Adjusting to The Economy: Can You Go Home Again?

All across America, people are having to drastically cut back on their living expenses as jobs are being lost and the cost of living and expense of basic health care goes up. While slow inroads are being made to improve the national financial situation, most people are still faced with the day to day crisis. The nation is returning to the socio-economic scenario of the WWII era – we are all returning to the hearth of origin, moving back home with dear old Mom and Dad.

Whether you are simply a recent college graduate who hasn’t lived at home for the four-five years it took to earn your degree, or a young professional who has been away for twenty years, it is a difficult adjustment. When living with roommates, there are always compromises to be made. When you live with Mom and Dad, those compromises can seem more like hard and fast rules, almost like walls you have to bang your head against. That feeling can be exacerbated by the sense of defeat that occurs before you even reach the decision to move home. You went out into the world, tried to make a go of it for yourself, and feel as though you failed. It is an understatement to say it is difficult to look at yourself and the situation positively.

To quote Elbert Hubbard, “There is no failure except in no longer trying.” We’ve all heard something similar but one of the reasons its such a common sentiment is that it happens to be true. Remember that by moving home, you have not failed, you are doing the thing that is best for you right now. Though they may drive you crazy and still think of you as a child, your parents understand. If you ask them about their history, I’m sure they have their own stories to tell about how their parents and/or extended family helped them out of a jam. I cannot emphasize enough that you are not alone in this particular circumstance.

Okay, so we’ve addressed the sense of defeat that comes before moving in. That is probably the easy part. The hard part is making the adjustment. Whether you are single and have lived alone, married and bringing the spouse along, or divorced, getting used to living with the folks is going to be a bit rocky. Brace yourself – the way that you brace yourself is to keep it in the forefront of your mind that no matter what these people love you.