Whether you move back because you have to or because you love your hometown and have cool folks, there will always be some degree of adjustments. Here are a few coping strategies for a peaceful co-existence:
Your parents, probably, have private zones in their home, as do you. Make it clear to your parents that your room is yours and theirs is theirs, and that while you appreciate your mother’s offer to wash your clothes, you’d prefer to do it yourself. This also creates a physical area where you can go when you need time away from your family—which, believe us, you will.
It should be alright to bring friends over as long as you respect your parents’ wishes. The issue is that it may feel extremely intrusive while leading an adult life but this one sort of comes with the package. And continue to go out on a regular basis. Remember that this living situation will not be forever, so keep your social life as normal as possible.
If you’re unemployed (thanks, unpredictable job market) or going through a breakup, you just want time to sulk and be by yourself. You don’t need to be concerned about when you’ll get your life together. You are totally capable of making decisions about your future and coping with it in whatever way you see fit. So make it clear in a polite but direct way, that you are pretty good at managing your own life.
Doing the dishes before being asked or helping make dinner once a while has a long payoff. Sit down with your parents and decide what chores you’ll be in charge of, how regularly you’ll make supper, and whether or not you’ll contribute to the household expenses. Also, having an agreement will stop any ‘you never do this’ conflicts. And trust us, this really helps smooth out a lot of wrinkles.
To be honest, treat each other like roommates because that’s exactly what you are. This period of your life is extremely different from the one in which you lived with your parents, and a smart approach is to agree to treat each other like roommates rather than parents and children. It puts you on a more equal footing than you would have been otherwise! Living with your parents is a two-edged sword, and a few thoughtful habits can go a long way toward making this a healthy situation.