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The last of the millennials are all grown up and generation Z are finishing off matric. And you know what that means, right? A whole new cohort will enter the job market while they put on their big-boy pants and start adulting.
Which is scary considering that soon enough there’ll be people handling our taxes when they barely know how to take care of themselves.
Harsh, I know, but let me explain what adulting actually is.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "adulting" has become a verb; "to 'adult' is to behave like an adult, specifically to do the things – often mundane – that an adult is expected to do.”
Like paying bills, making your own doctor's appointments and knowing how to fill out medical aid forms, all of which will probably be the difference between you not only thriving in this life, but also staying alive.
That being said, let's be honest, most of our kids aren't quite there yet.
Attn: Life posted a video to reveal that kids, or rather, young adults these days are failing at basic life skills. The video suggests that 52% of teens in the U.S. can't change a tire while 70% of younger people cannot sew on a button. Watch the video below:
The Urban Dictionary definition suggests that #adulting has become a trend on social media platforms, used exclusively by "those who adult less than 50% of the time."
Which made sense after we searched the depths of the internet to find these very adults, reminding us how most of us pretty much sucked at adulting when we had to defrost a chicken for the first time.
How I'm dealing with being an adult right now! Anyone want to make a pillow fort and eat ice cream with me? pic.twitter.com/yxMOlACVvy
— Hayley Marlow (@Hayleytakespics) June 8, 2017
Being an adult and dealing with insurance at urgent care by yourself is the WORST I'm like actually 3years old HOW DO I DO THIS
— Amy Delmore (@thenerdamy) June 6, 2017
me as a kid: being an adult will be so cool. I'm going to do everything I've always wanted
— the Los Angeles Hector Diaz of Los Angeles (@iamHectorDiaz) November 10, 2017
me now: I should invest in a good wooden spoon
I want to die surrounded by all of my LinkedIn connections
— Mitra Jouhari (@tweetrajouhari) April 21, 2015
Being an adult is so tough. You have to choose whether to buy a nandos quarter chicken or groceries for the month.
— Themba Entrro (@entrro) March 8, 2016
being an adult pic.twitter.com/9p3QEodAHo
— Crosley Frankenberry (@oldfatchihuahua) February 27, 2016
Just had a 2+ hr phone call conversation with my mom about which tiramisu recipe was the best + what she thought about the new bakeware oven pans I bought this week.
— Amina Ahmad (@aminaahmad) November 13, 2017
This is my life now. ?????? #adulting
Never did I ever expect a text like this from @llisonnnn_ #adulting #proudmom pic.twitter.com/5PoGmFEtJi
— ErikaUtterback (@ErikaUtterback) November 7, 2017
Being an adult pic.twitter.com/TCgXc0xqWf
— Nikki Polansky (@nikkifaceful) August 27, 2015
The point? We should focus more on teaching our teens basic skills. While the video suggests reintroducing cooking classes and financial literacy courses, these skills can also be taught at home.
We can teach our kids responsibility by giving them chores, encouraging them to assist you with the laundry, writing the grocery list and preparing supper. These are all basic tasks that could very well teach them the skills they will need one day.
Because while adulting, much like everything else, seems daunting at first, with a little bit of practice and a whole lot of faith it can actually be done.
And the survival rates are pretty high.
Read more:
- IN MEMES: The 6 stages we all go through when studying for exams
- Are graduates prepared for the job market?
- Remember that time before you had kids? Remember that time before you #gottoddlered?
Adulting can be pretty scary. Well, it was for us, at least. What were some of the first things you had to learn how to do when you entered adulthood? Tell us by commenting below.
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