do you think these a big diffrence between someone born in

[sophie96]

august 1996 compared to people born from September 1997 - august 1998 ?

About 11 months and twenty four months respectively.

How many of these 17 yr old threads have your started?

Why don't you tell us the whole story love?

I have an August born son....who will be 18 next week ;)

It has never been a problem until 10 months ago when his friends started turning 18 and getting into pubs with their ID ;)

He was fine starting school at age 4 and 2 weeks....and was probably one of the mature ones. I knew to encourage independence earlier with him so he wouldn't be at a dis-advantage.

He is now a lovely lad who works full time and has just gotten onto the apprenticeship he wanted.

Is this what you mean?? If not ignore me and I apologise :)

Ignore me.....I have just re-read your post.

sophie, you have to to pull yourself together and realise it is not about dates on a birth certificate but about whether you are going to take responsibility for your life.

Being an adult before 18 is not about telling the grown-ups to back off: it's about the grown-ups feeling able to back off because you have demonstrated that you can safely be left in charge.

Believe me, adults don't enjoy having to run around a great big 17yo: they do it if they feel they have to, but would be just as happy to have a teenager who could offer some support to them instead.

My daughter, by the sounds of it, is precisely 3 months younger than you and has had similar MH issues (self-harming etc). I am happy to leave her in charge of her medication and other treatment, to carry out all the discussions with CAHMS on her own and to let her make all the decisions about college, because she has shown over a long period that she is somebody who is capable of making responsible decisions. She got on a train early this morning to go up to London to see a show, all on her own- again, because I trust her judgment. But that kind of trust has to be earned. As long as I am responsible for anything that goes pear-shaped, I want to be sure nothing does go pear-shaped.

A bit confused by where this thread has travelled, unless there is a post with more explanation from the OP than I can see

Sophie - the difference is in the Law. Some people born in August 1996 will be very juvenile and behave like idiots. Some people born Sept '97-Aug '98 will be very responsible and highly capable. So the Law draws a line, and says that before your 18th birthday you are not considered responsible enough for x,y or z (and your parents/guardians are responsible for you)....and when you are 18 you are considered to be a grown up who is responsible for those things.

It may feel arbritrary, and as though you are restricted when you already feel like an adult, but as long as the Law says that you are not an adult there really isn't room for debate.

The next year will fly by.

MumnGran, there is a whole batch of threads by the same poster and we are assuming (I think quite reasonably) that the OP is the same as the one (Leahsomething) who posted the almost identical nearly-17yo threads in one huge batch a few weeks ago. Assuming this to be correct, the sum total of detail given so far is:

she is angry with her school because she thinks as an adult woman she should be allowed to take a day off school when she feels like it (MNers point out that adults are not allowed to absent themselves from their workplace at will)

she has been self-harming and is angry because the school/her parents want her to go to counselling (MNers point out that adults are expected to take responsibility for their health too)

she is put out because she thinks as a near adult she should be allowed to drink as and when she wants (MNers try to point out that adults have to respect the law)

she is generally angry with her parents because they will not see her as an adult (MNers keep pointing out that the quickest way to be seen as an adult is to speak and behave as an adult)

she never engages with any posters or takes any advice on board

You know, I never think to go looking at posting histories. Guess I need to wise up.

To be honest Sophie sounds very immature and a lot less mature than my DD born Sept 97.
I also have a Ds born Sept 95 so same school year as Sophie which means he has had to wait a whole year longer to be in the same position.
So be grateful you can leave school a year earlier than my ds if she wants to.
He is 18 next month and mature enough to know getting drunk is a stupid thing to do. It's much more fun watching others drunk than being drunk yourself.

I didn't look up the posting history, Mum; I just happened to have read the threads.

Sophie, MumnGran makes a very sensible point: at the moment your parents are responsible for you.

That means they get to pay for your board and keep, they get to sort out any mess you find yourself in, they get to look after you if you are ill or unable to cope. Even illegal drinking is not just a problem for the young person concerned- if you lie to the person at the bar, the landlord risks losing his whole livelihood.

It follows logically that any trouble you get into can't just be your business: it is also the business of the people who will end up picking up the pieces. As long as you live in their house and rely on them, they will be affected by anything you do.

Before you complain about this too loudly it might be worth asking yourself the following questions:

would I be able to cope without them?

could I get and keep a job that is well paid enough to support me?

if I was ill or in trouble would I not expect them to sort me out?

can I genuinely say "no, I don't need you?

I read the Leah threads as well.
Sophie - lots of people on here would be happy to help you but you must come back and post again, don't just start new threads and then leave them.

Cory - I was annoyed with myself that I hadn't, really. I know that it keeps people much more switched on to dodgy posts, trolls etc. Just never think, and also read less threads than I could
Hate feeling like a lemon!