18 year old already like a suburban dad?

[Anonymous]

18 year old son is stereotypically masculine and straight & narrow, meaning no drinking or drugs, heterosexual, into cars & working out & his girlfriend. He’s already got the New Balance shoes but thankfully nowhere near a dad bod. How likely is this to change or will he just slide into being a suburban husband/dad after college? I feel like he’s 90 % there. Anyone else here with a son like this? He never really had an “experimental” phase of any sort.

[Anonymous]

Yeah there’s plenty of guys like this. Seems like it’s the women who are more into partying and travel these days.

[Anonymous]

He hasn’t even gone to college yet? Give him time.

[Anonymous]

Maybe he’ll have a midlife crisis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:18 year old son is stereotypically masculine and straight & narrow, meaning no drinking or drugs, heterosexual, into cars & working out & his girlfriend. He’s already got the New Balance shoes but thankfully nowhere near a dad bod. How likely is this to change or will he just slide into being a suburban husband/dad after college? I feel like he’s 90 % there. Anyone else here with a son like this? He never really had an “experimental” phase of any sort.

Where do you live? My kid is kind of like that though plays a lot of golf and enjoys parties (but is an athlete so not drinking)...but neither he and none of his friends are into cars. We live in Bethesda and I would say none of us dads are into cars either as it's just not much of a thing anymore these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:18 year old son is stereotypically masculine and straight & narrow, meaning no drinking or drugs, heterosexual, into cars & working out & his girlfriend. He’s already got the New Balance shoes but thankfully nowhere near a dad bod. How likely is this to change or will he just slide into being a suburban husband/dad after college? I feel like he’s 90 % there. Anyone else here with a son like this? He never really had an “experimental” phase of any sort.

Where do you live? My kid is kind of like that though plays a lot of golf and enjoys parties (but is an athlete so not drinking)...but neither he and none of his friends are into cars. We live in Bethesda and I would say none of us dads are into cars either as it's just not much of a thing anymore these days.

....In your area, you mean.

Plenty important in other areas.

[Anonymous]

And you have a problem with this why?

[Anonymous]

I think it is a gen-z thing.

- New Balance shoes,
- Shop at TJ, Aldies, Lidl and Costco!!
- Wear hoodies/joggers mainly from Costco and other places. Three suits (blue, black, light gray) for weddings, blue/white/gray/pink/black shirts, many solid color ties.
- Haircuts from the mom and pop ethnic barber shops,
- Ok with thrifting (tools, pots and pans, garden equipment, golf club, party supplies),
- Always use apps when buying (even mcdonalds) that they can get freebies,
- First pay themselves - Roth, IRA, 401, Index funds etc,
- Hesitate to buy anything new.
- Balanced meals, drink a lot of warm beverages...
- But they will buy big slushie drinks
- Buy baked goods from Asian bakery
- Pack snacks when they are commuting to work for the car
- Have forbidden me to declutter and minimize anything before they can go through the hoard and then sell on FBMP.

[Anonymous]

This is my brother. He is 24 and recently got engaged to his only gf. He has had this gf since he was 18. He went to one party in college and hated it. He never drinks maybe a glass a wine or a beer weekly if that.

[Anonymous]

Congratulations! You have raised a marriageable son.

Your DNA will continue!

[Anonymous]

My son is exactly like that. Very odd as none of the rest of us are. We just try to love him for what he is, however boring that may be. The world needs a little weft to match the warp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a gen-z thing.

- New Balance shoes,
- Shop at TJ, Aldies, Lidl and Costco!!
- Wear hoodies/joggers mainly from Costco and other places. Three suits (blue, black, light gray) for weddings, blue/white/gray/pink/black shirts, many solid color ties.
- Haircuts from the mom and pop ethnic barber shops,
- Ok with thrifting (tools, pots and pans, garden equipment, golf club, party supplies),
- Always use apps when buying (even mcdonalds) that they can get freebies,
- First pay themselves - Roth, IRA, 401, Index funds etc,
- Hesitate to buy anything new.
- Balanced meals, drink a lot of warm beverages...
- But they will buy big slushie drinks
- Buy baked goods from Asian bakery
- Pack snacks when they are commuting to work for the car
- Have forbidden me to declutter and minimize anything before they can go through the hoard and then sell on FBMP.

Sounds a lot like my son (22). Frugal, focused on savings. His leisure time is hanging out with friends and girlfriend (sometimes bars but he thinks beer there is too expensive, sometimes board games), playing golf at a public course, fantasy football. We gave him money a couple birthdays ago to upgrade his clubs and he never got around to it because they are "fine." I doubt it since they are his grandfather's clubs and he's about 5 inches taller than grandpa was!

[Anonymous]

I have known a couple of adult men that were like this when they were younger. One of them had a midlife crisis and absolutely messed up his very stable, middle of the road life, and has serious regrets about it. The other one has just been the same, always. Very happy with where he is.

[Anonymous]

Why are you trying to invent problems, OP? Seems like your son is a perfectly normal, happy 18 year old. Leave him alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is exactly like that. Very odd as none of the rest of us are. We just try to love him for what he is, however boring that may be. The world needs a little weft to match the warp.

I think this says a lot. Most kids rebel against their parents and their strictures. If a parent is not strict and potentially out there, then the only way for a kid to rebel is to be the opposite.