So, your child is graduating from high school. As exciting as it may be, and as proud as you are of them, you just can't escape that immense sadness that you feel. Not that you aren't happy to see your child go forward in life and take on their next adventure, you're just sad that this adventure has come to an end.
It is okay. You are not alone. Those feelings are very common and very normal.
The key, though, is knowing what to do when you feel those things. It all breaks down to three easy steps.
First, remember that all of these feelings are normal.
Second, allow yourself to think about and process your feelings.
Third, find a way to soothe yourself with some sort of activity.
Read the full story at Psychology Today
Maybe your graduate isn't ready to move on. Maybe they don't feel like they are old enough, mature enough, or responsible enough. That's where the idea of perpetual adolescents comes in.
Perpetual adolescents essentially means that young adults don't want to "adult." They simply don't feel like they are fit to be independent, and that "adulting" just is not something they want to do.
Now, the reasons for this are hard to nail down because there are many, yet none are clearly the one cause. Schools are failing their students. Parents are sheltering their children. Society provides excuses, such as self-diagnosed mental disorders.
Whether it is one of these things, or all of these things, for many people, "adulting" is just too much.
Read the full story at Psychology Today