Time to Leave the Nest
How to Help Your Teenager Move Out
Written by Glen Steinson (www.MoneyManagersForOurMaster.com)


As the years go by and our children grow up, it’s with mixed emotions that we have the opportunity to watch them finish high school and prepare for their future. For some, post secondary education is the next step on the path to their chosen career and that may involve moving to another city and leaving the nest behind. The comforts and security of home will be replaced with a new world full of excitement, anxiety and challenges as they forge ahead and start their life as a young adult.

Over the past few years, my wife and I have had numerous discussions with parents whose kids were in grade twelve and preparing to make the transition. Time and time again in the conversations, it came up that they were really struggling with what to do about their living arrangements. More often than not, the easy answer for the student is to apply for acceptance into residence. What’s not to like? You get a decent sized room, it’s only an eight minute walk to morning class and some even include meal plans and weekly housekeeping!

Although it seems ideal on the surface, most on-campus housing consists of co-ed buildings overflowing with young people who are away from their parents for the first time and foolishly experimenting with both alcohol and intimate relationships. This environment can be toxic for anyone who desires to live their life for the Lord and remain faithful to Him. Unlike television, when the ungodly influences are daily testing ones steadfastness, it can’t be turned off with the click of a button.

We have thought long and hard about where we would like our children to live once they reach post secondary age and have often suggested the following advice to others;


Contact churches in your area

Ask the secretaries if they know of anyone in their group who is heading off to the same college or university as your son or daughter. If a suitable match exists with two or more others, all kinds of possibilities can open up. Make arrangements for your families to get together for coffee or a meal so everyone can become acquainted.

If personalities mix well, explore the options of having them look for a place together. One of the challenges facing landlords is trying to lease rooms to applicants who would make good roommates. If you make the inquires in unison, it can be a win-win situation. The landlord has tenants who already know each other, and your son or daughter doesn’t have to worry about who will be in the room next to them.


Contact churches near the school

Once again, the best contact that you can make is the faithful secretary who answers your phone call. If there is anyone in their congregation who rents out an apartment or townhouse, they will know about it. Sometimes there is a bachelor space available in the basement of someone’s home, already furnished and waiting for a good tenant.

Others may offer room & board where your child would have their own private bedroom but share the rest of the house with the owners. Instead of preparing dinner for themselves, these arrangements often include being together for the evening meal. A lot of times, these spaces are only advertised by word-of-mouth and are missed by not speaking to the right people in the rush to find a place. Sometimes it’s better to pick up the phone rather than the classified ads of the local newspaper.


Utilize the internet

One of the best ways for your teenager to begin searching for their ‘home away from home’ is to look online. Just like any other subject you may be interested in, a quick Google search using specific keywords brings up links to an assortment of web sites that might yield useful contacts. Rich with both detailed explanations and numerous pictures, landlords in every state and province have posted information about their housing for everyone to see.

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter can also be used effectively. In only a few minutes, you and/or your child can post messages asking online friends if anyone knows of any Christian landlords near the school. You might be surprised to find out who else has gone there and can give you a name, address and phone number of a place they lived.


Regardless of how you and your teenager go about trying to find that perfect place to live, be sure to make the housing search an opportunity to grow closer together. In just a few short months, when the boxes of clothes and books are being packed, you’ll wonder where the time went and how they grew up so fast. Once they leave, the nest will have a little extra space.