Independence

I think the idea of independence is really hard for parents and teens to handle. Teens are fighting for independence but once they turn 18, they realize how dependent on their parents they actually are. It seems as though every time you think your independence will increase, it seems to decrease or stay constant. I'm sure the idea of "when I turn 18, I won't have to listen to my parents anymore" or "when I turn 18, I won't have to play by their rules" has gone through many teens thought processes. Although we are legally adults at the age of 18, many teens do not understand how much they rely on their parents daily mostly in the Lincolnshire area. For us it's more like, when we turn 18 we need to continue to listen to our parents because who else is going to help us financially? When we go to college and gain a little more independence socially, we finish college and either have to lose that independence when we move back in with our parents or we lose it when our parents have to help pay for rent. The average age of being completely independent in the United States is raising because of these reasons. Because more people are going to college and continuing to stay in school, there are less young adults making enough money to be independent from their parents.
Just a few weeks ago, my Environmental class was going on a field trip and we needed to get our field trip forms signed by our parents. One of the kids in my class went home to have his form signed and his dad laughed in his face because his son is 18 and he still needs to sign field trip forms for him saying he could attend.