As a parent, it can be a little daunting knowing that your child will be living on their own in an apartment for the first time.

It may be a little weird at first, but your child will make the transition just fine.

After all, they’ll have friends around to help ease that transition and make it feel like a real home!

Living with roommates can be a great experience, or it can be a learning experience.

Here are some things your child should keep in mind before they get situated in their new apartment.

Living With Friends Is Beneficial

Having a roommate that you’re great friends with can be an amazing bonding experience.

If your child is concerned about moving into an apartment with a person they don’t know very well, they can look at it like an opportunity to make a new best friend. Living with another person means that you’ll be spending late nights and early mornings in the same place, so it’s a chance to get to know someone and have some fun.

Setting aside time in each of your schedules to chat about your day (or week) and share a meal is a super easy way to strengthen that bond.

But if your child’s roommate is someone they already know, then having regular meals together can be an experience on its own.

It’s a chance to learn a little more about each other while doing something enjoyable (and it’s a team effort)!

Click here for the ultimate guide on living with roommates!

Roommates Help You Learn

Living with someone besides your family for the first time can teach you a thing or two about how to compromise with another person.

If your child is a night owl and has trouble keeping their things organized, but their roommate is tidy and an early bird, then it will be important to communicate and figure out a system that is going to work best for the people in the apartment.

At home, the rules are understood and some things may be acceptable.

For example, leaving dirty dishes in the sink until there are enough to wash at once.

While your child may be used to this system, their roommate may prefer to keep the sink empty.

An easy solution is to have each person wash their own items when they’re done using them.

The same can be done with cleaning bathrooms, buying common groceries, or even taking out the garbage.

Set Ground Rules

Your child may also want to think about policies within the apartment, such as having guests over.

If your child prefers to go out rather than have others over, that may not mean their other roommates feel the same way.

They may wish to host parties or have friends or partners spend the night every so often.

Managing this is simple: just work out a system with those roommates as to how those situations should be handled.

Communication is always the best practice—it ensures that everyone is on the same page, and that no one feels uncomfortable in their home. 

While these are some of the common things to consider when signing a lease with others, your child should still think about what they want and not feel obligated to go along with the opinions of their roommates.

They may have specific concerns, and they can always ask Mom and Dad for advice!

Photo by Noémi Macavei-Katócz on Unsplash