When exactly do we become an adult?

I turned eighteen last August, but I can’t say that I feel any different than I did when I was seventeen. I still live with my parents, go to school, and hang out with my friends on the weekends–with parental permission, of course. I know in Nebraska that legal adulthood is nineteen, but the generally accepted age of becoming an adult, here, in America, is eighteen.

The thing is, though, like it said before, I don’t feel like like an adult. In my mind, becoming an adult is supporting yourself and displaying a level of maturity beyond your years. This being said, it seems like it would be almost impossible to put an age on this landmark. Everyone finds themselves in different situations in life that create the need to take different actions. If my parents kicked me out of the house on my eighteenth birthday, I feel like I would almost be forced into becoming an adult, because I would have to take on so many more responsibilities. At the same time though, someone who is kicked out of the house or starts living on their own, can still remain a child. It all depends on the actions and choices that you make.

Entering adulthood, to me, can not be given a certain age. You become an adult when you mature. Not only physically, but emotionally as well. You are an adult when you realize your responsibilities and act on them accordingly.

I would like to put out there though: Being an adult doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the fun of being a kid. I feel like there is always a little part of you that will remain a kid, no matter what age.