All it takes is one question and immediately your freedom feels compromised.
“Where are you going?” “Who are you going with?” “What time do you think you’ll be coming home?”.
These questions are not too pressing on freedom and not really that offensive. However, even the most simple question of concern from parents can immediately result in feeling bombarded and it occurs immediately when we step foot in our front doors and settle down for the holidays.
The beauty of living without our parents during the semester is having a firm grasp on our own freedom. But after the semester comes to an end, most, if not all of us temporarily flock back to our parents coop for the holidays and are required to obey the “my house, my rules” mantra. A motive enforced upon us by the ringleaders of the house: mom and dad.
Living back home with my parents has made me realize how drastically different my home life is from my school life for both positive and negative reasons.
The positive aspects of living back at home includes the fact that it reminds us how important family really is, mostly because of the obligations that the holidays include.
But believe it or not, your parent miss you when you’re away. So when you do come home, you’re viewed as their little munchkin they want to cater to, just like old times.
The bank of mommy and daddy is not usually for our greedy little university paws, but being home can sometimes bring out a few extra dollars while your home can go a long way. Twenty dollars does help on those cab fares. Also, as a “starving student” moving back home for the break provided me with the opportunity to eat real food.
Living back under our parents’ roof and having to check in after getting home from the bar to ensure our parents that we’re still alive is not something most of us are used to doing while living alone.
It seems out of the way to shoot a simple text updating them on your whereabouts.
The worst thing, however, focuses on privacy, and the fact that there is none. Someone is always hogging the living room TV or using all the hot water. Not to mention living back at home ensures that there is absolutely no ‘monkey business’, so the idea of bringing home that cute new ‘friend’ you met at the bar is quickly demolished.
In this case, being back at home you take the good in with the bad. They take care of your health and well being, so you make up a reasonable time for when you’re going to be home.
Although we do not have to check in with our parents on what time we are going to be home after Phil’s on a Wednesday night, responsibilities run deeper than just getting home safely. We become our own parents in making sure food is in the cupboard and that our clothes are clean.
Ultimately, being back at home is an escape from the stresses that university entails. They remind you of the family values that you grew up with and show the appreciation of what it’s like to run a good and stable household.
Hope you’re ready to become a starving student again.
