When do people feel like they are an adult?

I used to have a newspaper clipping posted on my cube that discussed this very topic. It wasn’t the job, the mortgage, the wife or the kids that made this one guy feel like an adult.

It was losing hair.

I have no idea, curious about the same thing myself.
The education didn’t do it, neither did the house, the fancy car, the well paid and meaningfull job or a rich sosial life.

Maybe travelling?

When you’re the one others rely on and you can’t run away and hide

When the baby erupts, and you get puke and poop all over you, as you’re heading out the door to work. There’s no one to clean up the mess but you, so you juggle washing and cleaning up the baby while cleaning up yourself, and calling work explaining why you’re going to be late.

And you don’t freak out over it.

for me, it was doing my own taxes.

When you believe you in your vision for your future. Be what you want, how you want, when you want, and go for it.

I think, for me, it’s going to be when I start helping my mother financially.

I guess it’s different for everyone.
I’m 23, married with kid(s), I still don’t feel like an adult. I’ll feel like one when we’re in our own place again. I think that makes a world of difference for me. Also when I’m done school.

I’m 33, have been married for almost 11 years, have a 9 and a 6 year old and I still feel like I’m not an “adult”. I like it though, it’s good to feel young. I don’t know when I’ll feel grown up, I kind of hope it’s never.

Strangely, I thought I was an adult when I was 5 and nobody could convince me otherwise. I thought the same every age thereafter. Looking back at how grown up I thought I was when I was 13 I laugh at myself. But you know, I just don’t remember ever feeling like a kid.

You will know it, hopefully, when you are 70.

Someone let me know, as I have lost all my teeth, most of my hair, part of my memory, some of my libido, and I still don’t feel like an adult. that’s probably why I still laugh at bathroom humor.

I believe you’re an adult when you realize you don’t want to be one, but you go on anyway.

I have to admit that I struggled with this one for a long time (almost 50 now). I think I really felt like an adult when I realized that I had stopped blaming my parents for what was wrong in my life and only had myself to blame.

(For me personally) When there’s no one else to rely on (in regards to finances), but yourself. You have to be able to support yourself (and, maintain good credit). And, there’s no one else to bail you out when you make stupid mistakes..You’re responsible for your own actions.

When I was completely self supporting and living on my own. I am amazed at how long young people live in their parents homes these days, I couldn’t wait to get out. No more curfews, or rules, it was so great.

I feel like an adult now. I’m 22. I don’t have a job, I’m working full-time on a masters’ degree and living off student loans, but I’m living in my own apartment and paying my own bills and… I don’t know. My parents’ house isn’t my home anymore, I make my own life choices without anyone’s help… so I’m an adult.

I also agree with @Pol_is_aware – You’re an adult as soon as you realize you don’t want to be an adult. :D

Believe it or not—when I bought my first suit. (And I was over 40.)

I have two answers for this…

First, I’m 38, I’ll let you know when it happens, I still love to play and have fun, go to rock concerts, play video games, and generally slack off from responsibility where practical.

Second, when the crushing weight of real world responsibility starts to take its toll on your body and mind, be it jobs, kids, you name it. I still didn’t feel like an adult in my 20s so much, but once I hit 30 I got married, had a kid, contracted diabetes, and survived a series of layoffs from my job (currently in my 6th month of my latest stint of unemployment). Nothing drives it home better than having a ton of bills, going further into debt every day and having a family who relies on you for financial as well as emotional support. Neither my body nor my brain works quite as well as they once did. I sure feel more like an adult than a kid these days. But yet, I know completely what you mean, I remember not that long ago going through my head that I’m really in charge, I’m really supposed to be the grown up making the grown up decisions, and having that though kind of frighten me.

I guess the real answer is, some day it will hit you, and life will never be the same (not to say it will be worse, just different).

I dont think it ever does…adults are just children but bigger