I knew a girl a few years ago I was dating that was having issues with her mother. The mother was charging her rent and a few other bills as well. It ended up taking almost her whole month’s pay and she couldn’t deal with it. I remember how unfair, I thought the mother was at the time.
When you’re young, your world view is very diminutive. It’s not until recently that I looked at that situation with a different lens. Her mother was a single woman with multiple children and my friend at the time was not in school and was working, so yes she should have been charged rent.
The point of the story is that I found, that when young teens are “babied” and are not ready for the real world, they’re not gonna just wake up and be ready. According to the New Mammoth Pew Research Report over one-third of Americans between the ages of 18 and 31 live with their parents. These 21.6 million individuals were not able to leave the nest due to reasons the The Atlantic broke into three categories: Economics, Bachelor’s Degree, and Bachelors. The article gives examples of the recession and the impact it had on people’s living conditions.
One argument why fewer people are not leaving home is because they are not prepared for the real world. Schools are not inducting the skills necessary for today’s leading jobs in business and other industries. Dereth Wood, Director of Learning, Policy and Strategy explains: “In today’s competitive and pressured business world, employers are crying out for problem solving skills and people who can analyze information and make decisions….
I believe that you can be a loving parent and set a standard for your children even at their early stages in life. I’m teaching my kids how to count money, and to put coins in a piggy bank to learn how to save money. Obviously, an eighteen year old should be already doing this, but if they are not going to college, then have a plan set in mind for them to follow. Parents should sit down with their children and have a clear understanding of is expected of them if they are going to live at home.
