The family is the most important aspect of our lives. It is from family where we are able to define ourselves. We learn various aspects of our lives such as a sense of responsibility, how to love and care for each other (Larsson). In today’s world, it is common for family members to live far apart from each other. A family member can get a job in a different city away from home or go to college in a different state. We all have lived at home with family especially when we were young. Parents or guardians took care of us when we couldn’t live alone. There are various aspects which one should consider before deciding to move out of the parent’s home. Living with parents has its own advantages and disadvantages and so does living alone (Wall).
When you live alone you get to enjoy more freedom than when living with family (Wall). Parents will always monitor what you are doing. They will want to know where you are going, for how long you will be gone and who you are with. They will even decide what you should wear. Living alone, on the other hand, one is able to exercise a lot of freedom. You can always go anywhere you want without asking for permission. One can stay out as long as you like and answer to no one (Vespa).
You can make your own choices such as what to wear and how to arrange and decorate your house. In the family, the house is mostly as per what the parents want. They may dictate on how things should be done at home. While living alone one has the freedom to throw or attend a party till late unlike while living at home; one has more freedom alone than while at home.. When living alone one can host friends anytime you want without asking for permission (Wall).
Staying with the family helps one to save money. Most of the domestic expenses are usually covered by parents at home. They pay for most of the bills such as food, electricity, water, clothes, pocket money and medicine. They provide the daily basic needs such as food and shelter. When one decides to live alone, the bills become your burden. You are required to pay for everything from rent to the plumber who may come to fix the sink or the washroom. It is expensive since you will have to meet all the expenses by yourselves and not rely on your parents for provisions (Vespa). At home, you have free meals made mostly by the mother or other siblings unlike when living alone one has to cook every time with no one helping around. One has to do all the housework. At home, chores are usually divided and made easier.
However, when living alone one has to do all the house chores alone. The bed has to be made, laundry cleaned and the dishes washed. This can be overwhelming especially when one has to work or study. You come home tired and have to cook and clean all by yourself. At home, food is always ready by dinner time and most of the house chores are done by the parents and the other siblings (Wall).When one lives alone, the dependency on parents reduces. One gains a sense of responsibility. You choose how to live and make your own decisions (Larsson).
At home, parents most influence our decisions and depend on them for almost everything. One expects them to provide for the family and meet all their needs (Vespa).
One will never become self-reliant as long as you living at home with family. In life, one has to become independent and self-reliant since parents and guardians will not always be there (Larsson). Parents will always be giving you advice every time even when you do not need it as long as you living with them. When living alone one is able to learn many things. You learn how to be responsible and how to manage your finances. You make your own decisions based on what you want and not what your parents or guardians dictate. Living alone also helps to relieve the parents the burden of taking care of you on a regular basis (Wall).
Living alone in comparison to living at home is lonely. At home one has the privilege of sharing the house with his or her parents and siblings. They keep each other company, watch movies together, make stories and even prepare meals together. However, living alone is lonely. One misses the privilege of family company. There is no one around to talk to in the evening and share thoughts. At home, the parents are always there and the other siblings for emotional support. They provide a shoulder to lean on when one has a bad experience unlike when living alone where one has to deal alone (Wall). The neighborhood set up is much different as compared to when one moves to rent a place in the city. At home, one knows the neighbors well and can rely on them in case of emergencies. When living alone one is prone to robbery and insecurity is high. One may not know the neighborhood well and the neighbors (Larsson).
Both living alone and living with the family have both there advantages and disadvantages. However, it is clear that living with family holds more water given that its advantages outrides those of living alone. Even though living alone may teach one to be responsible and also provide freedom, living with family ensures security, family company, sharing of costs among other things.
- Larsson, Kristina. “The effects of marital and parental status on informal support and service utilization.” Journal of aging studies (2004): 231-244.
- Vespa, Jonathan. “America’s Families and Living.” Population Characteristics (2013): 1-34.
- Wall, Richard. “Leaving Home and Living Alone.” A Journal of Demography (1989): 369-389.
