August 2025
When you become 18 years of age in the UK, you are considered to be legally an adult but when the day comes, are you ready to function as a legal adult? Are you ready to take on the responsibilities that you will now have?
You have gone through the pains and confusions of puberty and have become a biological adult by age 16 ish. Hopefully you are fully clued up with the biological bit and fully understand the procreation bit and the powerful basic urges of human survival along with contraception and its negative effect on human survival 🙂
Becoming 18 years of age is a game changer for you and your parents. Up to you becoming the age of 18, your parents have many legal requirements. E.g.
- To ensure your health, safety and Welfare are provided to a good standard.
- To ensure you were educated to a good standard.
- To ensure that you were not doing anything illegal.
- To ensure that you were conversant with respecting yourself and others.
- To teach you to be self sufficient and to know that asking for help is OK.
In addition to the above, your parents would have been expected to provide you with a roof over your head and have imparted knowledge of how to prepare a meal and other life knowledge. So that you can become an adult and make mistakes that you learn from. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way.
When you become age 18, all this changes. It is now (legally) down to you to provide a roof over your head and make sure you are fed and clothed. Your health and welfare is down to you but if you are in full time education, you get a bit of a breather. Some of the bits about being an Adult get deferred.
You can go down to pub and buy your dad a pint 🙂
You can now Vote to help chose a government and you can be enlisted in the armed forces and be sent to fight in wars.
You are now expected to be self – sufficient and not rely on your parents but there will always be the “transition period”, a bit like a newly qualified driver.
If you are still in full time education and / or you are still living with your parents, you ought to try to contribute to the household expenses.
You will be expected to accept the differences in others and to treat others as you would be expected to be treated by others.
You will be expected to be a law abiding citizen who is tolerant of the differences in others but not necessarily agree with them.
How will you know if you are a law abiding citizen. If you break the law but didn’t know, ignorance is no defense.
Many / most laws don’t pass the “Moral Test” e.g.
If you do or want to do something and its good for you but bad for others then it isn’t moral.
If you want to do something and its good for you and good for others, it is moral.
The “Moral Test” will be conundrum through out your life.
Moral(s) has nothing to do with religion, its basically the difference between right and wrong when dealing with others.
What about “Individual Rights”, what are they and who bestows them? Individual rights are often ignored in the modern world.
Becoming a legal adult is a game changer, so much to learn, so much responsibility.
It is very likely that no one is ever ready to be a legal adult and many of us struggle with the responsibility and the extent of the knowledge needed. It’s a steep learning curve that can take many years to master and some never do master it. I have been an adult for more than 50 years and everyday is still a school day!
So do you feel ready to take on the challenge of being a legal adult?
It can be scary but if you have had the education, you will just “wing it” like all other adults. You will make mistakes and hopefully learn from them.
If you are still living with your parents, things can be easier but never forget that becoming an adult means you still have a lot of responsibilities and your parents no longer have any legal requirements for your health and safety etc.
It is unlikely that your parents will boot you out of the family home when you become a legal adult but that will depend on how much of a “burden” you have been. Never forget that your parents are only legally responsible for you until you are age 18. Most parents accept that it is a job for life and it doesn’t matter how old you are, you’re still their child until they or you cease to exist. Most parents will still want to care for you and make sure you’re safe and that you are doing OK, you will always be their baby but they will accept you are now an adult and need to make your own mark in the world.
Lets look at some of the basics.
- Can you prepare a nutritous meal from basic ingredients like meat, potatoes and vegetables.
- Can you prepare a nutritiuos meal using just pasta and vegetables.
- Do you have a basic knowledge of nutrition and what our bodies need to keep healthy.
- Can you plan ahead to ensure you get nutritous meals.
- Are able to launder your clothing to keep in it in good condition.
- Do you know how to store your clothing to keep it free from damp or insect damage and keep it in good condition.
- Do you understand why you need to keep your living space clean and tidy.
