I honestly wonder how people my age are going to survive in the real world without their parents. I see and hear so many people depending and relying on their parents for money, this, and that. It's crazy to believe that their parents haven't taught them that they need to learn to rely on themselves. I learned you won't get anywhere relying on people. Not even that, being independent, doing your own thing, and paying your own bills actually feels good.

Your parents are teaching you to never be responsible. They are teaching you that whenever you need them, that they are going to just hand it to you. How is that going to benefit you in the long run when you no longer have your parents - what are you going to do?

If you don't have your life together by your late teens, there is no hope for you. I believe that responsibility is a big part to be able to survive in this world. Unless you are going to live with your parents for the rest of your life, so be it. But, knowing that I have a brand new car because OF MYSELF, is the greatest feeling in the world. I would never want someone to tell me that if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have something - even if I was married.

Always rely on yourself - because that is ALL you will have in the end. Grow up, and do your own thing. Once in awhile, our parents want to help us with the little things - and that is ok. Our parents are supposed to be there for us, and love us no matter what. But, they aren't there for us to take advantage of them.

Eventually, you are going to start blaming your parents for everything, and it gets old. Work for your own money - eventually, you will lack the independence that some people strive for - you will start to expect handouts for the rest of your life because you were taught to always turn to your parents when you want something.

Being an adult is not easy - but its life. Eventually, you will have to adult like the rest of us. Eventually you will have to struggle - but until then, watch everyone else rise above you, be independent, work for your money and always rely on yourself. How do you feel about that? Don't you want to go into your own wallet and pull out money, and be like that new car is mine because of me - that's mine because of me, not because your parents paid for you.

There is a time and place for everything. There is a time when parents need to stop giving you everything that you need - whether it be when you are finally legal, when you go off to college, when you get married, or when you have children - whenever that time is, you will start to feel a sense of self & a sense of worth. You will feel so proud of yourself, it's unbelievable. Never allow those 16-18 years of childhood of depending on your parents to continue to adulthood. It is not a good outlook for you - and you will definitely not feel like the adult that you were supposed to mature into.

See the value in some of your friends' parents who are hard and strict on them to pressure and push them into being who they always wanted to be. See the value in parents that make their children pay for certain things - it creates responsibility and a sense of individualism.

Never allow someone to be able to take something away from you because you didn't work to get it yourself. Allow someone to say "I am proud of you. You've made it a long way. You did this because you worked for it."