Moving Out of Home

 Read more from Eva-Maria here

A 'traumatic experience' is something I've heard many parents and grandparents describe this as. Whether a teenager that lives with you, or one you know is moving out of their home, the feelings may all still be the same for all.

Many have heard of the 'empty nest syndrome'. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't think it's THAT bad. Provided the teen you know moving out is fully equipped to deal with dealing with everything that comes with moving out, it's actually OK, normal and not scary.

I remember the first time I moved out of home. Boy was I in for a surprise. Being a girl, perhaps, my inner clean freak came out during the first few months. I was constantly so pedantic about keeping everything clean – at least before it was my parents trying to get my brother and I to be clean to a degree, but now it was all up to me, and counting on other flatmates was not necessarily an option.

However, as this article is more for you, than it is about me going on about my experiences of moving out, perhaps the best recommendations I can offer is what to equip a teenager with before they actually 'leave the nest'.

Whether they're moving across the country, to another part of the city, or just down the road from you, the worry may still be there. However this is a test. Just like many parents worry when they haven't heard from their teen who went out to a party 5 hours ago, the topic of moving out simply boils down to trust. And it's not just the trust of letting them borrow your car, or trusting them that the dishes will be done when you get home, but it's the trust that you have equipped them with enough knowledge, and have given them a healthy psychology around what is right and wrong; knowing they will make the right decisions when you're not there to hold their hand in situations.

A number of things you can do to offer them support before and after they move that from my experience, and seeing teenagers who have moved out would probably agree with are:

Support them before they move

While it may be their decision to move because the bond at home is too high, or because they just got a job, or because they want somewhere closer to work, or anything else, you can help them with their flat hunting.

Although it's uncommon for teens to take their friends to view flats they are considering of moving into, the value you can bring is understanding the prices, the market, whether the flat comes furbished or not and the pros and cons of this, whether they will be getting a good deal for the size of the room they're thinking of moving into, and what suburb it will be. Go along to some of their flat viewings, or at least, keep an eye out for good flats being advertised online. Even if they don't admit it, they will value your input there.

Opportunity for spring cleaning

It's likely the teen won't be able to take everything they have from their home when moving. Perhaps this is the spring clean you've been waiting for! Make it a bonding experience by sorting out their stuff with them, deciding what they want to keep, trash, or take with them.

Help them understand the concept of rosters.

Perhaps it's something that was present in their house already, but making rosters and making sure everyone keeps to their tasks every week can be quite a challenge when living with people the same age. Suggest they have a flat meeting to decide on rosters and responsibilities – they won't have their parents to pick up after them once they move out!

Teach them to live on a tight budget

Perhaps it's something you managed to do well when you were flatting in the past, so help them grocery shop for the first couple of weeks, or at the very least let them know about how to make the most of the money they have. One of the big discoveries I had was realizing there were markets on Saturdays that sold good, fresh and cheap produce right in my town! What a fantastic discovery; so help your teen if you know of these places to make their dollar go further.

Lastly, make sure you keep sane throughout the process

You may find yourself fielding phone calls from them asking for some help with advice or even money – do what you can in the circumstances, help them out if you can, but most of all, enjoy this time – this teen will be learning valuable life lessons during the process, so just be there to love and support 😀