18!

[numberonedad]

Soon I will be a parent of an adult :( !!!

We were chatting and I was asked what responsibilities parents have when their children turn 18. So I can see on the web what you have to do if they are 17 or younger - but not once they are 18?

So my question is what resposibilites has a parent towards their children who are 18 or older? What right's have the parent got? What rights/responsibilities have the children got?

How does it change if they are still in full time education [6th form] or if they carry onto university? What about once they complete their first degree but decide to stay on at uni?

Responsibility doesn't change overnight. Mine has slowly evolved. S is out more. Comes and goes as he pleases but let's me know where he is. I leave him to his own studying. Doesn't do many jobs round the house but cleans own room. Ground rules are still there but being their own person , them out a lot is part of him becoming independant.

I'm the parent of 2 adults, apparently! I'm not sure how it happened because I'm only 21 , but DS1 was 20 and DS2 was 18 in December.

DS2 is still at college doing his A levels, and DS1 is in the Army. The college expect us to ring in if DS2 is sick, we have to consent to trips and reports are sent to the home addressed to DH and I. I do encourage him to revise and do his homework because I know how much he wants to do his chosen career and he will be gutted if he doesn't get into uni.

As for home life, not a lot has changed, tbh. He comes and goes when he wants because he has his own car. He still asks if it's ok to do things, he is respectful of the house rules and will always tell us if he is not going to be home for dinner etc. He lets us know where he is going, who he is with etc.

DS1 comes home for a weekend every now and then. He tells us where he is going etc. When he is away at camp he texts or rings to let me know he's ok and what he is doing.

Not a great deal, if anything, changed once they hit 18 tbh.

It depends. DD became 'financially independent' from us at the age of 16. She has severe disabilities so was able to claim various benefits in her own right once she turned 16 so we gave up her child benefit. DS on the other hand wants to go to Uni next September to do a 5 year course so he will still be financially dependent on us until he is 23. (we will of course lose his child benefit when he leaves school)

I don't think you can define 'adult' by age. Obviously the government can't anyway.

I expect to be supporting mine in some way for many more years. One is 19 at uni and the other 16.
As TheFairyCaravan says nothing changed in any way when DS1 became 18 he also still asks if it's ok to do things, he is respectful of the house rules and will always tell us if he is not going to be home for dinner etc. He lets us know where he is going, who he is with etc