Are you still treated like a child by your parents at 21?

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on the emotional and psychological implications of parental treatment towards young adults, specifically those around the age of 21. Participants express mixed feelings about being treated like children, with some appreciating the care while others feel it undermines their independence and maturity. Key points include the cultural differences in parental expectations and the impact of overprotective parenting on self-esteem and autonomy. The conversation highlights the importance of balancing parental love with respect for a child's independence.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of developmental psychology and its impact on adult-child relationships.
  • Familiarity with cultural differences in parenting styles, particularly in Western versus Eastern contexts.
  • Knowledge of the psychological effects of overprotection on young adults.
  • Awareness of the transition from adolescence to adulthood and its societal implications.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effects of overprotective parenting on young adult self-esteem.
  • Explore cultural variations in parenting styles and their impact on independence.
  • Study developmental milestones in the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
  • Investigate strategies for fostering independence in young adults living with parents.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for young adults navigating their relationship with parents, psychologists studying family dynamics, and educators focusing on adolescent development. It also serves as a resource for parents seeking to understand the balance between care and independence for their children.

spaghetti3451
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How would you feel if you're 21 and your parents still treat you like you're their 5 year old baby?
 
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I guess I'd feel loved.
 
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I could do without the cheek pinches
 
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For some parents, you're grownup when you're 18 or 21 so they can kick you out into world and recover their lost youth.

For other parents, you're grownup when you get married.

And for those very few special parents, you're always their baby no matter what pinches ear pulls and all.
 
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I think that when my kids are able to feel free of any real or imagined restraint from me treating them as my kids I will recognise that and be able to more easily treat them as my grown up kids. My 22 yo is kinda getting there and my 18 yo is trying. Hasn't quite figured out she doesn't need to distance herself to do that.
 
It would depend on if I were living on my own or not.
 
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spaghetti3451 said:
How would you feel if you're 21 and your parents still treat you like you're their 5 year old baby?


Mine had a lot of wisdom, in hindsight .
Mom always said "The Terrible Two's last to around 35."

Print this thread and stash it someplace you might stumble across it in twenty years .
 
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I would love it!
 
Considering how much of a brat I was and the poor choices i made as a teenager, I would just be thankful that they still love me.
 
  • #10
Hmmm...
  • I would get to have naps in the middle of the afternoon
  • I could watch cartoons on Saturday mornings
  • Mom would make me breakfast, lunch, and supper
  • I wouldn't have to clean the house - except for maybe for keeping my room tidy
  • I wouldn't have to follow a schedule
  • Zero stress
What's not to love?
 
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  • #11
spaghetti3451 said:
How would you feel if you're 21 and your parents still treat you like you're their 5 year old baby?
Not fair. I'm 19 and need permission for everything. I spend every day waiting to be told what I'm allowed to do.Including doing maths and physics. I am forbidden about talking about star wars.
Choppy said:
Hmmm...
  • I would get to have naps in the middle of the afternoon
  • I could watch cartoons on Saturday mornings
  • Mom would make me breakfast, lunch, and supper
  • I wouldn't have to clean the house - except for maybe for keeping my room tidy
  • I wouldn't have to follow a schedule
  • Zero stress
What's not to love?
 
  • #12
Well, treating me like I'm still a little child makes me lose my manhood. I begin to think I'm inadequate to live independently. I can live independently, though.
 
  • #13
spaghetti3451 said:
Well, treating me like I'm still a little child makes me lose my manhood. I begin to think I'm inadequate to live independently. I can live independently, though.

Okay, I know my initial response was a little tongue-in-cheek, but this really begs the question. If you're having troubles with your parents respecting your independence, and can live independently - why aren't you doing it?
 
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  • #14
BL4CKB0X97 said:
I'm 19 and need permission for everything. I spend every day waiting to be told what I'm allowed to do.Including doing maths and physics. I am forbidden about talking about star wars.

That sounds horrible. Why do you suppose that is?
 
  • #15
spaghetti3451 said:
Well, treating me like I'm still a little child makes me lose my manhood. I begin to think I'm inadequate to live independently. I can live independently, though.

What exactly do they do to you that makes you feel inadequate?

BL4CKB0X97 said:
Not fair. I'm 19 and need permission for everything. I spend every day waiting to be told what I'm allowed to do.Including doing maths and physics. I am forbidden about talking about star wars.

That's sounds pretty unfortunate. :sorry: Do your parents have something against star wars?
 
