Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
It’s official. I’m moving back home with my mom. My current house, which I bought in 2022, has been on the market since August, and I may move before it sells.
The first question my friends asked was, “Why?”
The simple answer is that my mom needs me.
She’s 83 years old, and she was in good health until last year, when she started having trouble walking. She started with a cane and has now graduated to a walker. It’s become harder for her to stand up from a seated position.
While we were dealing with that, her hearing suddenly got much worse last May. Between the two, living alone has become hard for her.
My niece was home from college over the summer and was a big help, but she’s back at school now.
In a conversation earlier this fall, Mom told me she wants family close by.
All of this means it’s a new season for our family.
Why not move Mom in with me?
That was the next question. The short answer is that Mom’s house is the family house.
She and I bought it together in 2010, when she took in two more of her grandkids. Another grandson was already living with her, and the oldest grandson was living with me. We needed a home that could fit all of us without feeling crowded, and this house was a perfect fit.
It still is. When the kids come home from school or for the holidays, this house can hold everyone. My home is more updated, but it’s too small for that. I also want the kids to always have a place to come back to.
The other big reason is simple: Mom is comfortable in her own house.
What’s next
Right now, I’m figuring out the timing of the move and all the details. The family house also needs some decluttering and fix-ups, and I’ll share all of it here as it happens.
Since I wrote this, one conversation with my cousin turned this move into the first step of a much bigger family plan. You can read about it in Why I’m Planning a Multigenerational Family Home.
If you’ve moved home to care for a parent, how did you know it was time? Tell me in the comments.