Thursday, August 16, 2007

Home Alone

How old does a mom have to be before she gets to be 'home alone'? To what lengths will she go to be home alone?
Well, one mom in Sicily wanted to find out. She hauled her 61 year old son to the police station after taking away his house keys and refusing to hand over his allowance. His crime? Out past curfew! See Yahoo news story. How many of us are in similar situations, though? Our kids may be 17, 23 or 35, but somehow they manage to just stay. We have plenty of reasons why they need to be with us - can't get a job, keep a job, had a rough childhood, learning disabilities - and the list goes on.
The longer our kids live with us, though, the weaker and more dependent they become. We're doing our offspring no favors by giving them extended shelter - beyond the occasional emergency.
Ask yourself, can my kid make it on his/her own? Do they currently contribute to the household in a meaningful way? Have they gotten more helpful over time?
Interested in moving your son or daughter into independence in a healthy way? Would you like help? Check the sidebar and click on the StandUp Parenting link to find a parent support group near you - StandUp for yourself and let other parents StandUp for you!