As a father of four it is interesting to have all adult children.
When I read books from the past I read about children that died and
people that went on to have other children despite children dying. I'm
sad for them, but I cannot relate to that. Because all of my children
survived.
I remember reading a Frank Herbert book called "The Dosadi Experiment"
where there was this alien race on the planet Dosadi called the
Gowachin. They were a frog-like race and the males would eat their
children that were too slow and could not escape them. I never wanted
to do that, but having read that book in my teenage years it always
struck me as funny. In a weird way.
https://www.amazon.com/Dosadi-Experiment-Tor-Science-Fiction-ebook/dp/B007PRZP0G/ref=sr_1_1?crid=YGNCTTZXAOYY&keywords=dosadi+experiment+frank+herbert&qid=1689704663&sprefix=dosadi+exp%2Caps%2C702&sr=8-1
All of my children are adults. My wife and I had a goal that our
children would grow up to be fine upstanding members of their
community. We weren't focused on having doctors or nurses or
scientists or lawyers or tycoons or any of that, we just wanted them
to take our values and take the launchpad that we set up for them and
launch out to be successful adults in whatever community they decided
to be a part of. We hope that they will be part of the community that
we were a part of, but knowing the way the world works we also
understood that they might be in a different part of the world.
My wife and I have been wildly successful! Our adult children are
doing good things, paying taxes, helping others, and growing into
adults that are doing good things. It's so exciting to see! I'm
looking forward to all the accomplishments they achieve.
But it is an adjustment having adult adult children. I can't tell
them what to do. I can't tell them where to go or when to be there.
I can only smile and say this is what I'm doing and I hope I see you
there. It's awesome! They are responsible for themselves, which is
awesome! I watch so many of my peers take on responsibilities that are not
theirs and then watch as they get so frustrated when they can't exercise and enforce that
responsibility on children that are not directly theirs.
I'm very happy with my adult children. I'm happy with what they are
doing and achieving. I'm happy with what they are teaching me and I'm
happy with what they are learning.
But it is weird being the parent of adult children.
