What is it with people and the idea of being “grown up”?

[ChiChaNaYubi]

Spent another evening with family being told my husband and I are “childish” and “how old are you?” And “when are you going to grow up?”

I just find it all so strange. We are grownups. We own 2 properties, have careers, children, we pay bills, drive sensible cars etc.

Yet because we enjoy gaming, playing Pokémon go on walks, having nerf gun wars, skating etc we are just looked down on and treated like idiots. I see it on here sometimes as well with people looking down on adults who enjoy Disney or wearing dungarees for example.

What is this weird obsession with conforming to a set idea of what a grown up should look like?

Aibu to think it doesn’t matter how people spend their downtime when the daily grind is done? Do you feel like this or have people who make comments like this?

Just out of curiosity, what are your hobbies and interests? Genuinely curious to know what counts as a "grown up" hobby. Or do you just not have any? In which case, what do you and your friends do for fun?

Probably brunch and going for coffee.

@PickAChew added, and gift sent.

I've just had a few requests, and non below a Lv40. Clearly we've all put the hours in.... 😂

I have sent you request too @CannotBelieveImAskingThis ! Mine is 5186 7274 8878, since we're here 😀

The 'museums are childish' thing is really stupid, I agree @AngryGreasedSantaCatcus . I would massively recommend the London Transport Museum too, if only because you can pretend to drive a tube train.

This. I don’t have a ‘set idea’ of what it means to be grown up. I can’t drive or swim, which for some people debars me from full adult status. But your interests would be incomprehensibly boring to me, as would rather more mainstream interests premier league football and watching tv — but, as I don’t wander about rebuking passing Chelsea fans or roll my eyes at people who like Love Island, I wouldn’t be telling you this. Why would I?

🤣🤣🤣

I'm hoping to level up to 46 shortly and I already have my ticket for Go Fest in August, since it's in London. Everybody I know is mystified.

I’ve often been told that I need to grow up. I like a lot of “geek” things and I don’t care. I love it and it makes me happy and hurts no one.

I see childishness more as people incapable of handling or regulating their emotions. People who spend their time consumed with what other people are doing and casting negative judgements on it.

Childishness isn’t having fun interests and hobbies. That’s having fun and knowing what makes you happy. Too many people put away their alleged childish things and replace it with misery and judgement.

@SocksAndTheCity if your trainer name beings with an O, you're really close to 46!

We wanted to go to London, but I'm due early October, and thought that waddling around London might be less than fun 😕😂

To be fair it sounds very childish on the other hand I don't see anything wrong if it's your thing and you get enjoyment and fun from those things. Me and hubby are like 2 clowns half the time but luckily our family doesn't tell us to grow up 🤣

I'm not quite half way through level 45 and have reached the point where progress is so much slower in winter that a level takes the best part of a year.

Sorry, @SocksAndTheCity @PickAChew I was recounting this amazing thread to DH and he would like me to post his code too.

"Hey, I want new friends too!" 😂

5699 8003 9285

I am interested in Pokémon Go as I think it might help to get my son walking, but I am not sure how to go about starting it. What do I need to do?

You can't win op. I've always enjoyed cross stitch, knitting and crochet and that's seen as 'too old' by some.

YANBU. Some of the hobbies on this thread don't float my boat but they're valid ways to pass time as an adult. Oh my gosh if I had the room I'd love to collect dolls houses or sylvanians! I'd love to be left alone with Queen Marys dolls house & allowed to play with it! No one has ever told me to grow up- I think everyone should have something like that.

Also own my own home and car, am planning a wedding and enjoy crosswords, cookery and baking, national trusting and other "grown up" things. The only things I don't get are serious devotion to sports teams or adult obsession with Disney - I just fail to see the appeal - but that's the passions themselves, not the perception of what age they should appeal to.

Do what makes you happy, but don’t pretend you can’t comprehend why people think your interests are childish. It’s because the things you mention are designed for and enjoyed by children, and the pleasures they bring are transient and unsophisticated.

Yes, playing Mario Kart is childish. That doesn’t mean you should never do it, but it does mean it’s not as adult a concern as politics or poetry.

So what hobbies do you have that are sophisticated and long lasting?

Growing old is obligatory.......growing up isn't!

Love this.

How are those hobbies and considered grown-up ones?

My more adult pastimes include painting, philosophy, yoga and gardening.

I have been known to play a bit of Mario Kart as well. It’s fun in a mindless way, but ultimately frivolous and dissatisfying. You don’t learn anything from it. It’s childish.

My seven year olds hobbies include painting, yoga and gardening.

You actually learn improved and maintained hand eye coordination, some basic physics too.

Good for them. But those things aren’t childish.

Computer games racing toads and monsters and fairy-tale princesses around brightly coloured cartoon race tracks are childish. I don’t really understand why anyone would pretend they are not, or that the hand-eye coordination you practice when playing them are in any way comparable to the rich creativity and self-expression (including hand-eye coordination) you get from painting.

I’m all for adults having big, dumb fun childish experiences if they like. But please don’t pretend these things aren’t childish.

I'm sad we can't go because DSis has inconveniently decided to baptise her child that weekend.

FWIW I also crochet, cross stitch, run a Brownie unit and somehow keep two kids alive. And I wouldn't talk to anyone IRL about Pokémon unless there was an obvious cue!

I didn't say her hobbies weren't grown up did I? I just said I've no interest in people who find their hobbies in a toy shop. My hobbies include silversmithing, gemmology, crochet, gardening/plants(I grow, sell and advise about a specialist type of plant), hillwalking, archery etc. I have and enjoy tons of hobbies

Like I said I just find toyshop hobbies boring, you are more than welcome to call my hobbies boring and say you wouldn't want to hang out with me, I don't care I've found my people and I presume pokemon people find each other too.

Just download the app and get started! It's free to play, there is the option to spend money to buy extra stuff but it's definitely not essential. It starts out pretty easy and talks you through what to do, plus there are loads of online guides. If you want to play with your DS, you both need a device (phone/tablet) and data connection - though my DS hotspots off my phone when we're out. It does chew through my phone battery pretty quickly though!