Getting married, having children and buying a house or having a mortgage are apparently all key signs of becoming a ‘grown up’ according to a new survey of 2000 adults.

A fully-fledged adult must also know how to bleed a radiator, cook a meal from scratch, have a weekly budget and do the big shop once a week, the survey found.

Speaking for Skipton Building Society, who conducted the research, Tracy Fletcher said: 'The top 50 list makes for an interesting read. Many of the indicators are things which people need to have mastered - such as looking after the house and garden, being able to cook and taking responsibility when it comes to personal finances.

'But other factors are the key milestones in life - such as buying a house, getting married and having children - things which are happening at a later age due to economic circumstances, job security and so on. Owning a house topped the poll as two thirds of Brits felt this was the most significant factor when it comes to ageing and accepting responsibility, and yet it is now harder than ever to set foot on the property ladder.'

Top 10 Signs You're A Grown-Up

The research also showed that most people don’t feel like an adult until the age of 26. This is reflected in the change of lifestyle undertaken as an adult; a ‘grown up’ will wear a coat on a night out, wear sensible shoes and go to bed before 11pm!

The modern adult finds a messy house annoying, does the ironing, files away post and takes their make-up off and! Other factors to appear in the top 50 list include actually liking walking round garden centres, buying a Sunday paper, having people round for dinner and listening to Radio 2

Tracy continues: 'These findings are a stark reflection of contemporary Britain, and the impact the recession is having on our most basic expectations. The inability to complete rites of passage as basic as standing on their own feet financially, and owning their own home, is effectively infantilising people and leaving us with a generation of who remain teenagers into their late 20s.

'However, there are some encouraging signals in our research, including the increased emphasis on financial awareness and capability, as people recognise that things like completing a Will and saving are vital stepping stones to a more prosperous and independent future. Although many people currently feel challenged in achieving these goals, the fact that such aspirations are front of mind should mean that - as the recovery hopefully gathers momentum - today's 'teenagers' now will eventually mature into more financially savvy adults than their predecessors, which can only make them better off in the long term.

'TOP 50 SIGNS YOU'RE A GROWN UP'

1. Having a mortgage
2. Mum and dad no longer make your financial decisions
3. Paying into a pension
4. Conducting a weekly food shop
5. Written a Will
6. Having children
7. Budgeting every month
8. Being able to cook an evening meal from scratch
9. Getting married
10. Having life insurance
11. Recycling
12. Having a savings account
13. Knowing what terms like 'ISA' and 'tracker' mean
14. Watching the news
15. Owning a lawn mower
16. Doing your own washing
17. Taking trips to the local tip
18. Planting flowers
19. Being able to bleed a radiator
20. Having a joint bank account
21. Having a view on politics
22. Keeping track of interest rates
23. Finding a messy house annoying
24. Being able to change a light bulb
25. Owning a vacuum cleaner
26. Holding dinner parties
27. Listening to Radio 2
28. Enjoying gardening
29. Spending weekend just 'pottering'
30. Mum starts asking you for advice
31. Carrying spare shopping bags just in case
32. Like going round garden centres
33. Wearing coats on a night out
34. Going to bed before 11pm
35. Making sure mum and dad are phoned at least once a week
36. Classing work as a career rather than a job
37. Repairing torn clothing rather than throwing it away
38. You iron
39. You wash up immediately after eating
40. Enjoy cooking
41. Buying a Sunday paper
42. Always going out with a sensible pair of shoes
43. You like receiving gift vouchers
44. Work keeps you awake at night
45. Filing post
46. Having a 'best' crockery set
47. Being able to change a car tyre
48. Being sensible enough to remove make up off before bedtime
49. Being able to follow a receipt
50. Owning 'best towels' as well as 'everyday towels'

June 2012

Share This...