1) In the past, households didn’t split up until a child got married or moved elsewhere to work. Wedding gifts of household items/appliances and money demonstrate how it was understood that living on one’s own was financially difficult.
Nowadays, families undertake enormous amounts of debt so that their children can spend more per year than the average American’s annual salary! Wal-Mart and the colleges profit from the social pressure to emancipate your child fully at the age of 18.

2) Colleges used to be institutions of learning. I’m not so sure that’s true anymore. Most parents don’t have any idea what their children are learning in those very expensive college classes…what many parents do know is that their children return home from college without careers or significant maturity.

3) I am now very against separating females from the protection of their fathers, brothers, uncles, etc. at the age of 18. I don’t know a single female who wasn’t sexually molested or assaulted at least once between the ages of 18 and 23. I think most fathers would be horrified if they knew how many sexual propositions their daughters received every day, and how many times men tried to seduce, trick, manipulate, or force them.
One of the major roles of males in a family is to protect – and I think that colleges deprive males of their role and deprive females of that protection.
At least if you’re daughter is living at home, you can keep an eye on who she’s going out with, what time she’s coming home, and if something bad happens (knock on wood), you know who to hunt down. @_@

Sorry for the long comment!

In referring to my college years to my kids I call it 4 years of heaven after the 4 years of agony in high school.

I like to think that right now is the best time. My husband and I are starting a family and building traditions of our own. But I think that in 15 years I will look back onto the early days and think, wow that was a lot of work and be happy to have a teenager.

Like you, I think every day should be the time of your life. I can’t imagine anything more depressing than thinking my best days are behind me!

Always great to hear from you. Thanks for sharing your experiences and perspective.

David

I’m really enjoying the personal connection that’s coming across with this post! I say, more snapshots of what’s happening with David.

Senior year of college was *the time of my life* because I took classes that didn’t feel like classes beause I enjoyed them so much. I knew where I was going with my career, and was surrounded by people whose company I truly enjoyed. My circle of friends from college was a small, close knit group, who, to this day, make me laugh, make me think, make me feel good, and help me to remember who I am on the inside in case I happen to forget.

It was the best of friends, and the best of times. I use that time as a gauge for every other phase of my life. If it lives up to college, I know I must be doing something right.

Thanks for taking me back! It looks like you had a really fun weekend – and now I’m living vicariously through your experience.

You, too, have nailed it. If we could only let go of the negative from our pasts and focus on the good – our values, beliefs, passions, and strengths – we’d be much better off. Unfortunately, we tend to carry a lot of baggage from our pasts around with us.

David