Adult children are needy

I've come to realize that no matter how old your children get, they will always need you. When my 23-year-old daughter turned 18, I cried like a baby and even called my mom because I thought she was now an adult and wouldn't need me anymore. I thought my baby was no longer my baby. Boy, was I wrong. She needs me now more than ever helping her get to work, making doctor’s appointments, choosing her uniform, and even guiding her through her taxes and paperwork. It’s an endless cycle.

I genuinely believed I was in the home stretch with my 18-year-old daughter, but it turns out, it's just a different kind of asking for help. Hell, I still need my mom from time to time as well. I’m 42, and I still call my mom—sometimes just to have her listen to my 7-year-old cough, so I know whether I need to take him to the doctor. I ask her to attend meetings with me about my younger kids, not because she has to, but because I want her by my side.

This cycle is unchanging. No matter what age your kids are, they will always want and need you. So, if you find yourself crying on the couch the night before your child turns 18, don’t. Because your child will always need you—and they’ll still think you have nothing better to do than help make their lives easier.