Summer camp, cooking, careers and finances all come together...for adults
If you haven’t noticed, “adult” is a verb now. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the phrase “I have to adult now” or “adulting is hard.” The reason for this could be that the transition into adulthood is becoming less and less natural, particularly for millennials, those born between 1980 and 1995.
This idea doesn’t just come from observing the verbification of the word “adult.” In fact, the notion that millennials are struggling to enter adulthood is well-supported.
According to the Pew Research Center, millennials are the first generation in the modern era to have “higher levels of student loan debt, poverty and unemployment, and lower levels of wealth and personal income than their two immediate predecessor generations (Gen Xers and Boomers) had at the same stage of their life cycles.” Also, millennials have also been the generation that stays in their parents’ houses, says an NBC report.
All of these stats seem pretty negative, and, as a millennial myself, the truth is a little bit troubling. Of course, not all millennials are subject to those statistics (thank you, multiplicity of experience), but still, hearing that your generation struggles with adulthood is pretty disheartening. The next natural step is to do something to fix this problem.
Some say that there really isn’t much to do because the parents of millennials are to blame for being overprotective and helicopter-esque. Others say that it’s the fault of America’s educational system for not stressing practical classes like home economics enough. But, a small group has decided to take manners into their own hands.
This latter group, the fixers of America’s young adult problem, has started something that most find absurd but many find helpful. Multiple cities across the United States have begun implementing “adulting” classes.
This trend all started in Maine when co-founders of the Adulting School and the Adulting Collective, Rachel Weintstein and Katie Brunelle, felt that there should be a place for adults-in-training to troubleshoot and ask questions.
Since then, even our own Chattanooga has embraced this idea. The Chattery is currently offering a summer camp themed series on adulting. The series covers everything from finances, cooking, stress management, and career management. With creative names like “S’more Money, S’more Problems” and “Let’s Talk About Stress Baby,” the classes combine food, fun, and important life skills that are open to all ages, not just millennials.
Shawanda Mason, creative director of the Chattery, says, “Adulting isn’t always fun, so we decided to make it fun. Through this series, people will gain additional skills that will help them in the work place and even in the kitchen.”
This series is a safe space for anyone who needs a little bit of guidance, which every one of us needs from time to time.
Millennial or not, life is full of difficulties. If all of these difficulties were faced with the fun and positivity that this series provides, the world would be a better place.
Head on over to the Chattery for some summer camp fun plus some real-world accomplishment.