One more year until I'm an adult...

[elephantnose3334]

I have a year left until I'm an adult. Life is like a rollercoaster. I'll get there in the end, but I worry on what will happen to me next when I'm an adult. Currently planning a project on a 34 gallon tank before a deadline of either May or November. Have a South America map at home to let myself know about the rivers and lakes of the continent. I will graduate high school in September, and after graduation I will wait until my next birthday. Being an adult is hard. I don't know how to run my own house yet. I am not good at math, either. Trying not to fail my grades on my last year of school. I have my own struggles, but I'll become an adult next year eventually.

 

[GaryE]

Whether the age of majority is 16, 18 or 21 depends on where you live. When you get there it gives you a different legal status - you can vote, go to adult jail if you commit a crime (try not to), sign contracts, etc. But that's all. The average person still needs to learn how to make a living, via a trade, skill or further studies. 18 is a nice number, but becoming adult isn't automatic. It's a long learning and working process.
I recently turned 65, and I think I may have figured adulting out now.

 

[elephantnose3334]

Whether the age of majority is 16, 18 or 21 depends on where you live. When you get there it gives you a different legal status - you can vote, go to adult jail if you commit a crime (try not to), sign contracts, etc. But that's all. The average person still needs to learn how to make a living, via a trade, skill or further studies. 18 is a nice number, but becoming adult isn't automatic. It's a long learning and working process.
I recently turned 65, and I think I may have figured adulting out now.

Australia's legal age is 18.

 

[Colin_T]

Enjoy your childhood while you can. When we were little kids it seemed to take forever for Christmas, Easter and birthdays to roll around. As you get older time seems to go faster and I sit here thinking, crap, Christmas is here again already.

There's lots of adults that are stupid and immature. There's lots of kids that are too but they at least are kids being kids. You sound pretty sensible for a young un, and you are still young, so enjoy life, learn what you can when you can, and just take things one day at a time.

Basic mathematics is all you need in life unless you want to become an accountant or work for the tax office. Just learn how to add and subtract so you can do shopping and pay bills. Get your parents to teach you how to use a vacuum cleaner (assuming you don't know now), how to cook, wash dishes, use a washing machine and general household things. Get them to take you to a post office and let you pay a few bills (their money and bills but you talk to the person at the counter). You can also learn to pay bills online and it's good to know how to do both.

I was lucky because my mum taught us kids how to do these things by the time we were 12. She never told us she loved us or even gave us a hug, but she taught us how to be independent.

One of the guys I worked with at the pet shop was 19 or 20 ish and didn't know how to use a vacuum cleaner. His mum tidied his room for him until he left home in his mid 20s. We thought he was putting us on when he said he didn't know how to use a vacuum cleaner. We showed him and he loved it. A few years after he left the shop he opened a carpet cleaning business

Being an adult is nothing special. You get treated pretty much the same as you do now except you can get into more trouble if you do something wrong (like Gary mentioned). But even as an adult, and older, you will still see yourself as a young person even when your hair is grey. I look in the mirror and see a withered old man but inside I still think of myself as someone in my late teens. You grow up and get old physically but mentally most people don't age much when they become adults.

 

[elephantnose3334]

Enjoy your childhood while you can. When we were little kids it seemed to take forever for Christmas, Easter and birthdays to roll around. As you get older time seems to go faster and I sit here thinking, crap, Christmas is here again already.

There's lots of adults that are stupid and immature. There's lots of kids that are too but they at least are kids being kids. You sound pretty sensible for a young un, and you are still young, so enjoy life, learn what you can when you can, and just take things one day at a time.

Basic mathematics is all you need in life unless you want to become an accountant or work for the tax office. Just learn how to add and subtract so you can do shopping and pay bills. Get your parents to teach you how to use a vacuum cleaner (assuming you don't know now), how to cook, wash dishes, use a washing machine and general household things. Get them to take you to a post office and let you pay a few bills (their money and bills but you talk to the person at the counter). You can also learn to pay bills online and it's good to know how to do both.

