25/06/2026
I genuinely thought parenting would get easier once my children turned 18.
Maybe not easy… but easier.
After all, we’d survived the sleepless nights, the toddler tantrums, the homework battles and the teenage years. Surely this next stage would involve a little less worrying… right?
Well… not exactly. 😅
What I’ve discovered is that parenting doesn’t get easier… it gets different.
Many of us imagined that by this stage our children would be living independently, much as many of us were at their age. Instead, they’re navigating a very different world, one with soaring house prices, rising living costs, longer study, uncertain career paths and pressures we never had to contend with.
The questions change.
Do I offer advice… or wait until they ask?
Do I step in… or let them figure it out?
Should I say something… or bite my tongue?
Do I bail them out financially… or is it time they worked it out themselves?
And when exactly did “Mum, can you just transfer me $50?” become part of my weekly routine? 😅
No one really prepares you for this stage.
I’ve also noticed there are endless books, podcasts and articles about raising babies, toddlers and teenagers. But once our children start launching into adulthood, the advice seems to dry up just when many of us need it most.
As a mum of two young adults, and as a registered counsellor and coach working with teens, young adults and midlife adults, I’ve realised I’m not the only one asking these questions.
I hear young adults trying to find their feet in a world that feels increasingly complex. I also hear midlife adults carrying the worry, uncertainty and guilt that can come with wanting to support them, but not always knowing how.
The more I’ve reflected on my own experience, listened to my clients, and explored the research, the more I’ve realised this is a stage of parenting that deserves far more attention than it gets.
So I thought perhaps we need a space for these conversations and that is why I have created this page “Raising Adults”.
A place where I’ll be sharing practical strategies, evidence-informed insights, ideas from leading experts, and lessons I’ve learnt through both my work and my own experience. But I also hope it becomes a place where we can learn from each other, because no two families are the same.
If this interests you too, I’d love you to follow along and share this page with others who you think might be interested.
And let me know in the comments below…..
“What’s been the biggest surprise for you about parenting an adult?”
👇 I’d love to hear your thoughts.
