Social Expectations of Adulthood

Grown Up Definition: 

adult, mature, of age, fully fledged, having reached one's majority, 

fully grown, fully developed, grown person, mature person

"EMOTIONALLY & MENTALLY MATURE"

Self-sufficient and responsible 

When we are children, there's always the question "what do you want to do when you grow up?"

Or there's always the phrase, "adult supervision" or "you'll have to ask a grown up"

 & the most overused four words in childhood are "When I grow up..." 

All of these phrases create this crazy notion that we all have instilled into us from a young age, that adults know everything, and have everything figured out.
That being an adult is FUN & something to look forward to!
(Hint: It's not)

We think that there comes a day when you just wake up and can say "I'm an adult now"- let life begin

But the line is a little blurry, because sure, you turn 18 and LEGALLY you're an adult.

But you're also still a teenager, who's probably poor and possibly studying, so even though you feel free and liberated and all that jazz, you still either live with your parents, or rely heavily on their income to help you pay rent, buy toilet paper and stock up on 3 minute noodles so you can eat.

So what about 20? Surely when you turn 20, you enter into adult hood and your ready, right?

Well- not quite. If you went to university after school then you're still at uni, and lets be honest, you still don't understand who you're voting for, what colours get washed with what or how to solve everyday problems on your own. So are you an adult yet? 

Aren't adults meant to have everything figured out? 

Kids are always planning what they want to be "when they grow up" and when they're "adults"
but it comes as a big shock to know that you don't just wake up an adult one day and walk into your dream job- you actually have to spend several more years at educational institutions to be qualified for said dream job and even then you still have to compete with another thousand or so people trying to get their dream jobs which just so happens to be the same as yours.


Basically- I don't think that even adults know how to be adults.
I think everyone is just thrust into this scary world where YOU are now the responsible one that makes the rules and you just have to go with the flow and hope for the best.
I think there are times when it really hits you, like when you get a mortgage, and when you have children of your own, and when you pay your own bills- you realise "Shit. I'm an adult."
& even then, although you might realise it, you still don't know what you're doing- and that's ok.
I think that even our parent's struggle sometimes, to know what to do or how to act or what to tell us.
I think even they sometimes question how to be an adult, because even they remember what it was like to be young and have your whole life ahead of you and call people older than them "old people".
We seem to think that being an adult means knowing everything- but really, that just comes with age. You don't get instant maturity, instant knowledge and instant wisdom.
You learn from experience, and then you accumulate a bunch of experiences that turn into knowledge, like changing a tyre, and buying the right brands, and what creams to put on what injuries- and you only know how to do these things because you've done them before.


So don't feel pressured and don't feel scared.
If you are 18 and over, then yes, you are considered an adult- congratulations!
But being an adult can be whatever you want it to be.
There is no rules that say you have to be self-sufficient and 100% responsible by a certain time.
You can still be immature, and childish and do stupid things.
There are no expectations of you, except for the ones you put on yourself.
If you're not ready to leave the nest- then stay.
You can't avoid growing up, but you can avoid being a grown up- if you really want to.


& just remember....

"You are not officially an adult until you buy your own toilet paper"

words to live by