What? You mean their were 8 and 5???
19 and 16. Both would have been on a beach in the South Pacific in 1943. Plenty adult for that. Part of our problem in this country is treating historic-adults as children far beyond their childhood years.
2 doors down there is a family. Daughter got married at about 24 or so. Had baby. Doing real well.
Son grajamarated HS about 7 years ago. He's 2 yrs older than my oldest. Still lives at home. Rides around from his house around the cul-de-sac and back on his ATV or dirt bike most afternoons. Even as a little kid, he had that blank-stare thing perfected.
26. He's freaking 26 still living with mommy and daddy playing with toys after I assume he's worked.
Going back to the much-much-mailigned Shrillary book "It Takes a Village" it really does. Because 60 years ago, the village would make this BOY feel like a colossal tool. It DOES take a village. And it used to. Now we let Mommy and Daddy treat Jr. as a child well into his 30's.
16 and 19 and CERTAINLY 26 is plenty old to act adult. Hell, I was an adult at 11. ELEVEN.