Peanuts by Charles Schulz for November 03, 2015

My parents did that to me. Not exactly on my 18th birthday: I was allowed to graduate first. It did not work out well, so I can’t recommend it. It’s extremely difficult to get anywhere in life without the support of family.

And when Grandma turns eighty…

Some Eskimos used to put their aging relatives who were no longer productive out on the ice to meet with a polar bear fate. Gramma better thank her lucky stars she’s situated as she is.

In reality, Linus is of grandpa age now. Whats his thinking?

I knew an American university student whose mother sent her on a semester-in-Europe programme; while she was away, Mom wrote to inform her that she had turned the daughter’s bedroom into her new home office. Nice.

Wow. If that was true decades ago when this strip was originally published, think how much more it’s true now.

Kids often get kicked out of the house at 18. They come home from school (if they still go) to find their belongings on the front step and new locks on the door. Not a good situation, but I’m sure blame can be on both sides.Unloving parents and disrespectful kids can lead to a very unhappy home.

Every generation complains about the youth. It has been that way for ages. I’ve seen quotes from Ancient Greeks complaining about the youth. The thing old people hate about the youth of today is how young they are. A brutal reminder that they are not young anymore.

In our house, as soon as you hit 16, you got a part-time job and started paying a minimal rent. If you’re still home after graduation (if you go to college, it’s college grad; if you chose not to, high school), you got a full-time job and paid more rent.

Today is Tuesday, and Sunday comes 5 days from now.

So much emphasis on “getting kicked out at 18”… Likely, most of those who are, have no respect for parents or house rules, and so many even choose for themselves “when I’m an adult, I get to do what I want!!” Usually, the ones who show respect actually get to stay, and will likely be supported even if they don’t have a job.

On the Simpsons: "Homer, do you remember the promise you made the kids? “I sure do! When you’re 18 you’re out the door!”

When I was eighteen, I enlisted in the Marines. It was enlist or be drafted.

The Amish kick them out at 8th grade. Barefoot, ignorant and pregnant is the women’s lot in life. Men, dominate, pious and….dominate.

If getting kicked out at 18 had the proviso that the parents had no expectation of any assistance from their children when they get old…then that would be an awesome deal. Having done both I can say that taking care of the elderly is way way way harder than raising children.

More often it is the 18 year old who leaves with the idea that “they can’t tell me what to do anymore”. He usually finds out in a big hurry just exactly what “they” used to do for him.

Wasn’t a problem in our family. Although there were never any “forced” exits, we left once our education was complete and we had a job to support ourselves. Same thing applied to our kids. Besides, in most cases, the kids frequently want to be out on their own, and good parents should accept this!

Of course, although it was rarely taken advantage of, a child would be welcomed back (for a while) if the need presented itself…

the Inuit elders would “take the walk” when they knew it was time. Usually, family watch them to make sure they don’t. The elders have a lot of knowledge they could use.

My 18th Birthday was on a Sunday!

(16th December, 2012)

xxx