The One Truth That Will Instantly Lower Your Stress as a Parent of an Emerging Adult

Parents of 18- to 25-year-olds… this one’s for you.

There’s a truth I wish more parents could fully embrace. It’s not always easy to hear, but once you do—and really accept it—it will bring your stress levels down more than almost anything else.

Ready?

Your emerging adult is not going to do things on your timeline.

They’re not going to:

• Schedule a doctor’s appointment when you think they should
• Get help for their anxiety or depression as quickly as you’d like
• Finish school, pick a major, or launch into a career on your schedule
• Fill up the gas tank, clean their room, or return that Amazon package when you think it needs to be done

They are not going to move through life on your clock.

And you know what? That’s okay.

Now, I get it. I’ve parented five emerging adults of my own. I’ve watched them delay, avoid, resist, and push back. I’ve felt that bubbling anxiety when something important was left undone. I’ve had the urge to jump in, remind them again, or just do it myself so it’s done “right” and done now.

But every time I held on too tightly to my timing, I created unnecessary tension—for me and for them.

When I finally accepted that my kids were going to learn, grow, act, and take responsibility on their own timeline, everything shifted.

I became more peaceful.
I stopped riding the rollercoaster of urgency.
I could be present in conversations instead of constantly future-focused.

That doesn’t mean we stop setting expectations or holding boundaries. But it does mean we stop letting their delayed timing dictate our emotional state.

So if you’re frustrated, anxious, or feeling stuck in the “Why won’t they just…?” spiral, take a breath and remember:

They’re not going to do it on your timing. And that’s not a reflection of your parenting. It’s just part of their process.

Your job isn’t to speed up their development—it’s to support it with patience, boundaries, and belief in their ability to figure it out.

If this is something you’re struggling with, you’re not alone. This exact topic comes up often in my weekly support calls for parents—and I’d love to have you join us.

Click here to register for my weekly support calls.

Let’s work together to help you parent with more peace and less pressure.