4 Common Problems When Living with Family

Living with family can sometimes be more difficult than living with strangers. You love your family members, and that love can cause you to overlook many problems that should be dealt with earlier rather than later. Here are 4 common problems that you can try to address before they start:

1. Rent Is Late Coming

Some family members have no problem paying their share of rent long after it’s due. They figure that you can pick up the slack, especially if you’re the one working or has a “better” job. This can become a problem when you’re living with family, because you don’t want to kick them out. However, you’re not doing them any favors if you don’t hold them up to a high standard. You would expect no less from a stranger who’s your roommate. You should not encourage this behavior, because it may only cause them problems down the road, at a job or with other roommates.

2. It’s Harder to Forgive

It’s sometimes harder to forgive family members than complete strangers or friends. Problems that come up when living with family should be resolved and you need to forgive one another. However, this is much easier said than done. People hold grudges and this can lead to a family breakdown that can be hard to restore. Keep this in mind if you do live with a family member, and learn what works best for conflict resolution. Try to resolve issues quickly, and more importantly, forgive them.

3. Bills Aren’t Even

In addition to rent payments, bills are often a hot contention among family members living together. You may be cautious about energy usage or water conversation, while your roommate might take a more lax approach. When the utility bill arrives, you might argue as to what percent you should pay, because a 50% share may seem unfair. Also, one of you may not be home most of the time, while the other stays home. Trying to arrive at a fair percent to pay your utility bills in that case can be difficult and may lead to conflicts. The best thing is to resolve this issue upfront. Come up with ground rules on all usage relating to your utility bills, and hold each other accountable without fighting.

4. Someone Dislikes Pets

Do you own a pet, and does your family member merely tolerate it? Is it the other way around? It can be hard to have a pet lover and a non-pet lover under one roof. The pet will become a nuisance to the non-pet lover, and it will exacerbate any conflicts or be the underlying cause of many. If this is your situation, find ways to make sure that the pet is well-trained. This will help to make life go better for everyone living in the apartment and the pet. Also, whoever owns the pet should keep it and any living areas clean. This will help to prevent conflicts concerning pets.

Even with these problems, living with family can be a great idea. You can grow closer together and have someone readily available to come to your aide if you ever face trouble.