Adulthood

One of the things I read and heard most often when I began researching women turning 30 was that 30 is when you really become an adult.

I found this fascinating and completely untrue. First, age doesn't determine adulthood. According to the US government, anyone beyond the age of 18 has the potential to be an adult. This is the age when we believe children are finally ready to take responsibility and are granted the right to contribute to society through their right to vote.

Beyond the legal age of 18, adulthood has nothing to do with age. Adulthood is about responsibility. I believe you become an adult the day that you are able to take care of your basic human needs (including food and shelter) on your own. This means that if you are 35 still living at home and mom makes you dinner five nights a week - you are still a child and behaving like one.

On the flip side if a woman is 16, working and paying her own rent - she is no longer a child.

Realize please that I'm not really talking about money here. I'm talking about responsibility. Taking care of yourself, choosing to be the person who does that at whatever age you do so, is the path to adulthood, not age.