To just love being a grown-up

[Everythingisnumbersnow]

I'm serious. Look back at being a kid. Having to ask permission to do anything (can I have an apple mum?). Having to wait around endlessly, sit on the school bus with the social stress of who sits next to whom, massive classrooms always too hot or too cold, HOURS of studying, social anxiety, wet shoes all day because it rained on the way to school.

Adulthood rules

Absolutely.

I've always thought people who say "your school years are the best years of your life" must have really shit lives.

I feel the same. I much prefer being an adult. It's partly down to personality. My son will prefer being an adult too I predict. Also depends what your childhood was like.
I think as an adult you have more control as, although things can go badly wrong ( I've had lots of really difficult stuff), there are choices about how you deal with it. And you have much more control over the day-to-day than a child does.

I was 29 before I realised I could eat chocolate for breakfast. It was a happy morning

Yes it's so great! I am in my 40s now but still occasionally eat my dessert before my main course JUST BECAUSE I CAN.

Well it's 50:50 for me - a lot of the "choices" you have as an adult are illusory, it's just that now you force yourself to do the stuff your parents used to force you to do, and also go to work, pay for everything and be responsible for everything.

Still it's all worth it not to sit through double maths on a Tuesday morning.

The only thing I miss about childhood is the endless leisure time and having shit done for me. I’d like to get home at 3pm and have my dinner cooked and my laundry done. And although I hated going to school, I actually quite liked the schoolwork itself, certainly more than any job I’ve ever had, anyway. But yeah, on balance I definitely prefer the freedom of being an adult!

I sometimes think back to a particularly vile teacher I had at secondary school and how now, if anyone behaved towards me like she did, I would just verbally eviscerate them in ten seconds and laugh in their face. Also, the whole thing of school uniform, having to wear the same thing regardless of how inappropriate it was for the weather, was so, so infuriating.

Possibly even worse but I am getting giddy with excitement about taking early retirement in 6 months. I actually like my job but hate the constraints that working brings. I can’t wait to wake up and decide on a whim to spend 4 weeks with family in another country. I honestly have got happier with every decade. (Did love school though!)

@WhoStoleYourHighHorse

That sounds amazing! I'm jealous with about 20 years left to go 😂😂

I feel more content now in my 40s. As an adult in my 20s, although I had lots of freedom and fun, I think deciding 'what you want to do with your life' was overwhelming.

Wouldn't go back to being a child though - didn't have a particularly happy one and it was quite horrible feeling trapped at home.

It certainly beats the hell out of my childhood.

Nah, I wanna be 10 again 😂

I remember being young and thinking, "When I'm an adult, I'll be able to go to bed as late as I want!"

Now I'm old, and one of the best things about it is being able to go to bed as early as I want! 😅

You couldn't pay me to be a kid again, especially a teen. 12-16 was just constant mental torture. Being old enough to want to do things but having to ask permission. Always wanting to impress your peers (why? I sort of pity a lot of the kids I tried desperately to impress at school now), feeling awkward and inadequate in my skin all the time.

Being an adult had taught me to not GAF and it's great.

As much as I hate dealing with storm damaged roofing and mortgages,you couldn't pay me to go back. It was idyllic up to a point and then I just felt vulnerable and under the control of people who I knew better than.
Lying on the sofa on a Saturday (instead of having to move my arse as soon as Going Live ends) is something I will never take for granted 😂

I agree. Though I did love being 17/18 at 6th form. Pub and sex but none of the adult financial responsibilities!

I felt like that when I was younger. Adulthood when you’ve got responsibilities and then when things begin to go downhill is a load of balls.

I still haven't quite got over the novelty of being able to stay up as late as I like and eat what I want when I want it.

I'm 65.

I'm with you! I tell my kids that they will worry a lot less when they're older (they've both anxious) because they get to decide what they want to do and when.

(Although had disagree on the hours of studying. I loved that and still do!)

The only thing better than being grown up is being retired.

The other week I accidentally knocked my drink onto the floor and was so grateful that I was an adult. If I had been a child I would’ve been shouted at and made to feel bad, now I’m an adult I cleaned it up and moved on with my day.

I also like that I can eat what I want.

I dunno, it wasn't perfect but I was so fortunate in having a nice childhood - lovely parents and extended family, a safe and warm home, plenty to eat and wear, nice friends. There was lots of love and laughter. I loved school too - studying and all the extra curricular stuff. In contrast I struggled with my mental health in my twenties and so was not able to appreciate all the adulthood freedoms, I often felt lost, overwhelmed and lonely. If in years to come I am as content as when I was a child I would feel very lucky indeed.