So, I’m ‘the grown up’ then?

[TheTeethingPoo]

I’ve managed to get to my thirties and only this week have I realised I’m ‘the grown up’.

When perusing the new eyebrow bar in the bus station in town, two teenage boys of about 13/14 were lurking nearby:

Teen 1: ask that woman there

Teen 2 shuffled over to me: ‘excuse me miss, I’ve lost my bus pass and I’m not sure what to do’

My mind couldn’t believe that 1) I was the woman, 2) he called me miss and 3) trusted me to fix a problem.

I also was thinking ‘how the fuck should I know? Maybe I should phone my mum?’ Instead I asked if he’d been to the help desk, and walked him over to the help desk to see if it had been handed in. Suggested calling a parent for a lift (both working apparently). Convinced the help desk to give him a free pass to get the bus home and told him to leave his name and number (and parents name/number) with the help desk in case it’s handed in.

He left me with a little wave and a ‘thank-you miss’.

So, it’s official I’m ‘the grown up’. I’m now supposed to have the answers for the youths in my mind I’m still 17!!

What moment made you realise you were ‘the grown up’?

It should be noted, I had my 6 month old with me but even becoming a parent didn’t shock me into grown-up mode

My DH is a much adultier adult than me. When I panic I can ring him and he usually knows what to do. I feel old when I realise how long ago things actually were - I ran into a childhood friend and realised it’s 25 years since we used to hang out. That seems like ages but feels like yesterday! Oh, and when I realised I’m now older than my first boyfriend’s mum was when I met her - I remember thinking she was ancient!

OP I’m afraid I’m more paranoid than you and my first thought would be that the teens were trying to scam cash from me for “bus fare”.

New job as middle leader in secondary school - all senior staff called off-site to deal with an incident whilst I was in a meeting with a parent. Come out of meeting to realise that despite only having been in role a month I'm the most senior grown-up on site.

I'm mid 40s, divorced, home owner, parent of teens and responsible for 200 teenagers at work yet this was quite a revelation