By Claudia Caramiello 
18 will hug you . . . if you ask.
18 will send you funny TikToks.
18 will not make a TikTok with you no matter how much you cajole him.
18 says I love you back. Sometimes.
18 never calls. But he will text you asking what’s for dinner, where is the air freshener, and if you can pick up some Halo Top at the grocery store.
18’s phenomenally filthy room will unnerve you. The amount of empty Snapple bottles and fast food wrappers will have you investing in lawn and leaf garbage bags.
When 18 cleans his room, it means a girl is coming over. Welcome her with open arms. She may become his steady. If she breaks his heart, your heart will break too. Just be there for him.
18 should be reminded about safe sex. Go remind him now—even if it makes you cringe, even if you think he’s not. Just do it.
18 towers over you, and this makes you feel safe, but you can still turn into Mama Bear on a dime.
18 can be particularly egotistical and endearingly caring at the same time. Concentrate on the times he is caring, he will be more inclined to repeat acts of kindness if they’re acknowledged.
18 may try to get you to buy beer for him. Don’t. He will tell you all the other mothers do this. They don’t. And even if they do, who cares?
18 is a critic. He will complain that his steak is too well done and the potatoes aren’t seasoned enough. Introduce him to the cast iron skillet and let him have at it. Just remind him to clean up the grease splatters on the stove when he’s done.
18 is a senior now. Buckle up because this will be one of the most emotional, beautiful, fun, exciting, heartbreaking, and moving years.
When you see 18 in his prom tuxedo, you will cry both tears of joy and nostalgic yearning. You will always remember the smell of his newborn scalp, the weight of him on your hip, the way his fingers curled in your hand.
18 will need help filling out his college roommate questionnaire. Ditto for filling out those forms at the doctor’s office.
Don’t expect 18 to make his own appointments without some prompting from you. He will be on his last set of contact lenses and put off calling the optometrist. It’s okay if you call for him—it’s one of the few momming tasks you may have left. Relish every moment. It feels nice to be needed.
18 will not want you to make a fuss over his birthday. He will demand a low-key celebration with a few close friends and the new Trippie Redd record. (Yes, records are cool with the teenagers.) You will try your best not to go overboard, but if ever there was a day to make a fuss, it’s the day he came into this world. You would set off fireworks in the clear blue sky if he wouldn’t shrink in horror.
18 may be going off to college, trade school, military, or joining the workforce but also may not be sure about what he really wants to do. This is totally normal and completely okay. It’s a daunting task for a young person to look into their future and try to pick something they want to do for the rest of their career. He may change his major several times, be supportive and encourage his dreams even if they don’t align with yours.
18 will need you less and less, and it may sting, but this means you’ve done right by him. Letting go will break your heart, but seeing what a magnificent young man he has become will put it back together again.
by Mikala Albertson 
by Jessica Johnston 
