Being a parent doesn’t end when your child turns 18, or graduates from college, or reaches any of the other milestones on the way to adulthood. Having children means committing to being a parent for life.

By this I don’t mean that you have to be willing to financially support your children for life. I’m not referring to cleaning up after them either, or even keeping tabs on their lives and reminding them to do this or that. (Doing this will most likely make them not want you in their lives anymore.) However, do you remember the times as a kid when you scraped a knee or had your feelings hurt, and all you wanted was your mom or dad? That doesn’t change, even as children age. As a parent, you need to be willing to be there when your grown children need you, whether as confidant, companion, or comforter.

What’s more, sometimes children – through no fault of their own – fall into predicaments where they need help to get out and get on with their lives. Whether your child is twelve or twenty-something, your job as a parent is still to help as much as is reasonable and possible. I’m not suggesting that you constantly give money to your children or otherwise support unhealthy habits, but I am saying that if your child has honestly run up against a problem that they need help getting around, you should help if you are able. Being a parent isn’t a contract with a pre-determined end, but a commitment and a life choice that you have made. Remember, no matter how old your kids get, they’re never too old to need you.