I am Gen X and have struggled with “adulting” since before that was a thing. I appreciate this piece on so many levels. I will add that people don’t come with any of these skills installed. Humans have to be taught how to do everything. Every single thing. And all the ADL’a are things that require years of both active and passive instruction to master. Traditionally they were taught by parent, older (and younger-in the case of patience, learning by teaching, etc) siblings, extended families, peer pressure….but now all the tiny families are atomized, isolated, parents divorced, never married, both working and kids being raised by daycare and school—places where you don’t (can’t) learn ADL’s because ADL’s are skills you learn in a home and family
I am Gen X and have struggled with “adulting” since before that was a thing. I appreciate this piece on so many levels. I will add that people don’t come with any of these skills installed. Humans have to be taught how to do everything. Every single thing. And all the ADL’a are things that require years of both active and passive instruction to master. Traditionally they were taught by parent, older (and younger-in the case of patience, learning by teaching, etc) siblings, extended families, peer pressure….but now all the tiny families are atomized, isolated, parents divorced, never married, both working and kids being raised by daycare and school—places where you don’t (can’t) learn ADL’s because ADL’s are skills you learn in a home and family
Yes! Thank you, Rachael. I appreciated this one so much.