- Do you understand the concept of budgeting (Income vs Expenses).
Becoming an adult means that you need to start paying your way. If you are still living with your parents, it would be good to help out with some of the household expenses. Living on your own / sharing with a mate will usually cost a lot more. If you are in full-time education, getting a part-time job would help to pay some of the costs of living. Discussion with your parents about house rules now that you are an adult and what (if any) contribution will be expected. Never ever forget that your parents pay the rent or mortage on the family home and they make the rules! If you contribute your share of the rent or mortgage, you could be entitled to contribute to the house rules but if you don’t contribute, you are just a non paying guest and your parents are still providing you with a roof over your head.
Having discussions with your parents about what is expected of you, shows a sense of responsibility and respect. If you can keep them as your best friends, they can help you become a better adult that might make less mistakes. They won’t have all the answers any advice they offer doesn’t mean you have to follow it. It’s your life and you need to weight up advice based on years of experience against your inexperience. Most advice from parents will probably be from a view of keeping you safe from harm, that’s what a parents job is. It is difficult for parents to let their child become an adult because they have helped you grow from a tiny infant and have always done the best that they can to keep you safe from harm.
Generally most parents will not stop you from flying the nest and will help you as much as possible to “make it” in the big bad world but hopefully they will be there to catch you if you fall. Being a parent is a job for life. You won’t fully understand this until you become a parent yourself.
Becoming an adult is often a costly exercise, your parents won’t be handing you everything on a plate. You need to be gainfully employed or have your own business to provide you with an adequate income. With regards to adequate, it will depend on the lifestyle you choose. Some people choose the high life but don’t have enough income to sustain it so they succumb to the parasites who lend money to enable people to have what they want today and pay for it on a never ending tomorrow.
Neither a lender or borrower be, is a good maxim to live by.
With regards to income, you should ideally choose a job / career that you enjoy because if you like what you do, it isn’t “work”. Often finding a career that you enjoy that pays enough for you to live to your lifestyle is difficult.
If you find a job that you enjoy and it pays enough to let you live the lifestyle that you want, that would be awesome. If you work hard enough, your boss might be able to buy a new car next year 🙂
If you find a business opportunity that you enjoy and it pays enough to let you live the lifestyle that you want, you have cracked it. If your employees work hard enough, you might be able to buy that new car you want 🙂
You don’t need academic qualifications to get a job where you are paid handsomely, you mainly need to be good at your job and be better than most. Having an academic degree will usually get you started higher up the ladder and on a higher pay but not always. If your qualifications are vocational and the job demands that you are a good / skilled trades person that that can do the job well, you can still get a well paid job that gives you job satisfaction but it is fair to say that people who get their hands dirty generally don’t get paid as much as they should.
There are jobs out there that don’t need academic or vocational skills and the pay is unbelievable. E.g. Sports players, Politicians, Entertainers etc.
You might find that you are a brilliant salesperson that can “sell sand to Arabs” or you might be good in the “Futures” markets where you are able to predict what shares are going to do well and your gambling skills are awesome.
The world is there for you to survive and prosper. People that prosper generally don’t work hard, they work smartly. You just need to find your niche.
IMO, as an adult, your main goal in life should be the pursuit of happiness but not at the expense of the happiness of others. (can be difficult).
Life is gamble, it’s a numbers game that started when you were conceived (one of your fathers sperm got lucky, the rest of the millions of his sperm went to waste).
Life is also about choices, some will be awesome and others not. Learn from your mistakes and become a better person. Have no regrets, accept that mistakes are part of the learning curve. Failure means that you are one step closer to success.
Thomas Edison (inventor of the light bulb) apparently had some 10,000 failures before he had a successful light bulb.
James Dyson (inventor of the cyclone vac cleaner) took 15 years to perfect his product and almost went bankrupt several times before he was successful.
Richard Branson (Virgin) had many failures and close bankruptcies before he became successful. There are many other examples where determination and a refusal to be beaten can be found.
