For your parents, you will always be their child. But sometimes, something happens that makes them see you in a whole new light.
Here, parents reveal the moment they finally recognized their child as an adult.
1. My son and his wife were expecting their first child together. They came over to tell us the good news and my son, being a smoker since he was 18, goes to light up a cigarette. I look at him dead in the eyes and say, “This isn’t your life any more. You owe it to your kid to quit smoking.” Over the next few months, he managed to quit smoking all together. Felt really proud, and now see him in a whole new light.
coalminnow
2. My daughter went away to school and lived in an apartment with other students. She came home about a month later for the weekend and I noticed she cleaned the kitchen after using it. Her bed was made and her room tidy every morning. She never would have done that a month prior. I was stunned that she changed her habits so quickly. She grew up quick.
heinekenchugger
3. When my son had his son.
I saw him holding his boy, the way I once held him, and I had this moment of complete, warm, silent peace. I knew that the world would not come to a bad end, that our problems could be solved, and that there would be as many generations in the future as there have been in the past.
It was great and I think about it all the time.
tommytraddles
4. My wife passed away when my son was almost 14. Knowing that my wife’s condition was terminal, I worried that he would have severe difficulties after she passed. However, it was I who had a breakdown and my son took care of me for months afterwards.
I’ll never forget…
gmenz
5. I’ve 4 kids, three are 27, one is 22. I would say that it came on me slowly that they were now adults. Not one particular incident, but more a series of choices they made that were ones where they put aside current happiness for long-term rewards. They were making adult decisions in adult ways, and deserved to be treated as adults.
Of course, it is amusing to me to see them act in childish ways any time they all get together, because no matter how adult they are, they will always be siblings.
microwavepizza
6. My daughter dropped out of college at age 18 to marry her 27-year-old boyfriend. She would not listen to anything her mother or I had to say about it. Because she had no college degree or work experience, she spent a year working for a telephone answering service. Then she came back to us and said, “I screwed up. I shouldn’t have dropped out. Can you help me go to nursing school?” We did help her, as much as we could (about $800 a month.) Her husband didn’t like it though, and presented her with an ultimatum, “Either me or nursing school.” She divorced his sorry butt, and went on to become an intensive care unit RN. When she got her first ICU job, that’s when I realized she was now an adult. After ten years experience, she makes about $80,000 a year.
SunsetRoute1970
7. My mom told me about the moment she realized I was an adult. I got a job in the oilfield out of college. I spent the first two years of my career working in the field out of my home town. After that, I moved across the country for an office job. When I came home for Thanksgiving; I caught a flight home right after work. She was incredibly surprised to see me in nice clothes, a nice jacket, and a clean cut hair. In her words, “I was expecting to see you, but not a grown up version of you.” She took a few seconds to recognize me. It felt good.
TriceraScotts
8. Honestly? About twenty minutes ago, when my 18 year old gave me all of her savings – about a thousand dollars – to try to save her cat. He’s been hospitalized since Thursday, and I can’t keep up, especially with the ER vet being 3x the cost of his regular vet. Her last cat died a year ago due to pica, and this little guy Dmitri is pretty important to her. So yeah, I guess right now, when she immediately offered everything she’s got to save something she loves.
thisbuttonsucks
9. When he was able to sit on the porch with me and just have a conversation about life.
Coffin_Raider
10. My father has had two sons go to war. I remember surprising him and my mother when I received R&R from Iraq my first deployment.
Most of all, I remember leaving in the airport to go back. I was in uniform and going back to war. My dad just stood past security and watched me walk the whole way. I remember casually looking at him the whole way.
I know what went through his head. His son was going back to war. He watched me the whole time because I know he knew it could be the last time he saw me in full health. I was no longer his idiot kid who messed around in high school and did well in college only to join the Army. I was leaving him as his son who was going to do what I chose. I can’t imagine what he thought because I may not have come back.
I did come back and came back more multiple times. I’ll never forget though hugging him and saying good bye that time. It was as if it could be our last.
