Young People Living Together

So, now all of my children are adults, and I am living the empty nest life, however....I DO have grandchildren. My oldest granddaughter is now 20 years old,( and yes,) she is the same age as my youngest daughter, and I know that sounds strange but that's how it is! My darling granddaughter has just moved out of her family home and into the home of a boyfriend and his parents. I guess there are more grown children living at home that there used to be in my day of growing up. She has done pretty well for herself though because she is a licensed cosmetologist and is still in college for business classes, she works and that's her life right now. I was very uneasy about her moving out, and of course being my first and oldest grandchild worried about her moving in with her boyfriend. I think that I worry about her just as much as if she were one of my own children. When is it the right time to move in with a boyfriend? Is it better than just getting married first? How do they take care of finances and how do they split living expenses?  I am just curious, as they are young. I guess they must look at it as if they want to split up at any point, they are free and do not have to go through the paper work as if married people do. This seems to be the normal thing these days. How do you feel about it?

Grown Teens Leaving The Nest And Learning How To Fly On Their Own

As a mother who has had children at home from the time I was 18 until my mid 50's it's very hard letting them go to fly out on their own. But my youngest who left less than 2 years ago has really done well for herself, and yet I still find myself trying to give her advice as if she were still at home. It is so very difficult for me to stand back and watch as she goes through life's struggles.  I enjoy seeing her good times but when I see a potential downfall coming or seeing her go through something harder in life, I just sometimes find myself blurting out my opinions. I need to let her experience life and find out on her own, but it's so hard! I find that when I catch myself giving advice, she tells me that she remembers that I already taught her that and that she knows!  I have to apologize to her because I KNOW that she KNOWS, but for me, it's been very difficult letting her go. She doesn't live near me anymore but since she has been in the Navy, and married a Navy boy, she had to deal with new experiences and she calls for my advice, which is good, but I feel I need to stand back a bit more and allow her wings to spread and learn. Why does it have to be so hard when our children grow up and leave home?

Having A Grown-Up Teen

So much time has passed and my baby, yes, she's still my baby, is grown up now. Graduated from high school, and immediately went into the Navy. She's been learning to do her thing and she met a very nice guy and got married. Still a teen, my dear darling daughter got married to a Navy guy. He is her same age and they are great together....and I love him dearly. I have seen how he treats my daughter and I am glad that she chose someone who allows her to be herself, someone who is always looking out for her betterment, and someone who has many of the same views that she does. Oh, this mother is so happy and proud, but now my baby no longer is single. That means that this mom takes a back seat and gets to watch as my children grow through their marriage. I hope that this marriage lasts her for her lifetime and I am pleased with how things are going for them.