Much of adult life is about budgeting and finances because it is important. You need to be aware at all times how much income you need to live the lifestyle of your choice.
- How much does it cost to keep a roof over your head – Rent / Mortgage.
- How much does it cost to buy nutritious food to keep you healthy.
- How much does it cost in utility bills – Rates, Taxes, Gas, Water, Electricity.
- How much does it cost to keep you clothed.
- How much do you want to contribute to “savings”
When you know how much it costs to live, you will then know how much income you need from employment. If you are living on “benefits”, it will be harder.
You could adopt a simple lifestyle where you live “off the land” to find a roof over your head and you forage for food by eating plants that provide you with adequate nutrition and / or you catch, kill and cook wild life e.g. rabbits, pidgeons etc.
This lifestyle could make you happy and content but it might be lonely unless you find others that want to share this lifestyle e.g. “travellers” (Gypsies).
If you want a lifestyle that encompasses the modern technology, you will need money. So you will have to earn it or steal it 🙂 Honest people don’t steal.
You are not alone, most adults struggle at times to make ends meet and struggle at times to make sense of the world. Do the best you can with what you have. Help others and others will help you.
Try to be “benevolent”* but never ever should you ever be “altruistic”* because this means that you are living your life “for the greater good” and have been conned into thinking that “self-sacrifice” is good. Your life is just as important as any other human or animal but if you have children, that might be something to ponder. Life is everything death is nothing. You only die once but you live everyday and life is not a rehearsal, you only get one chance. Make the most of it and don’t waste it, don’t look back with regrets about the things you didn’t do. Life is like a river, it continues to flow and rarely offers opportunities twice.
You might hear the phrase “Carpe Diem” (Latin) which incorrectly translates to “Sieze the day” Dead Poets Society but a more accurate translation is “Pick from the day that which is best”. In principle it means “go for it”, don’t waste opportunities .
Benevolence e.g. You come across a person down on their luck. You have enough money and food so you “Share” your good fortune to help this person, give them “some” of your food and maybe some money in the hope it will help them even if its only in a small way.
Altruism e.g. You come across a person down on their luck. You have enough money and food and you give them all of your food and money in the hope it will help them. So you have now become the person down on their luck – self sacrifice.
There are many people in the modern world that want you to be altruistic because they are parasites that live of the “earnings” and hard work of others. They do nothing in return except collect “unearned” income that others have worked hard for.
The main parasites are Religious organisations, Politicians, Banks and Money Lenders but there many others who want to relieve you of your money.
The Government will rob you blind. You pay taxes on what your earn and what you save and what you spend. You have little or no control over this.
When and if you start making babies, this becomes a different ball game. If you are struggling with being an adult, becoming a parent is “life changing”. This little person(s) that you have helped to create will steal your heart. There is NOTHING that you will not do to make sure they are safe and you will do everything possible to make sure they are healthy and happy.
Are you ready for this? Most people aren’t!
As an adult, you can become a child anytime you want. Making mud pies, jumping in puddles and generally have no responsibilities and it doesn’t hurt to go back to those care free days occasionally.
Unfortunately becoming an adult means you have a LOT of responsibilities. How you cope with these determines the type of adult. You can become a “Self Leader” or you can become a “sheep” and follow the leader!
A good adage to keep in mind is “Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail so that others may follow”
Live long and prosper! Be the best of what you can be. Let happiness be your main aim and try to help others be happy but not at the expense of your happiness. If life as an adult is a bit of a struggle, talk with others. Sometimes just talking about your struggles with others will help.
Life is precious, keep yourself healthy, eat nutritoius food. You are going to snuff it one day and that day is not something that you can control, in the same way you had no control of when your life was created! Make the most of what you have, try to live in peace with your fellow humans and accept their differences. Make happiness your main goal in life but not at the expense of the happiness of others.
Contentment is good but trying to make things better is a good opion