What random tasks make you feel like a 'proper' grown up?

[BigBrownBoogyingBear]

I'm 48. I have two children (one with SN). I'm married. I've bought and sold a couple of houses. Learnt to drive. Been travelling. Worked and lived in London. Presented my work at international conferences. I'm now helping to care for my elderly parents (one of whom has dementia). So I've done a lot of the things typically associated with being an adult.

But the thing that always makes me feel like a 'proper' grown up is...marinading meat. Or squeezing lemon over fish. Whenever I'm doing it I get a frisson of...I don't know...maturity? Like the real grown ups are watching with approval!

Does anyone else ever feel like this when doing random, fairly mundane tasks? If so - what are they?

Separating out the rubbish into the three separate bins, and putting them out on bin night. I was thinking just last night as I did it, this must be what adulthood is.

Love this! I have nothing to contribute but I can completely relate 😂

Someone once asked me for an emergency sewing kit to repair a tear on a night out. I had one.😂

I have never hosted a dinner party - that would make me feel grown up. Especially if candles on the table were involved.

Always having a months supply of dishwasher tablets , washing up liquid and dishwasher salt in the utility .

I have a note on my list to top up .

Having "lists" is grown up too

Having kitchen things I've owned for 30 years that I still use.

Nothing makes me feel like a proper grown up even though I do most of the things mentioned. I can’t drive though maybe I would feel like a grown up if I could drive…

The day I lost my Mum. Nothing has ever made me feel as old as having no parents left.
I am no longer somebody's child. Just Mum wife adult sibling.

Just today I bought a World Cup sticker book in M&S and went off muttering “I don’t have a child, I AM a child” 😹 DD thinks I’m very childish, I say childlike, she’s 23 and I’m 66!

For reasons I don’t understand, pulling over to let an emergency vehicle go past, always make me feel like a grown up - check me out all grown being a considerate human etc etc. 😂😂

Same 😆
Feels oddly exciting to have to do an odd move unexpectedly on a boring journey.

Voting always makes me feel grown up.

Also booking holidays, I alwys get the slight giddy feeling of "I could just go anywhere I want to and the choice is all mine"

Buying compost, no idea why as I am in no way a gardener. I tend to buy plants, dig a hole or pot fill and hope said plant grows.

Just makes me feel like I know what I'm doing, like a grown up, buying compost!

yes, any sort of gardening makes me feel grown up! even though I am also at the “dig hole, hope plant grows” level of gardening.

If I remember to water the pots before they look crispy I feel extra grown up.

One thing that does not make me feel grown up is work stuff, even though I do all sorts of grown up things with presentations and budgets and networking.

But having an early external meeting and being suited and booted early and getting breakfast served in the meeting does make me feel grown up😂

It's funny to think of us all doing perfectly ordinary tasks, but feeling very grown up while we're at it. I marinated some pork earlier - go me!!

I’m pleased to see you marinated it with a T 😹

I should have marinaded to give you the chance to nitpick 😇

To add- having teenagers - I feel so frumpy when I’m out with them.

writing my will

When someone asks me if I have some meds on me and I do. We once got caught out not having any calpol for DD when she got a headache at a fancy family
meal we had travelled to, and I vowed not to let it happen again.

As a result, I have a mini pharmacy in my bag for any need that anyone may have. Whenever someone complains of any ailment, boom there I am with the remedy.

Makes me temporarily feel like I’ve really got my shit together.

Haha yes - I have calpol melts, adult nurofen and plasters. Also currently Piriteze. Oh and a spare tenner and £1 coin. All lives in a little pouch in my handbag, with my driving licence hand the family library cards.

I’m definitely an adult aren’t I 😆😬😬

Cleaning the skirting boards 🤣

God mine are overdue, and need a repaint too...Zzzzz

Cleaning the windows, and having tissues in my handbag

To add to the little medical kits that others have above.

I have a little mint tin with plasters and painkillers and also savlon with lidocaine - it's like magic in a tube.

And blister plasters!