Survey: Most Say Adulthood Begins at 26

University of Chicago / Associated Press (via Yahoo News) ^ | 9 May 2003 | Martha Irvine

[CounterCounterCulture]

According to those surveyed, the average age someone should marry was 25.7, and the age for having children was 26.2

Little bit of a disconnect here... ;-)

[Dog Gone]

bump

[coloradan]

Well the Million Morons certainly agree - to them people of age 0-25 are "kids," as in "13 kids a day are killed by guns."

[sirshackleton]

woohoo! I still got one more year!

[RogueIsland]

Cool. Now I don't feel like such an old-timer anymore.

[k2blader]

Most respondents considered parenthood the final milestone needed to reach true adulthood.

Lame.

[workerbee]

For categories other than marriage and having children, the average ages were: financially independent, age 20.9; not living with parents, age 21.2; full-time employment, age 21.2; finishing school, age 22.3; and being able to support a family, age 24.5.

These seem all out of whack to me. How can you be financially independent prior to full-time employment? How can you be considered financially independent if you still live with the folks? I guess it's all a matter of definition. I moved out at 20 and thought that was too old... I've never understood people living with their parents into their 20s, 30s, even more -- just seems unnatural to me.

[husky ed]

I'm 44.

Most people that know me, say their still waiting for me to reach adulthood.

Which I think is a good thing.

[FITZ]

Growing up too late is probably worse than growing up too soon. I wonder if those who expect their parents to provide for them until they're almost 30 ever are very financially independent.

[LizardQueen]

I agree. I was out of the house early, too - went to college at 16, graduated at 19, was working full time the fall after that after goofing around during the summer. Never moved back home until 2 years later when I went to a 6 month training course in their area to change careers, and a week after the class was over I was out of there again.

Some of the places I lived in until I got my feet under me were real dumps, but it was really important to me to be independent and not rely on money or other support from my folks.

I'm kind of glad I don't have kids, the idea of one living with me until it's 30 really bugs me.

LQ

[John Beresford Tipton]

At what age can we claim to be in our "second childhoods"
and thereby have our otherwise outrageous behavior excused?

[AlaninSA]

Great survey.

I'm glad to know I wasn't a grown up when I was a 1LT company XO and sweating my tail off in the Mojave.

[CounterCounterCulture]

Most respondents considered parenthood the final milestone needed to reach true adulthood.

The way things are going in my life, I'll never reach adulthood under that definition.

[CounterCounterCulture]

How can you be financially independent prior to full-time employment?

No kidding.

[NYFriend]

You can be employeed full time and not financially independent.

[w_over_w]

What if don't remember your mid to late twenties?

[el_chupacabra]

I'm kind of glad I don't have kids, the idea of one living with me until it's 30 really bugs me.

It is interesting just how different our opinions are. I did not get married until I was 27 and we didn't have our first child until I was 30.

Here I am at 35, with two kids, hoping we can have more and somewhat brokenhearted that we did not start our family earlier.

I look back at my early 20's and just cringe at how much time I wasted in meaningless pursuits because I was "still a kid."

[CounterCounterCulture]

No kidding.