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?

Driving a car in a different country to your own

I read that as DD removing her own appendix

Most of the time I feel like a total imposter, but the other day I went up the ladder and cleaned out the gutters (single storey house, I am not a budding steeplejack). Nodded to passing neighbours while I was doing it. I have never felt more adult in my life!

Not quite. But she did amuse herself as a medical student by practising taking her own blood when she was isolating while recovering from covid.

Noticing that I'm out of tinfoil/baking paper/sandwich bags and bin liners.

Adding them to a shopping list.

Driving!

I've drove for years but I still can't believe I'm allowed to.

Doing the MOT and tax on my car well before the last possible moment.

Dealing with the cat's 'gifts'

Taking my dc to appointments...doctor/dentist/opticians

Having a Costco card!

On a more serious note, my mum dying unexpectedly- felt both very childlike and very grown up in the aftermath.

Yep, me too: always just waiting for the hand on the shoulder and a stern instruction to move along.

I'm a 45-year-old middle class professional who lives rurally - could I be any more Grade A John Lewis demographic?! Yet the feeling persists... 😄

My OH and I recently set up a new company and receiving emails etc from our lawyers and accountants makes me feel like a grown up.

In my head, though, I will always be a slightly incompetent 24-year-old.

I changed a broken light switch the other day. That made me feel grown up! Until I asked adult DS if he wanted to have a go at switching it on and off and he just laughed and said no, then I just felt deflated 😂

It's mostly things like DIY/gardening etc for me. Being "in charge" of these things feels like a grown up responsibility.

Nothing 😆

I bought a trench coat, finally felt like a proper grown up.

Everytime I wear it I hum/sing/whistle the Inspector Gadget theme tune pretty much consistently so I'm not really fooling anyone that I am either grown up, sophisticated or chic.

But my Dad Whistles random shite all the time so maybe it is more grown up than I realise, but most older men just whistle random notes with no discernable tune. N.b. stop being so eager to say gogo gadget arms

Picking our grandson up from school.

Nothing. Lol. I still feel about 15. My body is probably about 95 though...

Is it available on prescription?

Having a child and the death of a parent

Well there's an idea!

Good one. I was going to say that one thing that made me feel like a woman rather than a girl was passing my test (first time at 17 - sorry have to keep saying that!) but driving an old Citroen 2CV in France without (too much) trouble was perhaps more important.

Paying bills

Making my kid's pack lunch boxes.
Feels like I'm a proper parent rather than just having babies if you know what I mean!

I remember the first time I felt like a grown up was when I bought my first couch in DFS. I got married a few months ago so I suppose that’s quite grown up.

Packing the DCs packed lunches also makes me feel like a grown up.

Saying “No thank you” when someone holds an open box of chocolates out and asks if I want one. Bollocks would I have done that as a kid 😆

Said to my DH recently that when I was younger I could never understand why my parents wanted to spend most of the weekend pottering about at home. Why didn't they want to go out to the pub with their mates and have fun like I did?
I now understand. And this realisation makes me feel like I've levelled up to "grown-up" 😂