules you must follow, or you may be incredibly lucky and not have any at all. Regardless of the number of rules, there are certain tasks you should do while living at home to illustrate how university helped you grow up.

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This article was written by Danielle Lorenz

Danielle Lorenz is the Editorial Assistant ("Eggtern") at TalentEgg. She has also been an Assistant Editor for the Career Incubator as well as a long-time contributer. She's a recent McMaster Alumna, having completed a second degree in English with a minor in Indigenous studies, and has previously completed a combined honours degree in Anthropology, and Cultural Studies and Critical Theory. She has been involved in numerous activities at Mac, including Welcome Week, the McMaster Students Union, the McMaster First Nations Student Association, and MacInsiders, an online news and information website for and run by McMaster students. This fall she will be embarking on a new journey at a new school, when she goes to Carleton University to begin her MA in Canadian Studies with a focus on Indigenous Studies.