I was lucky because my mum taught us kids how to do these things by the time we were 12. She never told us she loved us or even gave us a hug, but she taught us how to be independent.

One of the guys I worked with at the pet shop was 19 or 20 ish and didn't know how to use a vacuum cleaner. His mum tidied his room for him until he left home in his mid 20s. We thought he was putting us on when he said he didn't know how to use a vacuum cleaner. We showed him and he loved it. A few years after he left the shop he opened a carpet cleaning business

Being an adult is nothing special. You get treated pretty much the same as you do now except you can get into more trouble if you do something wrong (like Gary mentioned). But even as an adult, and older, you will still see yourself as a young person even when your hair is grey. I look in the mirror and see a withered old man but inside I still think of myself as someone in my late teens. You grow up and get old physically but mentally most people don't age much when they become adults.

This is interesting. I will try to do so. I'm a teenager, but have mental issues when it comes into parents. I try my best on the fishkeeping hobby, but parents don't want me to expand my hobby a bit more.

 

[Essjay]

When he was in his late teens, our older son was very interested in bonsai. He had a lot of books on the subject (internet was only dial up so not useful for research without creating an enormous phone bill). He built a stand for his bonsai trees with covers over, at the back and on both sides. He had quite a few bonsai trees, some expensive ones he received as gifts.
Then he went to university leaving me to take care of his bonsais. He never looked at them again. The trees finally died, the stand was dismantled, the books given to a charity shop and the pots for the plants are still stacked up at the back of our garage.

This is what your parents expect to happen to your fish tanks, that they'll be left caring for fish they have no interest in while you go off and do something else. Being left to look after one 10 gallon tank is one thing, but they fear being left with several larger tanks.

 

[elephantnose3334]

When he was in his late teens, our older son was very interested in bonsai. He had a lot of books on the subject (internet was only dial up so not useful for research without creating an enormous phone bill). He built a stand for his bonsai trees with covers over, at the back and on both sides. He had quite a few bonsai trees, some expensive ones he received as gifts.
Then he went to university leaving me to take care of his bonsais. He never looked at them again. The trees finally died, the stand was dismantled, the books given to a charity shop and the pots for the plants are still stacked up at the back of our garage.

This is what your parents expect to happen to your fish tanks, that they'll be left caring for fish they have no interest in while you go off and do something else. Being left to look after one 10 gallon tank is one thing, but they fear being left with several larger tanks.

Yes, I understand that. I try not to change hobbies. Fishkeeping is my favourite hobby, and I never give up on the hobby, even if the parents tell me to do so.

 

[Essjay]

But your parents don't know that you'll stick with the hobby. They probably expect that you'll find something more interesting and leave them to cope with several tanks. You may intend to stay in the hobby but they fear you won't.




Guess how I got into fish keeping? Our two sons turned up from the fair in 1995 with goldfish they'd won throwing darts. They lost interest and I had to take over, then got interested myself.

 

[elephantnose3334]

But your parents don't know that you'll stick with the hobby. They probably expect that you'll find something more interesting and leave them to cope with several tanks. You may intend to stay in the hobby but they fear you won't.




Guess how I got into fish keeping? Our two sons turned up from the fair in 1995 with goldfish they'd won throwing darts. They lost interest and I had to take over, then got interested myself.

I understand on what you said. I'm a 17 year old, and I really like fish. I moved on from the dogs, and currently dislike them. Fish are my way out from my parents' nagging.

 

[Seisage]

I agree with everyone saying that you should learn the basic skills you need to take care of yourself. Learn how to cook and clean. Learn how to do laundry. Learn how to pay bills. Learn how to sew!! And learn how to do other basic repairs too. Many parents forget to teach their children these basic life skills, especially if their children are boys. For some reason, many parents assume that boys will always have a woman around to take care of things, even when they leave the house to live on their own. Of course, this isn't the case, and boys need to learn to be responsible for their own lives just as much as anyone else.

