Meet The Twixters! -

Home
>
Parenting
>
Meet The Twixters!

Meet The Twixters!

There is a new stage of development for parents to consider.

The stages of development are roughly the following: children move from infancy, to early childhood and onwards to middle childhood. These stages take roughly the first ten or so years of life. Our children then move into a long stage known as adolescence (with a number three sub-stages) that is a transition phase into adulthood. That's it, right?

No, it seems that we have another phase that links adolescence with adulthood. The twenty-first birthday used to signify a move into adulthood and all its accompanying privileges and responsibilities. Now the years from 18 until 25 and beyond seem to have become a distinct stage of life, where young people seem to have lodged for a while, staving off the responsibilities of full adulthood. This phase has been dubbed the Twixter stage.

This group has been on the radar for some years but it seems only now that they are reaching significant status of a sub-culture. They have been variously dubbed 'permakids', 'boomerang kids' and 'adultescence'. Their babyboomer parents don't want to grow old ? they don't want to grow up.

Twixters have put many of the traditional markers of adulthood on hold ? home ownership, marriage and children, if they have them, have been delayed until well into their 30's. Entering the workforce later than previous generations and knowing they will live into their eighties this group has plenty of time to play.

This group can afford to take their time to grow up as they have the luxury of having relatively affluent, cashed-up parents who act as a safety net or a financial back-up in times of need. Oh, and a large number of them still live at home.

It is not as if living at home presents any significant hardship to Twixters. Both parents and twixters hold each other in high regard and maybe both groups gain significant benefits from living with each other longer, rather than having young people flee the nest at the first opportunity.

A recent US Gallup poll found that 90 per cent of young people report being very close to their parents, which contrasts with 40 per cent of babyboomers in 1974 who said that they would be better off without their parents. Twixters and their parents get on with each other.

If young people are delaying partnering and beginning their own families then they are seeking and support networks elsewhere. This is where friends and family of origin play an important role.

Twixters have a special gift for friendships and their culture revolves around strong friendship groups. The American sitcom Friends and its Australian counterpart The Secret Life of Us! showed how friends are a type of surrogate family for twentysomethings ? where you go to for emotional support and acceptance.

The point is Twixters will not go away. Biologically, it seems that the human brain is still developing well into the 20's so a young person's neurological development at 18 is still a many years from being complete.

There is little doubt that adulthood is delayed in a communal sense. One survey recently found that most people believe that the transition to adulthood should be completed by the age of 26, on average and the number is going up.

So, if your eldest is a toddler then you had better make sure you get on because he or she will be around for a couple of decades yet. It may be a scary thought! It certainly challenges us all to rethink the way we parent young people, rethink the notion of adolescence itself and its transitions and rethink how we organise our personal lives to accommodate the demands of these Peter Pans.

For more great ideas from Michael Grose to help you raise confident kids and resilient young people subscribe to Happy Kids, his fortnightly email newsletter. Just visit http://www.parentingideas.com.au and subscribe. Receive a free report on Seven ways to beat sibling rivalry in your email box when you subscribe

Michael Grose © http://www.parentingideas.com.au

Michael Grose - helping you raise confident kids and resilient teenagers

Australia's most popular parenting educator. The author of six books and presenter of over 100 presentations every year

In The News:

Parenting: Bullies getting younger and younger
Northwest Herald, IL - 11 hours ago
Bullying among adolescents has captured the attention of researchers, educators and parents alarmed by a parade of mean girls and cyber-bullies caught in ...

Readers advise on parenting, weddings
Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC - 18 hours ago
The wisdom of our parents' generation in many cases does not apply anymore. Just two examples: Babies are almost all sleeping on their backs now, ...

Gabrielle Union Prolongs Parenting To Put Off Adulthood
Post Chronicle - 5 hours ago
by Staff Actress Gabrielle Union has vowed to put motherhood to one side for a few years - because she's not responsible enough to play the demanding role ...

Seeking committed stable Lesbian couple for co-parenting ...
Proud Parenting - 9 hours ago
Co-Parenting â€“ including specific clauses for non carrying Mum (equalising discriminatory laws) / termination rights/clauses for pregnancy period ...

Way Out Parenting: When should our children use public restrooms ...
Proud Parenting - 11 hours ago
Gay fathers with a daughter and lesbians with a son face these questions sooner than heterosexual co-parents. Because you donâ€™t represent both sexes, ...

Jordan handed parenting slur payout
The Press Association - Jul 3, 2008
Model Katie Price and husband Peter Andre accepted substantial damages and a public apology over a claim that they were shocking and uncaring parents. ...

Times Online
Jordan wins payout over parenting slur
Irish Independent, Ireland - Jul 3, 2008
... known to some as Jordan -- and husband Peter Andre accepted substantial damages and a public apology yesterday over a claim they were bad parents. ...
Katie Price and Peter Andre win apology over 'bad parents' claim Press Gazette
Price, Andre receive libel payout Digital Spy
all 207 news articles

'We're good parents': Katie Price and Peter Andre win legal battle ...
Daily Mail, UK - Jul 3, 2008
The newspaper's solicitor Joanna Workman said the publication accepted the report was untrue and the couple were decent and responsible parents. ...

heatworld
Jordan and Peter win legal battle over bad parenting claims
heatworld, UK - Jul 3, 2008
Jordan and Peter Andre have just left court after accepting â€œsubstantial damagesâ€ over a newspaper article alleging that they were bad parents. ...

Foster carers in Somerset awarded for 380 years of parenting
Yeovil Express, UK - 16 hours ago
By Richard Purdon Â» A GROUP of 20 Somerset foster carers who have clocked up over 380 years of caring for vulnerable young people have received awards for ...

parenting - Google News