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A Tale of Two Homes

In the middle of May, when the flowers start to come out and the sun starts to burn, high school students everywhere begin to decide where they would like to spend the next four years of their lives. Will they continue to stay with their parents, still exempt from rent but at the same time living under someone else’s roof? Or will they give living on their own a try, with unlimited freedom but absolutely none of the comforts of home sweet home? This important yet very difficult decision millions and millions of people encounter every day could be very easy to get too involved in. The outcome of each situation must be weighed and measured accordingly in order to make the perfect decision.
The phrase “still living at home” brings up a mental image of an overweight middle-aged man who does not work and freeloads off of his family. Indeed this scares many teenagers into thinking they must leave home right away to avoid becoming something so looked down upon. On the other hand, staying home a little longer than some people can actually improve the relationship between parents and kids. The parent’s good influence on their child will have a lot more time to develop, therefore, causing him or her to grow up into a responsible, well-educated adult with excellent values and morals.
Most teenagers who choose to live with their parents eventually land a job to earn themselves a little extra money for weekends, personal expenses, and such. Although having a job while going to school can be stressful, there would not be any bills to worry about paying so the student’s work load would be considerably less, allowing the balance between work and school seem quite easy. The student has his or her family close by to lend a helping hand with things as well, so this helps them bring their stress level down and not worry so much about how to go about doing things. Freedom; something a teenager dreams about. Even though many people think living with their parents puts certain restraints on what they can and cannot do, sometimes parents can be surprising. Usually kids find that if they obey a set of rules and do what their parents ask of them, they will be trusted to have more and more freedom. In a sense, it feels good to be able to go out and do whatever one pleases while knowing that their authority figure will feel fine about it. It builds trust and character to be able to tell parents the truth about what goes on in a child’s life.
On the other hand, living on one’s own seems to be an entirely different story: no parents, no siblings, and hardly any authority. Most teenagers want this freedom more than anything, and most parents dread the day their children realize this. With family being nowhere near to advise and influence, it puts pressure on teens to decide things for themselves, which ultimately can be a good thing. Parents will not always be around when things get difficult, so living alone helps guide kids toward being able to outweigh the bad with the good. When they do become working adults, they would have already had at least some experience with the real world, making them seem far more prepared.
Obviously, living alone does require its fair share of work. Doing chores, taking care of bills, and struggling to maintain a certain GPA in school can be difficult, but teenagers gain tremendous satisfaction when they decide to actually settle down and be successful in doing all these things. Not many people are born with the ability to manage time and energy in an orderly fashion. It takes practice and patience, which living alone provides a person with plenty of. The work load may seem like a lot, but in reality it prepares students for what they will be experiencing when they get older. It teaches them about work and how it becomes a natural thing that must be endured if they seek to become successful in life.
The ability to be able to do whatever, whenever draws most teens to make the decision to leave home. Much like the forbidden fruit: clearly the wrong thing to do, but if the opportunity arises, why pass it up? It astonishes many people how easy getting caught up with having so much freedom can be, simply because of how easily attainable it is. Although on some levels, being one’s own boss can teach a valuable lesson. Deciding what will be allowed and what will not can bring a sense of independence. Whether it is deciding to study instead of going to that party, deciding to go to the library instead of a friend’s apartment, or just deciding to stay in and read a good book instead of being around some bad influences, the freedom to make decisions provides teens with the chance to be who they want to be, not what others would like for them to be. There will be no authority figure to even advise teens on what to do, much like there will not be when they become adults and lead their own lives. This puts them in the position to act more like adults and take responsibility for their own actions, good or bad.
For as far back as we can remember, children have been faced with the challenges and difficulties of growing up and deciding when to “leave the nest.” The most accomplished of these individuals are the ones who can successfully choose for themselves whether or not to move out, and when to do it. They think extensively, asking themselves if they want to carry on under their parent’s guidance for a few more years or if the unrestricted life of living alone sounds more appealing. This, being one of the most significant decisions we make, could impact both our friends and our family, and making the correct one will eventually prepare us a bit more for the long road of life.