  • #16
spaghetti3451 said:
Well, treating me like I'm still a little child makes me lose my manhood. I begin to think I'm inadequate to live independently.
Yeah, I also didn't like the way I felt when I was an adult, living with my parents. Fortunately, there was an easy solution.
 
  • #17
spaghetti3451 said:
Well, treating me like I'm still a little child makes me lose my manhood...

Manhood is not given or taken by others. It is something you give to yourself.
 
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  • #18
spaghetti3451 said:
Well, treating me like I'm still a little child makes me lose my manhood. I begin to think I'm inadequate to live independently. I can live independently, though.
If you're still living under your parents' roof, which seems to be the case, they're the ones who make the rules, whether or not you're 21. There's a big difference between "can live independently" and "are living independently."
 
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  • #19
Drakkith said:
What exactly do they do to you that makes you feel inadequate?
That's sounds pretty unfortunate. :sorry: Do your parents have something against star wars?
Too geeky.
 
  • #20
Choppy said:
That sounds horrible. Why do you suppose that is?
Overprotective. The best parents you have though, they seem to be relaxing now. After I said when I finish my chemo I'm moving out mum's coming up with reasons I shouldn't. Including stuff like we'll get a dog! And occasionally "do what you want" which has happen only a few times in recorded history.
 
  • #21
spaghetti3451 said:
Well, treating me like I'm still a little child makes me lose my manhood. I begin to think I'm inadequate to live independently. I can live independently, though.
Prove yourself then. The only way forward.
 
  • #22
To the OP,

Any parent who genuinely loves and cares about their children will always think of them as their child, no matter how old they become. I'm 41 years old and my parents (particularly my mother) still worry about me. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

If you become a parent yourself one day, I suspect you'll understand.
 
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  • #23
StatGuy2000 said:
To the OP,

Any parent who genuinely loves and cares about their children will always think of them as their child, no matter how old they become. I'm 41 years old and my parents (particularly my mother) still worry about me. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

If you become a parent yourself one day, I suspect you'll understand.
This. I'm only 25 but I've learned this by watching my grandma and how she treats my mother.

I'm nowhere close to getting married or getting a good job yet (I'm still a Ph.D. candidate), but I do feel that I am getting quite close to being an "adult." Nonetheless, I don't feel like my mother would ever stop treating me like her child anytime soon.The definition of "being an adult" is difficult. You'll find tons of older people who are obviously immature. I don't expect a person to be mature if they have been spoiled in their youth. Meanwhile, I would dare say that even some 15 years old can be quite mentally "adult." I am sometimes amazed by how some people can be so young and yet be such an adult. A few centuries ago, 15 years old was legitimately an adult, and they were treated as one. In the end, it is not about age. It's really about what they've been through in life.
 
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  • #24
No matter how old my daughter gets, I will always view her as this little creature who had trouble getting out of a large pile of leaves I raked. While I'm sure it'll annoying her to no end when she gets older, I'm sure she'll prefer that than what my parents did. When I was merely a boy(10ish), my parents sent my brother and I to cross the Rio Grande (illegally) and find my aunt in Texas. My brother got scared half way through and returned back to Guatemala. So if the choice is between being treated like a kid or being a kid and treated like an adult...
 
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  • #25
Personally I find it somewhat pathetic that someone who is 21 is still complaining about their parents. If they bother you so much, move out and reduce contact with them. Simple.
 
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  • #26
I'm 40 and have already lost both of my parents. Treasure them.
 
  • #27
dipole said:
Personally I find it somewhat pathetic that someone who is 21 is still complaining about their parents. If they bother you so much, move out and reduce contact with them. Simple.
+1
 
  • #28
dipole said:
Personally I find it somewhat pathetic that someone who is 21 is still complaining about their parents. If they bother you so much, move out and reduce contact with them. Simple.

Not everybody lives in America.
 
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  • #29
spaghetti3451 said:
How would you feel if you're 21 and your parents still treat you like you're their 5 year old baby?

How would you feel if you were 21 having no parents? Would it be better? I can tell you if you want to - even now at my 50 and having my own family. Parents are always parents. Pay respect to them. In the end, if you want to be independent then so be it. But don't forget your parents.
 
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  • #30
QuantumQuest said:
How would you feel if you were 21 having no parents? Would it be better? I can tell you if you want to - even now at my 50 and having my own family. Parents are always parents. Pay respect to them. In the end, if you want to be independent then so be it. But don't forget your parents.

Having no parents sucks. My wife lost both of hers as well. No baby advice, no taking the kid to see grandma, and no backup plan if we screw up and need money or a place to stay! People really don't know how good they have it.

-Dave K
 
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