My Three Oldest Children Are Living Their Lives: They Are No Longer Kids

Two of my children are no longer teenagers. The eldest lives with her partner and my 20 year old daughter is in university in Southampton, and my son is 18 years old and at university in another city.

The passage of time waits for nobody and we all grow up which is exactly what has happened with three of my children. I remember my late teens and early twenties very well. They were great times with little or no worry, and I could please myself and do what I wanted to do and when I wanted to do it. Oh! Those were the days.

There were a number things that I remember. The first was that you believe you are indestructible. It’s the one of my most vivid memories I have of that age. Nothing will ever stand in your way, nothing is beyond you and you have completely no fear. Unfortunately life and the experience’s of life changes all of that, and you begin to realise with age that maybe just maybe some things you have done when you were younger, were a little foolish, but the joy of being young is you simply don’t see the danger.

I also think that at a certain point in your teens you start to live your life the way you want to live it is. After all the fundamental right of every human being is to be who and exactly what they want to be. The great thing about turning 18 years old is that you can do that and although people will try to judge your decisions it won’t matter to you, because it’s your life to do exactly as you want.

Since around September this year I have noticed a change in all three of them. Back in the summer my eldest daughter sent me a text me saying she was thinking of going to Australia. I wrote a post at the time saying it was the last thing I ever wanted to read, but I of course would never stand in her way. It appears to be on the back burner at the moment, but I know it’s still something that’s possibly on the agenda at some point in her life. Just maybe not yet.

My 20 year old daughter is in her final year of university. One of the most fantastic things about being 20 years old or least how I remember it, is you can change your mind constantly, which is what she is doing on a regular basis. But she will decide and I’m sure eventually decide her chosen path in life.

Once she has qualifies as a nurse the world will be her oyster, already during the summer just gone she spent three weeks in Uganda which without a doubt, changed her beyond recognition. It has focused her and what she wants from life and hopefully the experience has given her the tools to achieve it. It’s also given her perspective, and I hope made her realise how lucky she is.

Finally my 18 year old son has left and gone to university, he is fending for himself, I think! No I’m sure he is and I have no doubt in my mind that he will never live full-time in his hometown ever again. I have no idea what gives me that feeling, it’s simply just that a feeling. I can feel it in my bones.

When your children become adults you have to let go and it’s incredibly hard because for the best part of twenty years you have educated, laughed, cried, listened to all their issues in life, watch romance come and go. You basically watch them grow and then leave the nest and fly away.

I speak to all three of them on a regular basis, although I have noticed nowadays it’s usually me that’s doing the texting or phoning. I remember being 20 years old, you simply don’t have the time for parents, life is just so busy, and very little time to do all these things that seem so important when you are a young person in a hurry, haha! Wait till you all get to my age, the years will seriously fly by.

I have absolutely no problem with them living their lives, just please remember your old dad with the odd phone call. It actually puts my mind at rest that I know you are happy and safe.

Regular readers will know I have five year old twins and a lesson that this has taught me is to definitely take more time to be involved in every aspect of their lives, because in a flash I know now they will be grown up.

I would love to hear your thoughts.