Adult: a person who is fully grown or developed. An adult under English Law is someone over 18 years old. What does it mean to be 18 years old?

1) You can get a tattoo without parental permission

2) Buy a lottery ticket

3) Vote

4) Lease an apartment or a house

5) Donate Blood

6) Skydive

7) Go Bungee jumping

8) Change your name

9) Open a bank account

10) Sue someone

11) Jury duty

12) Get married

13) Join the military

14) Buy a car

15) Get a credit card

16) Get a piercing (without parental permission)

17) Gamble

18) Book a hotel room

19) You can work more

20) Buy fireworks

21) Secure a loan

22) Drive an Ice cream truck (just something fun to do!)

23) See an 'R' rated movie

24) Go to a festival/ concert

25) Rent an apartment

26) Night clubs

27) Start 401k plan

28) Book a cruise

With that being said, it is a wonderful thing to turn 18! There are so many freedoms you are enabled to have, but then again, those freedoms still seem too hard to reach and that is because of PARENTS.

Think about it. At 18 years old we are either seniors in high school or we are in college (typically). In college, you are responsible for yourself. Not to mention if you are living in a dorm then that makes it so you have to take care of yourself and your needs. There is no more mom and dad or whoever your legal guardian is to take care of you. But as soon as we step into the boundaries of our home, our parents seem to forget how old we truly are.

Our entire lives, as soon as we were able to speak of what we wanted, we have experienced the word "no."

4 years old:

"Mommy, can I get that dolly?"

"No."

8 years old:

"Dad, can I get that video game?"

"No."

13 years old:

"Can I go to the park with my friends?"

"Is your homework done?"

"No."

"Then the answer is no."

16 years old:

"Hey, Dad. Can I borrow the car?"

"Are you kidding me?! No."

18 years old:

"Hey I'm going to go out with some friends, I'll be back later tonight."

"You don't TELL me what you're doing, you ASK. My house, my rules."

It's like no matter what the United States government says, we are still restricted by our parents. If we don't obey them they threaten us with bills, or paying rent if we are staying at the house during college summers.

Well parents, I understand that you want to keep your 18 year olds safe but you are only hurting us more than you are helping us. We need to experience life for ourselves, with no limitations (with the exception that it should be legal). You holding us back is wrong. Let us go on that trip to Florida with our friends for Spring Break, let us ride all of the rides we can at Cedar Point. These are the best years of our lives until we have FULL responsibilities like our career, a family, children to take care of. We won't be able to go on spontaneous adventures and have no worries in the world later in life. We'll be in your shoes sooner or later, so let us live right now.

In just three years, we will be old enough to drink alcohol legally, another social and legal responsibility being thrown at us. We have been able to drive legally since 16 if we have taken our lessons, what is the reason to saying "no" to us? Your child should be able to take their own car that they put gas in, and go to their part-time job without your permission.

One day, you will have no control of your child so what does it hurt to cut the umbilical cord now, at 18 years old?

Continue to help us, though. We need guidance, not permission, and as you can see from the list above, we don't need your permission for a lot of things. We only abide to your requests out of respect, but legally, we don't really have to listen to you.

The sad truth of it all is we, as 18 year olds (and older), seem to get punished when we are not doing what we are told. How twisted is that?! The government recognizes that we are adults, but our parents do not? Instead, when we are disobedient, we get our phones taken away, our vehicles, or our parents seem to threaten to stop helping us pay for college. So how do we as sons and daughters win?

We don't.

Parents, your job when we first came into this world was to teach us, raise us, clothe us, comfort us, feed us, and most of all, love us. But like all little birds, when it's time for us to fly, we leave the nest. You don't see momma birds telling their babies to be home by 10 PM, or taking away their flying rights.