Living with your folks

At 16 you have the right to leave home, but more and more young people in Britain are choosing not to. Cuts in benefits and the high cost of housing and higher education are the main reasons for staying put.

Without the financial burden of living away from home many young people use their income to buy things that make them feel more independent, including cars and holidays. They also spend more on leisure activities as a form of escape from the constraints of living with parents.

Genuine independence is developed as you take more responsibility for yourself and others. Some young people pay their parents for living at home. All can share in the cooking and chores.

Now is the time to start practising life skills you’ll need to survive on your own.

Experience: living at home

Every evening I have somebody to come home to. My mum makes me feel safe and loved. She helps me with anything she can. I only earn a small amount of money as I am working towards a modern apprenticeship so money’s tight. Mum don’t charge me too much to live at home so I help her by doing chores. It would be expensive to live alone in oxford. – Chrystal, 16, Oxford