What’s with “kidults” today?  I don’t necessarily mean those who’re approaching 30 and still living with their parents, but those twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings who actually act like they’re still undergraduates.  I know a few people like this.  After work, they go out to clubs or parties, often several times a week.  These are not networking events, work-related events, launches or ones where proceeds go to good causes, but are just plain parties/fun nights. This is excessive fun even for undergrads,   but as ”real” adults, partying like this should only be done once in a while (e.g. when a friend is getting married).

I find it sad that some of us feel we need to hold on to our youth.  Why?  What’s wrong with going out to quieter places for drinks?  What about dinner parties at home?  Is it because of our more casual upbringing (at least for those of us who’re under 35)?  Have we not actually been “trained” to be “real grown-ups”?  Generally, people can learn by observing.  However, what do you do when there is nothing to observe?  Just because you attended an etiquette program where you were taught how to handle a fish knife, where the bread plate goes and how you present your business card to people in Japan, doesn’t make you an adult. 

So who do we blame?  Our parents?  Or do we blame ourselves for not listening?  Sometimes, I think it’s the former rather than the latter. Our parents, who are, for the most part, early baby boomers or WWII-era babies, were rebellious against the more traditional teachings of their parents.  That generation was the real beginning of a separate “youth” culture.  Though they more or less learned how to be adults through their parents, many didn’t have time to teach us – either because of their busy work schedule, or because they did not think it was an important enough subject to devote time to.