how old is an 'adult'

[Bugsareinthebrook]

niece is 19.
Therefore an adult in my mind
sister in law calls her a child.

what do you think

@fallfallfall

Those less than 25 are too immature emotionally to be considered adults in my books.

There are always replies on these that under 25 is not an ‘adult’

My midwife was 23, my DC have all had class teachers in their between 22-24. Definitely never viewed any of them as not adults.

@jesuistot, and I’ve worked with those 23-24 yr olds and almost always the maturity isn’t fully there. It’s life and it’s normal. Very few of that age fully understand the implications of a brain damaged child or recognize the full implications of their own privilege of education and life choices.

I say 18. DWP says 16

This thread seems to be conflating "A person who has reached an abitrary level of emotional, social, financial or interpersonal maturity that varies depending on who you ask" with adulthood.

Adulthood is a legal and physical state. Nothing more or less. Legally, if someone is 18, they are an adult. Biologically, if someone/thing has stopped growing in size and has reached sexual maturity, they are now an adult of their species.

What people in this thread are describing is emotional/social/interpersonal/financial maturity.

Which is fine - but it is utterly ridiculous to say a 25 year old isn't an adult, as one poster has in this thread.

Iam 60, my brother is 59.
My parents still refer to us as 'the children'.

I have an 18 year old.

She is an adult in some ways but not in others. I think that the definition of adult changes depending on circumstances. Uni students can be more of a child because they are financial dependents compared to working teens who might have a more adult understanding of the world because of work. (I know that uni students pay bills but it's different when you actually earn it rather than borrow the money as a loan imo)

Legally 18.

If we're talking adult as in has a level of maturity that would reasonably be expected in adult life then that depends on the individual. There are some 15 year olds that are more mature than some 40 year olds!

0-15 child
16-17 young adult
18+ adult

Is this about Christmas presents @Bugsareinthebrook? I'm guessing you are trying to work out a cut off for gifts for the children.

I wonder if the reason so many under 25s (or even under 30s) now probably seem less 'adult' by these definitions is because:

1. The economy hasn't been great for young people. Record low savings rates for years, wage/house price ratio is absolutely bonkers... people are owning houses later than even my parents' generation, who tended to buy their first homes at 20/21. Many of my friends in their early 30s don't own homes yet. Lots of people I know still flatshare or rent - which, if you bought a house for 40p and a Snickers in the 60s like my grandparents, seems both horrifyingly bohemian and very irresponsible.

1. Lots of people waiting longer to have children. Has a weird dual effect of meaning there are seemingly lots of late 20s/early 30s people who are unburdened by adult-seeming responsibilities like childrearing, and thus making those who do have children younger seem 'young' by comparison, and perpetuating the idea that anyone under 25 is still a mere sproglet themselves.

1. LOTS more people go to uni these days than they used to, which a) keeps you as a 'student' and therefore young in your parents' minds, and b) means people start working life later than lots of our parents did.

My mum and her friends all married at 20-22, had been working since 15/16, had kids early 20s. She looked at me when I'd graduated as though I was a child, even though by my age she'd had one baby and got married. I was just as capable of looking after myself, paying bills, etc, but she saw me and my friends as a different species practically.

What's the context of the question, OP?

@HarrisonStickle

0-15 child 16-17 young adult 18+ adult

16-22 young adult 23/24 nearly adult 25 adult

With exceptions obviously. This has been my experience. Not including any educational material or job related things at all.

@housemaus I am in my fifties and don't know anyone who bought a house at 20/1. Maybe I am part of the wring class though?

I was managing staff and looking after kids at 24 years old while living in a rented bedsit. I certainly think I was an adult. But then I was working full time from 16 years old as well.

Actual conversation with my mother-

Her: “A girl in the village is being buried tomorrow. Cancer. Very sad”.

Me: “Thats awful, what age was she?”

Her: “65”

@fallfallfall

Those less than 25 are too immature emotionally to be considered adults in my books.

At 25, I was married, owned two properties, and was running my own business.

I can assure you I was mature in all aspects.

@LublinToDublin

Legally an adult but at 19 not fully mature. Will always be her parents' child.

I'm 41 and my mum and dad still call me their child!

Collectively they jokingly call me and my siblings "children" when together - as in "come on children - were leaving now"

We are all over 30 🤣

But small you may have been or not - you certainly had done a lot of things at a youngish age. Not quite the same thing and they don’t always go hand in hand.
Support btw - business too !

Adults are over 18s

I'm 44 and I'm still waiting to feel like an adult...

@MorningStarling

18 for legal responsibilities, but older if you define adult as someone who is no longer a child.

There isn't a set age when someone is truly an adult but for most it is between 25 and 30. Basically until you've done at least two of the following you're not an adult yet:

• had a fulltime job for five years
• had a permanent relationship for five years
• owned your home (incl. with mortgage) for five years

My god, that's some condescending bullshit. So, if you can't ever afford a mortgage and don't want a relationship, you aren't an adult?

Do fuck off.

@MorningStarling

18 for legal responsibilities, but older if you define adult as someone who is no longer a child.

There isn't a set age when someone is truly an adult but for most it is between 25 and 30. Basically until you've done at least two of the following you're not an adult yet:

• had a fulltime job for five years
• had a permanent relationship for five years
• owned your home (incl. with mortgage) for five years

You do realise there will be plenty of people older than 30 who haven’t acceded 2 from your list. There are plenty of people who go their whole life without becoming an adult according to your list.

At 19 she is an adult and your SIL isn’t helping her in the long term by treating her as a child. She is an adult.

Whats the context?

A) delighted to have all my children home again for Christmas YABU

B) no wine for the children YANBU

Child until 20 in my mind. Not based on anything other than not a teenager anymore so now a young adult.

18 but I would get a 19 niece a Christmas present especially if still at uni.