18+ years

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

Even when custody ends, as parents you remain an important companion - for life. 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 provide your child with advice on finding the right educational path. On the Familienportal.NRW you can get tips and helpful links about career paths and opportunities - even in the event that the chosen path does not turn out to be right.

Your son is doing an apprenticeship, your daughter is studying or is in a phase of professional orientation? In most cases, children are still financially dependent on their parents for some time. With a click in the Financial & Formal section, you will find useful information on the question of what funding opportunities are available and what is important in financial terms now.

At the latest when children leave their parents' home for good, the partnership comes more into focus again. Sometimes it is difficult to say goodbye to family time. If emptiness and loneliness spread, it could be due to the empty nest syndrome. Learn how letting go can succeed without losing the inner bond of the parent-child relationship, when daughters and sons are becoming more and more rarified.