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My Kids are Adults — What am I Supposed to Do Now?
Leaning into change
The “baby” is the only one left at home (attending college); she just turned 21. It’s hard to believe that this chapter of our lives is over, but we’ve spent a lot of time looking forward to this day. Now that it’s here, I have to admit I was wholly unprepared.
I’m shocked at how disconnected I feel.
We didn’t plan our family the way it turned out—with three millennials and three Gen Zs—but that’s how it worked out. If you want a unique perspective on how fast the world is changing, that will give you one.
My oldest had a MySpace account and a Razr flip phone, while the three youngest grew up in a world shaped by social media that was ever present in their hand or pocket.
When we dreamed about this day, it involved lazy Saturday mornings with nowhere to be and last-minute travels “just because.” I imagined us patting ourselves on the back for having survived 20 consecutive years of having at least one adolescent in the house.
We’re enjoying all this, but there were some things we were not prepared for.
