Where Childhood Ends & Adulthood Begins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geZ5WfcB1iYEvery person comes into this world on a specific day at a specific time to a specific set of individuals; that is the beginning of a childhood. A child is characterized by various factors, but the most well known would be that they are below the age of 18. Adulthood, legally, begins on a person’s 18th birthday. However the recognition of a person’s adulthood is dependent on more than just the law. For students in university, childhoods and adulthoods meet in ways that they never have before. For this reason, there is no clear demarcation of where a person’s childhood ends and their adult life begins.A child can be described as a young human being, as being below the age of puberty, and as being below the legal age of an adult. In a home context, a child is someone who is cared for by an adult. Every family recognizes the end of childhood differently, even if that way is not the same way as their community. For example, first year university students are often thrust into a world that affords them more freedom and independence. In fact, universities and institutions accessed by students to facilitate their maintenance in university treat students as adults. Banks, network providers, government institutions, and more industries treat individuals 18 and over as adults even if their parents do not.The recognition of adulthood by one’s family is just as important as recognition by the law. In some families a child only becomes an adult when they move out and no longer need family financing. For instance, some parents operate under the pretense that if they are financing their child’s activities, then they have the final say on what activities the child can participate in. In other families, the beginning of a child’s adulthood is measured by their level of independence. For example, small chores like being able to manage themselves in relation to their schooling is a measurement of how independent a child is. Finally, in some families adulthood is recognized when the law stipulates. For instance when a child turns 18, some parents allow their children to start making decisions for themselves.For many university students, their first year is where their childhood and their adulthood meet. Managing this meeting is difficult for some and easy for others, but in the best cases the support of family and friends is often what makes the transition from being a child to being an adult smooth and stress free. Nevertheless it is important to remember that even as an adult, every person is still another person’s child.