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Adulting Made Easy: Things Someone Should Have Told You About Getting Your Grown-Up Act Together

Recommended Ages

Grownups and teens

Teens and young adults often feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks involved in living independently. “Adulting Made Easy” breaks those tasks down into short, no-nonsense chapters on money, time management, relationships, and basic life maintenance. Written in a conversational tone, the book aims to be the practical mentor many readers wish they’d had, covering everything from budgeting and credit to boundaries and conflict resolution. We appreciate how actionable the advice is, with clear steps rather than vague motivation. It’s ideal for older teens, college students, and young adults launching from home, including those in gap year or nontraditional paths. Some sections may feel basic to more experienced readers, but the clarity makes it easy to skim and return to what’s needed. Pro tip: read with a highlighter and treat each chapter as a mini project—set up a budget, build a simple meal plan, or make a calendar system the same week you read about it.

Ideal for older teens and young adults (roughly 16–25) preparing for college, work, or moving out, particularly those in homeschool or unschool settings who want a structured overview of “real life” expectations and skills.

Pros

Comprehensive, plain‑spoken guide that covers everything from budgeting, credit, and housing to mental health, relationships, and digital life, broken into manageable chapters; reviewers frequently note that it’s especially helpful for emerging adults and teens with executive‑function challenges who need explicit, step‑by‑step breakdowns of life tasks. 

Cons

Primarily text‑based with few visuals or worksheets, so some learners may find it dry; U.S.‑specific content around health insurance, jobs, and housing limits direct applicability elsewhere; coverage is broad rather than deep, so complex topics may still require outside guidance.

Many charter and ESA programs classify this as an elective text under life skills, college‑and‑career readiness, or social‑emotional learning; families typically purchase it through an approved vendor and submit the receipt for reimbursement.

$7.99

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Adulting Made Easy: Things Someone Should Have Told You About Getting Your Grown-Up Act Together
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Skills

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Life Skills
Life Skills

Adulting Made Easy: Things Someone Should Have Told You About Getting Your Grown-Up Act Together Mission

Adulting Made Easy gives teens and young adults a straightforward guide to the everyday skills of independent living—like managing money, navigating work and school, communicating with landlords and doctors, and taking care of your mental health. Its mission is to demystify “adulting” so new adults feel more confident, prepared, and supported.

Adulting Made Easy: Things Someone Should Have Told You About Getting Your Grown-Up Act Together Story

Educator and author Amanda Morin has spent her career helping families and young people navigate learning and life challenges, including a major role in launching the neurodiversity nonprofit Understood.org. Drawing on that experience and her work with teens who felt unprepared for life after high school, she wrote Adulting Made Easy to break down real‑world tasks into clear, empathetic steps. The book serves as a bridge between adolescence and adulthood, often recommended by parents, teachers, and transition specialists as a practical graduation‑season gift.

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FAQ: Additional Details about Adulting Made Easy: Things Someone Should Have Told You About Getting Your Grown-Up Act Together

A typical afternoon might look like a 17‑year‑old sprawled at the dining table with the book open, calculator app on their phone, and a stack of real‑world mail as they practice deciphering bills, while you sip coffee nearby and role‑play what they’ll say when they call the doctor or landlord; the tone is light, occasionally funny, but very concrete.

Adulting Made Easy functions like a friendly handbook for teens and young adults stepping into independence, covering practical topics such as budgeting, time management, communication, housing, self‑advocacy, and mental health basics. In a homeschool high‑school program, families often treat it as the spine for a half‑credit “Life Skills” or “Personal Finance and Adulting” course: assign a chapter each week, have the student complete any checklists or reflection questions, and then practice skills in real life—like calling to schedule an appointment, planning a simple meal, or writing a professional email. 

Parents act more like coaches than lecturers—checking in on reading, brainstorming realistic next steps, practicing scripts for hard conversations, and gradually handing over real responsibilities as the teen demonstrates readiness.

Best for older teens and young adults (roughly 15+) with solid reading comprehension who are ready to think seriously about life after high school and take on more responsibility.

This practical guide to “adulting” can be especially helpful for ADHD, autistic, and other neurodivergent teens and young adults who need explicit instruction in life skills that schools often skip. Its checklists and concrete examples lend themselves to visual schedules, step‑by‑step task breakdowns, and repeated practice for executive‑function challenges.

As with other trade books, returns and refunds depend on the seller; most online and brick‑and‑mortar bookstores honor standard return windows for new, unmarked copies.

Not designed for younger tweens; may feel overwhelming for readers already under high stress or those who prefer learning exclusively through videos or hands‑on coaching.

Other options for this stage include “how to adult”‑style guides, “Life Skills for Teens” series, online resources like Khan Academy Personal Finance, and practical YouTube channels such as “Dad, How Do I?”. 

Published in 2021, the book speaks directly to today’s realities—social media, student loans, gig‑economy work, and post‑COVID uncertainty—and remains current; any future editions are likely to tweak examples and resources rather than its core step‑by‑step framework. 

Use the table of contents as a checklist and choose a small cluster of skills to focus on each month, scheduling real‑world practice (like opening a bank account or planning a week of meals) rather than just reading.

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Meet Amanda

Amanda Morin is a neurodivergent educator, writer, and neurodiversity activist who has worked as an early childhood teacher, special‑education advocate, and Director of Thought Leadership and Expertise at Understood.org. She is the award‑winning author of several books for parents and young people—including Adulting Made Easy—and is known for translating complex educational and life‑skills topics into clear, actionable guidance for families.