[throwaway314155]

You could remove these few sentences:

> Neel, based on your linkedin, you're 27 or 28. You're a grown adult. Stop following your mom's orders.

And be a lot less patronizing, more convincing.

(It appears you mean well though, and I do understand the point you're making in spirit).

[mgfist]

You're probably right about my tone. But I genuinely think a lot of 27 year olds don't feel like adults capable of having agency. Not long ago the average American used to have several children by that age, and today most of my friends (of similar ages) would be shocked at the prospect of having kids this young - they're just not ready yet! But that's a mindset thing. No one's ready for kids, you just do it and learn. Neel needs to be told that he's an adult, and has agency as a result of that.

(A child is a placeholder for any hard decision).