By: Jill Pertler

Blowing out 18 candles on your birthday cake is a huge milestone. It happens in an instant. You are an adult! As such, you can vote and get married. You can serve in the military, get a tattoo, go to a casino, donate blood and get called for jury duty. You can even win the lottery (because you are finally old enough to buy a ticket).

Even though you can do all these things (and more) being 18 does not make you a grown-up.

I’ve witnessed this firsthand with some of my own kids. They are young adults and independent in so many ways but they are not yet grown-ups because being an...