Reply To: My 19 y/o son dropped out of college and now his only "goal" is to be waiter.

@David. I think you are doing the right thing, taking it slow and not pressuring her faster than she is ready. If she’s holding down steady employment and paying her bills she might be moving at the pace she’s able to, right now. Trust her to figure out her own margins; nursing is a great field, but it tends to come with a lot of stress and access to drugs. While it would be great for her to contribute to a 401k and keep her insurance, she might need to work on herself before she goes back to that field.

Focus on her successful sobriety. If she’s healthy and able to pay her bills and that’s the most important thing, right now. In time, maybe she will return to nursing or use her degree to set herself on a different career path. It may not be the path you envisioned but 23 is pretty young.

If she hasn’t taken time off from school or work maybe she needs to wait tables for awhile in order to figure out a “sweet spot”. Consider how many people lose their battle with addiction every day, and just try to enjoy having her. She’s past the age where you can push her past embarrassment if it isn’t what she wants, anyway.