10. You have Thanksgiving dinner at her home. You sneak the inedible parts to her dog.
9. He drops the F-bomb right in front of you. With no fear of an Ivory Soap sandwich.
8. You realize that you are sitting in the back seat.
Of her car.
7. He cleans up after himself.
While visiting your house!
6. She absentmindedly pays for her own pedicure.
Even though you are right there with her… and didn’t forget your wallet.
5. He cooks you dinner.
It doesn’t involve tortilla chips, top ramen, pizza rolls or a microwave.
4. She orders a drink that wasn’t made in a blender with ice cream and maraschino cherries.
Then she asks the bartender for one of those cute little umbrellas and plays with it for the rest of the night.
3. You stay the night at his house.
The sheets don’t smell like butt.
2. She actually asks what you’d like to do.
You end up doing what she wanted to do anyway just out of habit. And shock.
1. He takes you out to dinner and offers to pay… knowing you won’t let him.
Hey, baby steps, at least he offered. Next time, let him. It’ll make him feel like a man.
David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com
Your Turn: Got any more ways to know when your kid was grown up? Let us know below!
Children are the best gifts. It’s so happy to see them growing up and learning new things every day.
We getting nice information through this blog. It’s Greate and Very Helpful. Thanks again and keep up the great work!
Your son calls, says, “I’d like to take you out to dinner for your birthday, Mom. Just you and me.” Then takes you to the 5 star restaurant where he works (but doesn’t earn much) and treats you to an amazing meal (which is not either free or inexpensive for him). Best of all – the relaxed hours of conversation. Yes every stage of parenthood has its up sides. And I don’t have to do his laundry any more!
Wow, it doesn’t get much better than that Nancy! 🙂
Have to agree! Especially the laundry part!
Ha ha yes, when they offer to shout you a coffee or even lunch, it really means they are grown-up. I would add to this list when you lend your kids money and they actually pay it back within a few days!
Yes! Very good addition.
Hahahaha, I’m not an empty nester just yet but seriously the “You stay the night at his house. The sheets don’t smell like butt” made me laugh so hard! Glad to know there is something to look forward too ;).
Jen
Thanks Jen, all the best on your upcoming transition to emptynester status.
We he invites you to have dinner at the pub where he works. Prepays for it!!! And brings your dessert with lit birthday candles singing albeit softly happy birthday than kisses you in front of other customers !,, Thats what I call grown up 🙂
I’d say! Wow – that’s awesome – I would have been moved to tears. HAPPY tears! 🙂 -Veronica
Your son’s girlfriend’s mother sends you an email to inform you that your son has just asked her and her husband for permission to propose to their daughter. Then your son calls you to ask if you know anything about diamonds because he is heading out to buy an engagement ring. You know nothing about diamonds. You got a Citizens watch when you became engaged 30 years ago. You wonder where your grown-up 20-something year old kid came from.
When we offered all the special school crafts,drwings,yearbooks, Halloween costumes and text books that we had saved for them since grade school only to be asked “What would we want that junk for?”
Ouch! (but we totally get it!)
I knew my kids were grown up when all their “stuff” was out of my attic and garage!
My son will jump out of the car to lift the heavy wooden garage door (with no springs), but he’ll forget to ask if he can help carry the packages up the hill to the house- unless I can’t carry them all myself.
My kids are only 23 and 19, so I’ve only experienced three or four of these joys, but it’s so nice to know what I have to look forward to! Thanks for the heads up!
Only those of us with older children would understand this blog. I love it! I have experienced them all. 🙂
They buy you a vacation as a gift!
Hahaha! THAT would be grown up…haven’t experienced it yet. Uh oh.
My 22yo daughter brings her laundry home from college, but she does it! She’s been doing her own laundry, since middle school.
When my son bought his own washing machine; thus, stopped bringing his washing ‘home’ for me to do. Ditto on cell phone plans and of course, own cars! Now, with Gypseynester on board, there’s just 2 more grown kids left to fly the coop, (2 down; 2 to go.) Thankfully, I find hope whenever I read gypseynester stuff! 🙂
Thanks so much. Honestly, nothing makes us feel better than when we can give a boost to other parents out there.
I knew our daughter was grown up when she made more money than we did – put together. Then she offered to buy my plane ticket so I could visit. Shocker!
For my eldest son – when he lit up a cigarette in front of us on the deck. … I’m still coughing thinking about it.
When they got their own cell phone plans!
Great post. My daughter is finally doing most of these things at 35 but my son (33) nope, not yet. 🙂
I love your sites and insites! I am still struggling with the letting go part, but I am sure this will help.
When I was mall shopping with my daughter and she asked me if we could please leave this store because the rock music they were playing was driving her crazy.
I think my mom had a heart attack when she saw my cooking dinner and simultaneously doing dishes at my sister’s house while she was sick. All she kept saying was, “Aww! How domestic!”
My 21 yo son recently house/pet sat for me. When I got home the dishes were done, and the toilet paper roll had been replaced. I didn’t even know he’d learned to do that 😉
He always pays for dinner and you don’t have to bring your purse – CALL ME LUCKY!
When he ordered a beer with dinner. Okay, maybe not grown up, but OLDER!
Cute and so true and #3 rocks LMAO!
Joan