But, I knew many people in college, of every gender, who had no idea how to do the most basic things. They often struggled trying to teach themselves because they no longer had the safety net of their parents in case they did things incorrectly.

I recommend that you learn how to do some of these things before you leave the house and live on your own. If your parents won't teach you, there are many online tutorials that you can look up. I do highly recommend learning how to sew by hand. It's a skill that many people forget about and don't realize is important, but it's very useful for mending clothes, or altering them if they don't fit well. Remember that there are no stupid questions. Don't feel silly if you don't know something that seems basic. It's just another opportunity to learn!

Regarding your fish. I believe you when you say that your interest won't decrease when you leave the house, and I trust that you will want to continue taking care of them. However, I will warn you that if you decide to go to university, if you choose to live in the housing provided for the students, you may not be able to keep aquariums. If you are permitted to have aquariums, you might not be allowed to keep anything over approximately 10 gallons (37L). That was the policy of my university. No aquariums over 10gal allowed. You may avoid these restrictions by choosing to live in an apartment not provided by the university, but some landlords may also have restrictions on aquariums. You just have to research the policies of the housing contracts.

 

[elephantnose3334]

I agree with everyone saying that you should learn the basic skills you need to take care of yourself. Learn how to cook and clean. Learn how to do laundry. Learn how to pay bills. Learn how to sew!! And learn how to do other basic repairs too. Many parents forget to teach their children these basic life skills, especially if their children are boys. For some reason, many parents assume that boys will always have a woman around to take care of things, even when they leave the house to live on their own. Of course, this isn't the case, and boys need to learn to be responsible for their own lives just as much as anyone else.

But, I knew many people in college, of every gender, who had no idea how to do the most basic things. They often struggled trying to teach themselves because they no longer had the safety net of their parents in case they did things incorrectly.

I recommend that you learn how to do some of these things before you leave the house and live on your own. If your parents won't teach you, there are many online tutorials that you can look up. I do highly recommend learning how to sew by hand. It's a skill that many people forget about and don't realize is important, but it's very useful for mending clothes, or altering them if they don't fit well. Remember that there are no stupid questions. Don't feel silly if you don't know something that seems basic. It's just another opportunity to learn!

Regarding your fish. I believe you when you say that your interest won't decrease when you leave the house, and I trust that you will want to continue taking care of them. However, I will warn you that if you decide to go to university, if you choose to live in the housing provided for the students, you may not be able to keep aquariums. If you are permitted to have aquariums, you might not be allowed to keep anything over approximately 10 gallons (37L). That was the policy of my university. No aquariums over 10gal allowed. You may avoid these restrictions by choosing to live in an apartment not provided by the university, but some landlords may also have restrictions on aquariums. You just have to research the policies of the housing contracts.

I understand the last part of the housing contracts. I might go to TAFE instead of uni.

 

[Fish Fanatic34]

I understand the last part of the housing contracts. I might go to TAFE instead of uni.

I don’t know how many people outside Aus will know what TAFE is.

 

[GaryE]

What is TAFE?

The Australian Fish Education???

A problem I had when I left home (at 17) was that I had to leave my fish behind for two years, and could only take care of them when I went home to visit. I had some pretty rough housing that would have been too cold for my twenty gallon long. As soon as I could, I picked up my beloved 20 gallon and it bubbled in the background of my wild years.

I was fortunate because my mother was a fishkeeper, as were my grandparents, so caring for the tank was interesting for her. She would gladly have kept it, I think. But life's changes may make you leave your tanks behind, and I can see why your parents wouldn't want to inherit your hobby. They've seen you lose interest in dogs - if you say you now dislike them, that was a radical change.

There are lots of stages and changes ahead. The future's unwritten, and it'll be quite a ride that no one can predict.

 

[Colin_T]

TAFE is technical and further education. It's trade school where you go to do apprenticeships like mechanics, hair dressing, electrical engineering, etc. They also do short courses for a number of professional and hobby related industries. It's generally more hands on than university, which tends to be more study in the medical or science fields.

 

[Back in the fold]

I’m 68 years old and never have been an adult .