What's a moment from childhood when you suddenly felt grown-up — even if you really weren't?

A natural way to answer

I remember being trusted to look after my little sister for an hour. Suddenly I had to step up and be responsible. It was a small thing, but it made me feel that the grown-ups had started to take me seriously, and that meant a great deal.

Key phrases to use

• make it — to achieve success or reach an important point“She finally made it as an actor.”
• be your own boss — to be in control of yourself, answering to no one“I love being my own boss.”
• step up — to take on more responsibility when it is needed“When the team struggled, she stepped up.”
• take someone seriously — to treat someone's views or abilities as worthy of respect“I just want people to take me seriously.”
• the grown-ups' table — the table where adults sit at a gathering, as opposed to the children's“I was finally allowed at the grown-ups' table.”
• come of age — to reach the point of becoming an adult or mature“The novel is about a boy coming of age.”
• arrive — to reach a position of success or recognition“Winning that prize, she felt she'd arrived.”