All Grown Up: Have You Completed the 5 Milestones of Adulthood?
Photo: litandlife.blogspot.com
Unlike Peter Pan, we’ve all got to grow up sometime, and apparently there are concrete events in our lives that experts use to deem us full-fledged adults (who knew?).
Sociologists often define maturity in adulthood by the ability to meet five important events:
- Completing school
- Leaving home
- Becoming financially independent
- Marrying
- Having a child
But as a generation and a country, we’re slacking off when it comes to completing these cornerstones. According to information from the 2000 Census, fewer than half of the women and one-third of the men surveyed had completed the five by the time they were 30. In comparison, during the ’60s (aka Mad Men era), 77 percent of women and 65 percent of men had.
But why? My guess is that people are either holding off on completing some of these–or being forced to for other reasons. There’s been research on how women are waiting past 30 to have children. Many people are working now and then planning on going back to school for advanced degrees. Becoming financially independent is increasingly harder to do with the economy the way it is. All these scenarios could have an impact on why the 21st century is stalling on these significant life events. Bob Dylan said it best–the times they are a-changin’.
Tell us: Have you done all 5? Why do you think we’re behind on growing up?
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I always believed that there were 4 stages or milestones to adulthood: Completing school (graduating either high school or college), getting married, buying a home, and having a child. Glad to see that I was partially right. Wonder why buying a home isn’t on their list of milestones? Would it fall under leaving home and becoming financially independent?
Although I understand where the milestones come from, I may never be considered a “mature adult.” I done four of the five, but my husband and I are in the section of the population who have chosen to remain childless. We are perfectly able to have and support a child or children, so would that ability suffice in the eyes of a sociologist?
Yes, Rachel… it just means that you have made a decision about these items, one way or another. Some people know they don’t want to get married, or have children, and that’s fine, too…but the idea that you have considered it is enough.
What’s left for me is point 4 and 5 and I hope they will be soon completed