What Is Special About 18th Birthday

People often wonder why the 18th birthdays are so special. The thing is, there are several milestone birthdays in one’s life. The first period of life, so to call it, includes 5 important events: 5th, 13th, 16th, 18th, and 21st birthday. After these, we start celebrating numbers such as 30, 40, 50, and 60. For some reason, after the 60th birthday, the milestone becomes every 5th year (65, 70, 75).

Now, let’s take a look at important milestone birthdays that precede the famous 18th.

• At 5 years old, children start attending kindergarten, which is considered a child’s first year in school. The 5th birthday is a sign of a child growing up, as he or she is ready to attend school and start gaining coherent knowledge about the world.
• At 13 years old, children are stepping into the teen period. It’s a crucial period in life, although all parents would agree that it’s the most difficult one to handle at the same time.
• At 16 years old, children learn how to drive, and they get their driver’s licenses. At this age, they are close to becoming adults, although people don’t see them that way, nor do they see themselves very much changed.
• At 18 years old, children are finally adults! In most countries around the world, you’re officially an adult at this age. That’s one of the reasons why the 18th birthday is so special.
•  At 21 years old, people are not only officially adults, but they start acting like ones. At 18 years old, most people are still not mentally mature, which changes in the following 3 years. Oh, we almost forgot, you also get to drink alcohol at 21 (in case you wondered why 21st birthday is special for youngsters).

The Passage Into Adulthood

This part is addressed to those who are about to celebrate the special day. So, why is your 18th birthday so important? The answer is simple, you are about to become an adult! Turning 18 means you are a grown-up person ready to make decisions and take responsibility for your own life. Sounds exciting, right? Well, it’s also a little bit scary. Until yesterday, you leaned on your parents and made only a few decisions on your own, and now you’re supposed to do things independently. It’s not only confusing but also scary, as you’re not sure how to be an adult at all. Don’t worry, that’s perfectly normal. Becoming a responsible adult is a process that requires time and a lot of experience. You’ll make mistakes, that’s for sure, but you’ll learn from them. Although independent life is difficult and scary, remember that beautiful things await you in the adult world.

Inevitable Changes

Now we have a few things to say to parents whose children are about to turn 18 years old. Children are not the only ones who might get scared of the upcoming years. Most parents are terrified of their children becoming adults. Yes, it’s beautiful to see your son or daughter growing up, but also scary. How you’re supposed to let her or him step into the world all on her or his own? How to know which method is right and which one is wrong? What should you do?

Take a deep breath, everything will be just fine! The fact that your child is turning eighteen doesn’t drastically change things at the very moment. Yes, your child is an adult now, but the inevitable changes will come slowly. You’ll have the time to process everything with your child and deal with one thing at the time. You are not supposed to do anything unusual at the very 18th birthday. Celebrate the birthday, and you’ll see how to take it from there. The entire growing-up thing is a process, and it doesn’t happen in a day. And no, you are not supposed to leave your child deal with everything alone now. You’re still her or his parent, which means you should be there for your child during the entire life. So, there’s nothing wrong with helping your child as long as he or she needs your support. Even then, when your child is a fully grown-up person that can independently make for a living, you should be there to help and provide support when needed. That’s what family does!

Dealing with the Upcoming Years

As we mentioned above, what would be the 18th birthday key meaning is the process of growing up. Through that period, it’s essential to be there for your child and help as much as you can. Understanding and practicing the entire I-am-an-adult thing is not easy, and your child will need some help. Luckily, we have a few tips for you that can be useful.

Support

Support is what every child needs, regardless of age. We need it in life in general, not only from our parents, and not only when we are experiencing difficult things. Make sure to be there for your child and support him or her through hard times.

Patience

Growing up is difficult. Try to remember all the phases you went through before you became the person you are now. Be patient with your child, and you’ll go together through the process a lot easier.

Love

Try to show your child how much you love her or him whenever you can. Yes, eighteen-years-olds could be hard to handle at some times, but that’s just how it is with some life stages. Your child will go through it way easier if he or she knows how much love you have to give.