PickleInDaButt
11. I’m the youngest of three brothers. The first time all three of us were home at the same time after I went to college, my dad kinda teared up and said how neat it was to see the three of us interacting as adults; he’d been waiting for that moment for years.
We then broke out the board games and insulted each other merrily.
microwavepizza
12. It wasn’t so much when I considered him an adult, but it was one of those “when did he get old enough for this to be a thing” moments…
For part of his Christmas present during his senior year of high school, he wanted to take an avalanche safety and rescue course. So, I called to get him registered. The woman on the phone was taking all the relevant information and said, “I’m going to mail the paperwork to you. He’ll need to fill out the forms and bring them, and there’s a release for you to sign.” Then she stopped and said, “Oh, never mind. He won’t need your permission since he’ll have turned 18 by then.”
Realizing my baby boy could sign up for something like an avalanche rescue course without my permission was a big deal.
esk_209
13. When he finished basic training in the US Army. We went to visit him and for the first time I truly understood what the saying meant, “to stand tall”. That little kid suddenly had broad shoulders, was standing straight, and had an air of confidence about him that could not be denied. He “walked tall” as well, showing us around camp; pointing out the different sections of where he had done his training. I could not have been more proud of the man he had become in those moments.
Of course, a few weeks later after they assigned him permanent housing at his new base he locked himself out of his apartment and ended up having to call his mom for help/advice because he didn’t know what to do!
Japanese_Jew
14. My son is 30 years old and has been a surgery resident for 3 years now. I still mostly see him as my baby boy. I haven’t gotten to see him as much as I would like since he went to medical school at 23, so a lot of the maturation he has gone through is lost on me.
But one Thanksgiving, two years ago, he was on call and had to leave in the middle of dinner for an emergency operation. The way he confidently got out of his chair, stood up tall and put on his jacket before kissing me and other family members goodbye, knowing an hour later he would be operating on somebody, was really a ‘wow’ moment for me. It was one of the first times I saw him as a grown, responsible man with a place in this world besides being just my baby boy.
2007Patriots
15. We made it perfectly clear that when they turned 18, they had to be in college or have a full time job. College got to live with us free, non-college had to pay rent which we saved for their down payment and move in expenses on their own pad. All 4 kids, 21-25, are doing well and supporting themselves. We feel as parents we have to be a safety net for our kids, not a crutch.
FDPerez1
16. When my daughter started wanting to pay her own way when I would take her to the movies or out to eat. I’m still not used to this concept.
SpartanMonkey
17. I’m told by my mother that she considered me an adult when I made the decision against her will to join the Marine Corps.
anonimityorigin
18. When they started paying their own car insurance.
xsited1
19. Well, for my dad it was late, like in my early 20s. I did the exact thing he didn’t want me to do (leave his care), and it gained me respect as an adult.
I told him I was moving to another city with only couple hundred bucks. He told me I wasn’t welcome in his home anymore. I was 21. I found a room, rode the Greyhound, found a job and got my life together. He came to visit me and I had all my ducks in a row. That’s when he welcomed me back in his home.
Kitteh_Puppeh
20. I have 3 sons. My oldest is 25, in the Navy and married. My middle son is 23 and works as a heavy equipment operator, and my youngest is 17. They are all still my babies. As a mom it’s hard to let go. Honestly though I would say that my oldest son became an adult when he joined the Navy. My middle son still has the maturity level of a 16 year old. The minute he gets paid, he is parted from his money 4 days tops. My youngest is 17 and probably the most mature of all of them.
lck44
21. The day when my grandson told my son he hated him. Nothing will make you an adult like raising teenagers…
Joss451
22. When she bought a house.
OrangeJuleeus
23. Just asked my father this, I’m 22. His response was he thought I was grown up when went on a rugby tour when I was 16. But when he thought I wasn’t a child anymore was at 20 when I helped build my grandmothers garage with him. My father was like, “Crap, he can actually help.”
DjMike77
24. I asked my mother and she said, “I don’t know. You just… grew up and crap.”
RoxasTheNobody
25. When your son asks for the keys to your car for a date, and $50 (with a promise to repay) and lets you know in a believable way that he’ll be back safely, and that he’ll show you that your words of care haven’t been wasted on him.
