Life Skills

Does your son or daughter feel that they are ready to cope with the day-to-day challenges of managing their own home? The best time for a young person to acquire the skills required for independence is when they are still at home - it’s an opportunity to get some practice, make mistakes and ask questions in a supportive environment.

Life skills include practical tasks (sorting and washing laundry, cooking etc) and emotional skills (coping with feeling lonely for example). People come up against challenges at all ages, even when they have been living alone for some time; young people are more likely to find success in their own place if they are confident that they can take care of themselves.

Working through this checklist together is a good start:

Money Matters

How much?!!

Can your young person afford to move out? Financial difficulties can cause all manner of problems - from stress to homelessness. Help your young person to find out what type of accommodation they can afford, and what kind of lifestyle they can reasonably expect to have. Be clear with them about whether you are able to ‘bail them out’, and be clear with yourself about how much (if any) money you are prepared to contribute.

Who’s paying?

Some young people will be entitled to claim state benefits - particularly if they are looking for work, studying or are on a low income. However, not all young people are entitled to claim. The benefits system can be complicated, it’s worth getting some expert advice from the Council, CAB or Jobcentre.

Paying board

It’s reasonable to expect young people to contribute to the household’s finances if they are living at home and receiving a regular income.

How much you ask for will depend on what they earn and what you need - show your child the utility bills and cost of grocery shopping so they can see what they are paying for!