18+ years

Adolescence is over: your child is now of legal age and an adult from a legal perspective. This step towards independence is important for the development of young adults. Parents know this and may still feel anxious about letting go of their child. How will the relationship change? What role do parents take on in the life span between the ages of 18 and 25?

Even when custody ends, as parents you remain an important companion - for life. The family is the most important advisor when it comes to questions about the future. For example, which career choice is the right one. You can advise your child in the search for the right educational path. The Familienportal.NRW provides tips and helpful links about career paths and opportunities - even in the event that the chosen path turns out not to be the right one.

Your son is doing an apprenticeship, your daughter is studying or is in a phase of career orientation? Children are usually still financially dependent on their parents for some time. Click on Financial & Formal Matters to find useful information on what support options are available and what is important financially now.

When children leave their parents' home for good at the latest, the partnership becomes more of a focus again. Sometimes it's hard to say goodbye to family time. If emptiness and loneliness set in, it could be due to empty nest syndrome. Find out how you can let go without losing the inner bond of the parent-child relationship when daughters and sons are becoming more and more isolated.