Then he gets back in time, car perfect – and within one week of working his part-time job, repays you without a word, and throws in extra money for gas.
That’s how you know he’s an adult.
Back2Bach
26. Well as a parent my children will always be my “kids”. It wasn’t one moment but slow progression. When they did their own taxes was a big moment. Other moments: realizing they haven’t asked me for money in months, graduating college, asking for advice about their co-workers/handling the boss, etc……. Being a parent is the only job, where you work hard to make your “job” useless (not needed).
daisypat
27. My son was home for a few weeks from the marine corps. During this time he was injured pretty severely in a car accident when a drunk driver hit his vehicle. While injured from the collision and waiting for the authorities to arrive, my son pulled the unconscious man, who had just dealt him injuries that would require over a year of physical therapy, from his vehicle to make sure he was ok.
[deleted]
28. According to my mom (me and my sister are both adults), it’s when we started speaking to her like a peer, instead of just a parent. I have no idea what that means, but it sounded nice. Apparently, also when I started picking up after myself, which she just now informed me I didn’t do this afternoon… Whoops.
Spokemaster_Flex
29. As a child of wonderful parents, this topic has been of interest to me lately, as I’ve been going through some medical weirdness.
Informing my mother that the MRI found a bone tumor that looked aggressive, and I would be going to get a CT, bone scan, and biopsy to see if it’s malignant or not was totally fine. She essentially just said, “Oh wow, that’s awful. Glad you’re on top of your appointments. Let me know how it goes.” She understood that I’ve got it under control, and can handle it.
On the other hand, my boyfriend’s parents (BF and I have been together 3.5 years, living together for 2.5) freaked out and insisted that his father come to my appointments with me because we “needed an adult involved”.
This was shocking to me, since my mother had never doubted my position as an individual capable of making decisions, even when I was a teenager. Suddenly, this man, who I met when I was already legally an adult, was treating me as though I was a kid.
Silver_kitty
30. One of my three daughters is 8 years old. Last Halloween, we go out trick or treating, and we get back home early because their bags were full and it was getting cold. Someone knocks on the door, obviously a kid, and my wife and l look at each other with the”oh crap” face. We forgot to get candy to hand out! My eight year old reads our faces, grabs her stash, opens the door, and gives a big heaping handful of treats to Cinderella, and calls her”your majesty”. The other two, (10 and 3), wordlessly proceed to do the same thing. We spent the next two hours on the porch, handy my daughters’ candy out to the neighborhood kids till their bags were empty. No one even complained. I was so proud of this selfless act. The next day after work I went to Wal-Mart for the biggest bucket I could find, and filled it full of candy. Not the crappy double bubbles and tootsie rolls either. I told them how much I loved them and how proud I was of what they did that night. They’re still children, but that was the most adult thing I’ve ever seen them do.
mugzzi
31. I have only one kid myself, and the relationship I have with him wasn’t the greatest during his youth.
The day I really realized that my boy was growing up was not too long ago. I was doing some work around the yard, and he came and asked “Dad, can I ask you a question?” so I said, “Sure!”
After that he asked me what I make an hour, So I told him that I make 37 euros an hour (Before taxes, of course. I’m from Holland.)
He then asked me “Can I borrow fifty bucks?” To which I replied “If the only reason you asked me about my pay is so that you can borrow some money to buy some random bottle of booze, you can get away from my house. You know I don’t support that.”
He quietly looked at me, thinking to himself in deep thought. I just got angrier about my boy’s question, How dare he ask me about money after all I did for him? but then I thought: Maybe there’s something he really needs for those fifty bucks. So I say “I’m sorry son. Here’s the cash.” so a day later he comes back, and I ask him where he needed the cash for. his reply was “I needed to buy a good pair of pants so I can apply for this job.”
Needless to say, I was incredibly proud of him. From that moment I realized that my little boy had become a man. Prioritizing a job above messing around with his friends.
ldcheese
32. Just asked my mom, she said it’s never gonna happen. I’m always her little boy.
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