Focus on the Family Magazine - August/September 2023

ADULT KIDS / HACKS & FACTS
Helping Them Move
‘WHAT CAN WE DO?’
My husband and I have five adult children. We’ve helped them
move from across town to across the country, as needed. Each
time, we asked them, “How can we best help you?”
When our son Michael first moved out, he asked for everyday
household items. I rummaged through our cupboards and
found much of what he needed, even as I gained storage space.
Sometimes our children’s requests required more of us than
giving dishes or babysitting the grandkids. When our daughter
Amy’s husband was deployed to Afghanistan, she stayed with
us. On his return, he was transferred to North Carolina. We
asked Amy how we could help her join him.
She replied, “Could you drive a U-Haul?”
Each move required something different from us, so it was
always best to ask.
—Teresa Olive
our moveout
account
In the year following
my son’s high
school graduation,
I secretly started a
“moving out” account
for him. To help him
adjust to adulthood
and the idea of managing
monthly budget
responsibilities, we
charged him a small
amount for rent. He
didn’t know the rent
money was set aside
to accrue interest.
When the time came
for him to move out,
I took him shopping
with the saved money.
Purchasing the essentials
helped set him up
in his own apartment.
—Pam Fields
In 2022,
56 %
of adult children
ages 18 to 22
lived with their
parents.
source:
U.S. Census Bureau
hands-on help
When our first child moved out for college, the biggest help my husband and I could offer was moral support and
to just be available to answer his questions. Once he graduated and found a job, we again answered questions
and offered advice when asked. We arrived with a van full of unassembled furniture as his graduation gift, and we
helped pack the final boxes from his apartment and move him to his new apartment in a new city for a new job.
Then we spent two days helping to put furniture together and having dinners out with him while he got settled.
—Tricia Couffer
STUDIO FIRMA - STOCKSY
24
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY CANADA
AUG / SEP 2023