what i got was life skills based on those with handicaps and what expectations were for living life independently. Not. though interesting and useful as a low bar guideline.
then i found a few articles on what was know as “emerging adulthood” as a new category of life, like childhood or adolescence. Interestingly, my daughter will be considered an emerging adult for a decade. really?
i felt the same way, but i wasn’t given training wheels. I was out on my own, needing to figure it out and not having a clue, but learning quickly!!
if there was a victory, while she was home over the holidays and she realized how often she had to turn to me for money, she realized how reliant she is on me for everything. at school, those things are provided and with her job (and a monthly budget from me) she has some spending money. While home, I think she realized how fast the money was flying out, for gifts, travel, trips, meals, clothing and I think she finally realized how much it all is. At least she mentioned it.
I think learning how to pay for yourself, and live within your means is the most adult thing there is to learn.
If you want a certain lifestyle, you must figure out how to financially afford that lifestyle. This includes “growing up” and realizing what the adult world values, even if we don’t. I think learning about the value system, the economic system and how to bring value while reconciling that with your own values is an important part of growing up.
There is much to learn, always about life. Especially when the rules change and we live in such a destabilized time.
Life is more complex. Because the pace is so fast. It does take longer to learn how to walk through it all. But how to learn how to do that: just doing it is learning. Experiential learning. Preparation beforehand. Guidance while learning.