Celebrating the Special Day

You are probably wondering how many different traditions are there around the world when it comes to the 18th birthday. Of course, different cultures celebrate events in their way, but things are not so drastically different. For example, the cake is probably a common thing for every birthday celebration in the world. There’s no real birthday without one, that’s the thing we can all agree on!

Ways to Celebrate

Now, you can celebrate your 18th birthday in many ways, depending on your current mood. Throw a party, organize a small gathering, or just spend some time with your family. You can also take a trip, spend the night out in the city, take a holiday with your friends and family, and much more. As you can see, the possibilities are endless! 

For some extra ideas, we have a useful article for you: How to Celebrate the 18th Birthday for a Daughter.

Gifts to Buy

As your child is about to step into adulthood, you want to get her or him a meaningful gift. The choice of gift will mostly depend on your child’s preferences. He or she might want experiences or money instead of presents, but might not be sure How to Ask for Money Instead of Gifts for Birthday. Therefore, we recommend you ask your child what he or she wants. Here are some tips on how to do it: How to Ask Someone What They Want for Their Birthday.

Pro Tip:  Don’t just hand over the gift. There are a lot of Creative Ways to Give Birthday Presents, and you should consider which one will surprise your child the most. Your child turns eighteen only once, after all, so make it memorable!

Things to Do

There are a lot of unique ways to celebrate birthdays. Your child might want to do something special on the big day, but he or she might not know How To Ask for Experiences Instead of Gifts. Make sure to find out what exactly your child wants to do on this special day, and make an effort to organize it!

Lessons to be Repeated on the 18th Birthday

We know you spent the last 18 years raising your child to be a good person. All those lessons and long conversations most certainly left a significant trace on your child’s development. Still, the fact that your child turns eighteen years old doesn’t mean you should stop talking to each other. In the future, it might come to the point that you both learn new things from your conversations. For now, it’s enough to remind your child on some of the most important things you taught her or him over the years.

Live and Laugh

Remind your child that laughter is the best medicine. Whatever life throws in his or her way, she should never forget to laugh and enjoy life. Sometimes it might be hard to do so, but that’s how we overcome the difficult times.

Be Kind to Others and Gentle to Yourself

Thank you and Please are the words that never get old. Be kind to all people in your life, even to strangers you don’t know at all. All lives matter and everyone should feel appreciated.

Smile Smile Smile

Smile to people and for yourself. You can make someone’s day beautiful with a tiny smile and let the sunshine enter your life. A single smile can change the world, never forget that.

Never Give Up Hope

Love, fear, and faith are the things that make us most human, but hope is what keeps us moving, keeps us alive. Without hope, no love or fear or faith is strong enough to make life worth living. Nourish it and keep it close to your heart. Never give it up.

Be Brave

The most beautiful things in life come at a risk. Be brave enough to search for them and step out of your comfort zone. There will come a time when you’ll be afraid, but fear is natural, and you can learn from it. Try to be brave for your future happiness and seize what you’re looking for.

Be Present

Don’t let your days pass by without noticing it. You have very little precious time to spend on this earth. Make every minute count.

Embrace the Change

Change is good sometimes. We love to live in a routine and have paths mapped out in our lives. However, sometimes you should accept new things and embrace change for a better tomorrow.

Learn to Do Things Alone

We all fear loneliness as if it’s the most terrible thing in the world. It’s terrifying, yes, but not the ultimate worse thing you should run away from. Once you figure out that you can do things on your own, without anyone’s company, your life will become even more beautiful. Besides, people say that you can be with others only when you’re okay with being alone.

Seize the Day

Enjoy every day in your life. Try to make every second, every minute of your every day count. Make plans, look into the future, but never forget to make the most of every single day that passes by.

Life Isn’t Always Fair

Learning that life isn’t always fair is a difficult process. No matter how old we are, we can’t just accept that some things happen without us being able to control them. You don’t always get what you think you deserve, but you eventually learn to accept that in some ways, bad things lead to good things. Without difficult situations, we would never learn to appreciate the good ones. Remember, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!