What makes you feel like a real grown up?

[RealHousewivesOfTaunton]

I made a slow-cooked beef stew today. Slow-cooking anything is a feat of organisation and planning that makes me feel like the sort of "real" grown-up normally only found in paperback novels. I then ruined it by pretending I was a medieval publican serving stew to the travellers at my tavern, but I had a moment of feeling like an actual adult.

Going to parents evening is another one, especially when the teachers are younger than me.

What makes you feel like a proper grown-up?

Buying a new front door.
Writing a will.
Owning a garlic press.

Having a baby. I suddenly felt grown up when they not only allowed me to name the baby whatever I liked but they also allowed me to take said baby home.

Putting petrol in my car. I’m 53.

Dd removing an appendix on her own. If she's adult enough to be allowed do that, I must be grown up.

Drinking and enjoying a large glass of Merlot of an evening when I’m in on my own.

Drinking wine and discussing mortgages with people my age (or younger) at parties and feeling bored shitless and still 25 inside

Having a child is the ultimate one. Until I had Dd at 39, I literally was an overgrown student or something,,,albeit one with a full time job, career mortgage etc…life was laughingly easy. It isn’t now.

Inheritance.

Cleaning my kitchen last thing at night and admiring it once its all done!

Buying really good quality bedding

I’ll let you know when it happens, am almost 47 and still feel like I’m pretending…

Deciding to bake home made cookies/biscuits and having all the required ingredients in my pantry.

• getting in my car to drive and filling said car with petrol
• putting lipstick on.
• when I buy something and it says “ Transaction Accepted”
• when I go to work- I am an almost 60 year old GP and am still amazed by that

The first time I arranged for a window cleaner to come I felt incredibly grown up! Student/early 20s me would have left the windows dirty and spent the £8 a month on vodka

Using a proper shoulder bag
Driving on the motorway
Cleaning my skirting boards
Wearing a trench coat

Oh something about having a takeaway coffee cup feels very grown up too, even though I don’t like coffee so it will invariably be a chai latte or a hot chocolate inside

Apparently we're purchasing an Air Fryer at the weekend... he has had nothing but good reports about them

Selling and buying a house, completing all of the endless paperwork required was boringly grown up!
Spending money on new doors, wardrobes & fencing etc instead of frivolous things.
Being bone achingly exhausted from working, raising a family, keeping on top of the house and trying to maintain a social life alongside a few health issues also feels very grown up!

Dropping DC at school, ironing, buying furniture (?) and paying bills.

The first Saturday morning after payday. I get up at 6am, put petrol in the car, do the big food shop, get a stupidly over complicated coffee-to-go and then go and get my nails done.

Always makes me feel like I’ve got my shit together (I really don’t).

Also, signing documents/emails with my full name.

You can get stickers now! I use them and it's so much easier

Having a spare lightbulb cupboard and confidently knowing that I can find a spare for most bulbs in there when I need one.

Going on London Underground on my own.

I sit there on the tube all smug that I’m going in the right direction and everything…. without having to ask a grown up.

Also, knowing which bin to put out on bin day.
Proper grown ups with houses know that shit.

Taking my parents out for a meal.
Driving the routes I had to walk or cycle as a child.

Yes this!!

I have a professional job, house children and dogs but there is something about travelling around London on the tube that makes me feel so sorted and cosmopolitan! I don’t live in London (that’s probably obvious…) and only tend to visit for courses, always have that little frisson of excitement going in 😂

Checking my tyre pressures and using the little compressor. Neighbours always comment! Filling the washer bottle (bonnet up so more comments). Filling with petrol. All were DH's jobs till he became disabled.in