We have a crisis on our hands. We have twin daughters who are 27 years old who are still behaving like rebellious teenagers....which is why I got your ebook on teenage problems...because that is how they have been behaving for some time now. Even years we think.
We want these girls to move out of our home by 1st March. They are not paying us rent ....they are not helping with anything around the house. We live on a dairy farm and they say because they were born here and they love the place. They just want to stay here and feed a horse, a dog, and 3 cats.
Just lately they have been taking away belongings of theirs and selling them. We are starting to think they even may be taking some of our things but cannot be sure. They both have an applied science degree - one has it in Landscape Management ...the other has it in Resource Management. So they are not inarticulate by any means and have been given opportunities.
One has spent over a year overseas in Britain - the other had not earnt enough to go. Looking back perhaps we should have lent C_______ the money to go on an overseas working holiday with her sister as things have not been that good since N____ returned from overseas in June 2004… having spent about 18 months away from her identical sister.
Christine did not ask us for money at the time .....did not appear interested. Although she was always happy for her sister and seemed to relive the traveling as her sister relayed it to her by phone. Back in about September last year we invited local policeman to come and have a chat with them – this has not worked and they just treat the law and the justice system with no respect. We served a trespass notice on them - they ignored this. We locked them out, but they just set up camp on the farm.
We have offered them help to set themselves up in a flat ...offering to pay rent and bond for first month help them shift etc. They refuse to talk about it, walk away or hang up the phone.
They have an older sister 32yrs and an older brother aged 30yrs. He is a builder and got married in January 07.....they refused to go to the wedding and have not spoken to their brother and his wife for several months.
We allowed the girls back in the house for Dec. 06 and Jan. 07 Feb. 07...because we had some of their overseas relatives coming to stay for the wedding. The understanding was they move out on March 1st 07. I have been feeding them up until now. They have used our credit cards to charge up their cell phone. I think they may have been ringing up psychics ...which explains the need to top up their phone by large sums of money.
Our son has decided to give farming a go, so we will move out by 1st June 07. Girls say there is no way they are going anywhere. They say we are discriminating ...but they in no way are qualified to run the farm. They believe that every animal should live etc. And would probably let the farm go back to scrub. They are not facing reality in any way at all.
My question is "are we going to have to use the police as they refuse to even sit down & discuss anything "Or is there another way."
Thanks N.R.
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The answer to your question is a resounding “YES” – you need to file charges against your daughters. Clearly, the tail has been wagging the dog for too many years now. But you are definitely not alone on this matter.
The latest parenting challenge is dealing with emerging adults who have no intention of leaving the nest. Many 19- to 29-year-olds either return home after college or they've never even left home. The media refers to them as "Boomerang Kids." Parents are worried that their kids won't leave home.
Young adults are indeed becoming more difficult to coax out of their comfy childhood homes. Recently, the number of 26-year-olds still living at home has tripled! Here are the top 4 factors contributing to this change:
1. They Are Unprepared
They are overwhelmed or unmotivated to live independently. They would rather play it safe by occupying the family home, playing computer games and delivering pizza. These kids often grow up living the life of the privileged. Here, well-meaning parents provide their children with all the amenities congruent with an affluent lifestyle. The parents are focused on doing more for their children than what their parents did for them – at the expense of keeping them dependent. Kids don't move out because they've got it made!
When your financial generosity isn't combined with teaching kids how to become self-sufficient at an early age, we cannot expect them to automatically possess adequate life skills when they reach legal adulthood. How will they gain the skills to confidently live their own life when they haven't had the opportunity to do things for themselves?
2. They Are Cautious or Clueless
They are committed, but unsure how to discover their ideal career path. They approach college with the same trial and error mindset their parents had only to find out that it no longer prepares them for today's competitive world.
Parents do their kids a disservice by waiting until they are 17 or 18 before initiating career-related discussions. In our dynamic society where change is a daily diet, this is much too late! It's best to start young, at age 13. This stage of development is the perfect time to begin connecting the dots between what they love to do and possible career options. It can take years to prepare for the perfect career. Beginning early will help teens maximize their opportunities in high school and make college a much better investment.
3. They Have Personal Problems
They don't have effective life coping skills, have failed relationships or are grieving some other loss or wrestling with a challenging life event. If your teen is struggling emotionally, don't make the mistake of thinking it will somehow magically get better without an intervention. Tough love requires that you insist your adolescent get professional help so that he or she can move forward. If you don't know how to have that kind of conversation, consider getting help from a parenting expert.
4. They Have Mounting Debt
They've accumulated significant credit card debt and moving back in with their parents is a way to pay it off. According to the National Credit Card Research Foundation, 55 percent of students ages 16 to 22 have at least one credit card. If your teen falls into this group, make sure you monitor spending together online. Helping your teen understand how to budget and manage credit cards will be important for handling a household budget in the future.
Kids can't learn to manage money if they don't have any or if parents always pay for everything. If your offspring moves back home, I recommend you charge a nominal amount for room and board. As an adult member of your household, it's important for your young adult to contribute to household chores and expenses.
If the purpose of your child's return home is to pay off bills or a college loan, have a realistic plan and stick to the plan to make sure your young adult moves out of the house.
Determine Goals and Stick to Them--
Most parents enjoy having their children visit and will consider offering some short-term help. However, indulging an adult child's inaction does not help your son or daughter begin his or her own life. If your child defaults on your agreement, be willing to enforce consequences to help him or her launch into responsible adulthood.
