When did you first realise you were an adult?

When I had my first child.
My absolute responsibilty.

responsibility!

In my late twenties. The shops finally stopped asking to see my I.D

When I started work at 15yrs and having to pay board .

When I got my Tesco reward card.

..oops don't think it's happened yet

Leaving school and getting a job age 15.

When my parents dropped me and luggage off at the house friends and I had rented near my first job, 70 miles from home. It was so quiet once they'd left, and I burst into tears!

Like couple of other posters my mum took me to a job interview for well known high Street bank & I got the job!

When callers to our first house stopped asking if my parents were in!

When I got on a train from Essex to Liverpool Street and walked into a job as a shorthand typist aged 16. Mum made me go. Had to give half my wages to the family and used the rest for driving lessons and passed my test at 17.

Probably when I started teaching aged about 23 and all the pupils called me Miss (surname ). Also when I had my first child aged 27 and collected a prescription for the baby . Because I had to sign it as the patient's mother! But I still felt a fraud and like others still don't think I' ve really grown up!

When I first got a mortgage, aged about 26, I felt so grown up moving out of a rented flat into a house.

At a family funeral when I looked around and all us "young ones" were now the old ones. There was no one left in the family older than us. Average age about 50 at the time. We'd all moved up a level without noticing. Very sad feeling.

When my father died. I was 17. I was not only grown up I was free from his permanent intefering in my life.

Never really given that question any thought before now. I can’t remember a particular defining moment but I suppose I have swung between childhood and adulthood off and on depending on circumstances. Quite capable of doing adult stuff but still prefer to act like a big kid especially with the little kids

When I kept stamps in my purse without having a letter I needed to post immediately.

Still waiting....!

Having thought very hard about it I think it was the day I sat my Higher Geography exam. I had left school to go to work at 15 but continued to study at evening classes. A year later I was given a day of work to sit my exam in my old school, with my old classmates and the other extra-mural students from the evening class.

I wore my highest heels, best business suit and full make-up. Best of all my Tutor (and current boyfriend) who was the young 'heart throb' teacher at the school, whisked me off at lunchtime, in his red mini, in full view of the school pupils.

Getting a mortgage, and talking about surveys, insurance, and other grown up things which went with it.

My parents named me Elizabeth and insisted on my full name, no short forms. From eleven years old, friends at school all called me Liz. On my 18th birthday, my dad called up the stairs, "Liz, telephone call for you!" I was astounded but it was his way of acknowledging that I was now an adult and could choose how I wished to be addressed. My mother never called me anything but Elizabeth!

At the age of 34 when my Mum took an overdose (she survived) and my Dad had a stroke from the stress a fortnight later. I realised that, from then on, I was looking after them rather than the other way round.

When both of my parents had died,though I was in my 50s by that time. I thought, there's no one now who will always be there for me whatever I do.Not that I ever intend to do anything really bad,but I felt like It was up to me and I finally had to always be an adult.....

I'm not an adult. I don't ever intend to be. I had to be responsible beyond my years from early in my life and I have no intention of being that responsible ever again. To be an adult you have to choose to be responsible. In fact the words 'responsible' and 'adult' are often appear in the same sentence. You rarely see the words 'irresponsible adult'.

When I joined the army!