It is common practice for children to leave the family home when they turn 18, either to enter the workforce or continue their studies.
However, today, that is virtually impossible with the current cost of living crisis we are experiencing in the UK.
We struck gold when both of our children were accepted into local universities, which meant they could continue living at home.
The idea of charging them for excavations has not even occurred to us. The beauty of living at home allows them to focus on their studies and fully live a teenage life.
Why burden them with bills? Bills and mortgages are two burdens of life that you will not be able to escape. Therefore, while they are under our roof, we want them to have no worries.
Raj Gill says he does not charge Raj Gill or his daughter Karam, 21, or his son Jeevan, 19, any rent to live in his house (pictured, family together).
My children understand the value of money and both have a strong work ethic, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They have witnessed how their parents worked extremely hard throughout their lives.
And as soon as she came of age, my eldest daughter Karam got a job, she did not waste her earnings, she spent a little but saved a lot. This was another good example for my son, who is younger.
Karam, 21, is currently in university, she just started her fourth year, she spent the summer doing an internship and when she returned to university, the company kept her, gave her a part-time job and she also volunteers.
Jeevan, 19, is also currently in college, having just started his second year, working two jobs and also volunteering.
They are both good kids and barely have a free moment in the day, between studies, jobs, volunteering, sports, and family and friend commitments, they stay busy and active.
They work hard to earn money and understand its value. If they were the type of kids who wasted money maybe my attitude would be different.
Luckily they are not; They have consistently shown us that they are responsible. And they have no right; They rarely ask us for anything.
I just feel like there are enough pressures on kids these days, why would I want to pile on more?
We are currently a four income household and don’t get me wrong, I am one hundred percent sure that if a situation ever arose and we needed them to pitch in, they would both do it.
In the photo: Raj’s daughter and son Karam and Jeevan, who are currently studying in college.
This is your home, not a rented accommodation. It won’t be long before they need to become adults, and at least they will have some kind of savings to help them get on their feet.
To be honest, I don’t know how they will be able to climb the property ladder without the help of their parents.
Nowadays, things are getting more and more difficult for young people. Most of my children’s classmates are still living at home, rent-free, because they basically can’t afford to rent a place.
My first property purchase came about because I had a guarantor who allowed me to get on the property ladder and that plan no longer exists.
Hence the importance of allowing my children to save as much money as they can.
I also mean “my house, my rules”, can you imagine if I charged them rent and they started trying to assert their tenant rights?
Children have chores, and they always do, this was to teach them responsibility and help the house run as well as possible.
The four of us are very busy with work, studies, family responsibilities, so each one has to contribute their grain of sand.
And fortunately, we do not currently require them to contribute financially. It is much more important to me that my children earn their own money with a strong work ethic that will help them reach adulthood and build savings.
And we want them to know that they always have a home wherever we are, a home without economic conditions. That’s how I was raised.
Jeevan, 19, is also currently in college, having just started his second year, working two jobs and also volunteering (pictured, Raj and Jeevan together).
We are from South Asia and it used to be customary for a daughter to leave her father’s house to her husbands, thereby avoiding rented accommodation, because it was also customary for sons to continue living with parents, again without the financial responsibility of pay for housing. money, the long-term idea is that then the children will take care of the parents until their old age and inherit the property and money, etc.
I grew up with the notion that my parental home is also my home, no matter what the child is; It was also a rent-free environment. That is not having the right; That’s how I was raised.
My parents came to Britain in the early 70s and they had and still have a very strong work ethic, and as soon as we could, we worked alongside them. We grew up understanding the value of money and hard work.
It was a different time, all the families came together and worked as a team and kept a home. It’s getting harder and harder for young people today, and as a parent, I don’t want to stress my kids out by worrying about paying rent to live in their house.
Each and every family has different circumstances and we have to do what is best for our families.
I hope that my decision not to charge them rent leads to long-term financial independence.
And ultimately leads to a stronger family bond. It allows them to focus on careers that align with their skill set rather than taking any previous job just to make ends meet.
Financial stress can have a negative impact on mental health; we are allowing them to focus on professional growth, well-being and personal development.
Our hope is that we are creating a stronger intergenerational family bond.