Independence isn’t as fun as it seems

“I am nineteen, almost twenty. My senior six vacation will be done soon and I am more than ready to join university and this means I will finally be free from my parents! I hate that I have almost no say about how my life is run, like I’m still a little girl.”Those are the words of Sumaya Dukure who still lives with her parents in Kabeza. Many kids her age have the same desire to be independent. They feel they are grown up and can live on their own and therefore do not want their parents making decisions regarding their way of life. However, does your longing for independence necessarily mean you are well prepared to move out?Consider Neema who left home at the age of 18. She left home because she felt her parents still treated her like a child and therefore did not consider her opinion in anything. “We always got into nasty arguments and wound up saying hurtful things to each other.”“When I was on my own, I still felt restricted in one way or another by my heavy work schedule and the constant shortage of funds. The urge to return to the comfort of my parents’ home came to me and on several occasions, I gave in. Maybe I just wasn’t ready yet.”Moving out of home can be very interesting because you suddenly feel free and ready to explore life without any ‘nagging interference from mommy and daddy’. What you should know is that there will be no one to prepare your meals or make sure your clothes are clean and pressed. If you leave home solely because you want to have more freedom, you are without a doubt bound to be disappointed. Therefore do not let your friends rush you into making irrational decisions. You may have solid reasons for leaving home but it takes more than just a craving for independence.