When we are growing up we always hear, “Don’t grow up too fast.” As soon as we become teenagers, we can’t wait to be an adult. But are our parents making us grow up faster? 

As soon as we turn 18, everything changes. 

We are suddenly legal adults. Everyone in society is telling us we have to have our lives together. As soon as we graduate high school, most people expect us to go straight to college. We’re basically supposed to be on our own. 

Parents for the most part want what is best for their children. However, they don’t always get it right.

For most kids, their parents expect them to get a job and make their own money by the time they are 16. This isn’t an unreasonable thing to ask for. But with school and sometimes sports no one has time for a job, especially if you want to have a social life of any kind. I think that getting a job to help pay for things as far as gas and possibly insurance isn’t unreasonable. It’s when your parents expect you to be on your own when you turn 18.

Here’s my brutally honest opinion: I think that if you are going to go to college, parents shouldn’t expect you to do all of it on your own. Children should work hard to get scholarships and maintain them to help with the financial side of college. But parents should pay for the rest of college tuition. 

However, if you want to go straight on to work, I think that parents should stop helping you financially once you get on your feet. If you are planning on going straight to work, you are already making big decisions for yourself, so you should be responsible for yourself and your needs. 

All this being said, parents should still be there for you no matter what your age is. You will always be their child. That is one thing that will never change. However, at some point they shouldn’t still be providing financial help. You should be able to provide for yourself.