Moving home for the summer after college certainly has its difficulties. With these five tips, you can avoid the most common reasons for strife. (And yes, some of this is from personal experience). Good luck!
1. Put your shoes “where they belong.”
This is to save you from the torment of being rousted from your comfy position by a pissed-off parent insisting that you move your shoes from the convenient and un-obstructive little corner you tucked them in to “where they belong” which roughly translates to “where your parents think you should put shoes this week.” Actually, it may be best to not leave anything of yours outside of your designated space (if you even have it after being gone a year).
2. Get a thick skin.
This is to survive all the “teasing.” It is unavoidable and inevitable. Maybe you misheard someone, or tripped, or just had a complete brain fart, but teasing will most definitely ensue.
The length of time of this teasing is indeterminable. It may be for as little as a few minutes or it may become an inside joke and last the rest of your life. Pretending to laugh it off (or actually laughing it off) will help you avoid unnecessary conflict. And be warned, in this new age where parents have access to social media, your foibles may appear on the internet for the whole word to see.
3. Wash that pot/pan.
It does not matter if you have just finished cooking and are still eating, if one of your parents goes to the kitchen to find a pan soaking in the sink, all hell will break loose. It is far better to cook your food and immediately wash all pots, pans, spatulas, spoons, etc. while your food gets stone cold.
Then make sure that once you start eating you do not leave your food for any reason. Your parents don’t care if you just ran to answer the phone or check what the dog is doing. They will throw away the rest of your food and then complain about having to constantly clean up after you.
4. Don’t fight with your siblings.
Now, this one only applies if you have siblings, and it does seem a little like a no-brainer. However, it is definitely easier said than done. My advice is to always take the passive-aggressive and petty route.
Did your sister move all her clothes into your closet and now refuses to take them out? Never fear, pettiness is here! There are a couple different ways you could play this one: you could slip some of the clothes into her laundry basket or her closet every day until they’re all back, or you could wait until she’s gone for the weekend and put all of your stuff in her closet and see how she likes it (this one will probably make you feel more vindicated but is certainly less likely to actually work).
Did your brother steal all your sports equipment? Don’t worry, just sneak into his room when he isn’t home and steal it back, then steal a few extra things and leave them hidden around the house. It is important to remember that if you get in a huge fight and parents have to intervene, your siblings will win. Your parents have been living with them all year, and that changes things. They also are in better practice for getting what they want.
5. Get a job.
Do this immediately. Try to find something that is full-time, with overtime, so you are home as little as possible and do not run into the above problems. Also, if you don’t get a job or take too long to find a job, you run the risk (and a high risk at that!) of being called a “freeloader” every five minutes.
Moreover, the more you work, the more time you are away from home, which means when you are home you can try to really appreciate the time with your family. Because, after all, you love them and they love you.
While these tips certainly do not cover all the issues that pop up, they will certainly help. Now take a deep breath, forget how aggravating your family is and smile! It is summer, after all.
