People Share The Things That Were Awesome As A Kid But Not So Much As A Grown-Up

Ashley Hunte
Waiting for the mail is something that was a lot more fun as a kid.
Unsplash | Brian Patrick Tagalog

Kids really have so much more fun than us grown-ups. Don't get me wrong; being an adult means having the freedom to go where you want and do what you want. But it also means responsibilities.

So when these Redditors shared the things they loved as kids, but kind of hate as adults, I couldn't help but relate with them so much.

"Water Parks - now all I see is piss in the pool and a gaggle of judgemental teens." - NoMoreMrQuick

Water parks are fun. And then you grow up.
Unsplash | Oswald Elsaboath

Sure, some adults still enjoy water parks. But there's also a lot of us who think about all the germs, and the magic is ruined.

"My birthday. It's not that I hate it, it's just that I don't care about it anymore." - VillainousWorkman

Your first 18 birthdays are infinitely more exciting than the rest of them.
Unsplash | Nick Fewings

Apparently, a lot of people over the age of 30 constantly forget how old they are. Birthdays really aren't the same after a certain age.

"Going to the mall. I used to like browsing stores, but now I just want to get what I need and go." - JumpyBomber

Malls are pretty convenient, even if they aren't quite as fun anymore.
Unsplash | WeLoveBarcelona.de

Another user added, "There used to be fun things at the mall. An arcade, stores with stuff in them to look at... now it's empty except for maybe a drug store and a grocery store."

Malls are dying, and it kind of sucks.

"Having no job." - ShylyYouthful

A woman asleep in a bed.
Unsplash | Isabella and Zsa Fischer

"Having no job is awesome! It's having no money that sucks," said a commenter.

Not having to worry about bills or groceries is definitely one of the highlights of being a kid, teenager, and even a college student.

"Eating large quantities of candy in a single sitting." - strawberry_tall_cake

Candy is tasty, but too much can make you feel sick.
Unsplash | Luis Aguila

As you get older, you realize why your parents wanted you to have a more balanced diet. Plus, eating too much sugar gives a lot of people heartburn, which isn't fun.

"Getting mail. I remember every day begging my parents if I got mail. (I had pen pals)." - Slowmechanic180

Getting letters is nice, as long as they aren't bills.
Unsplash | Brian Patrick Tagalog

"I got so excited when something came for me. Now I dread going to the mailbox because all that will be there are bills."

"Losing a tooth." - Content-Discussion56

Remember to take good care of your teeth!
Unsplash | engin akyurt

Remember losing a tooth and getting a couple of bucks from the tooth fairy? Yeah, losing an adult tooth just means paying a visit to the dentist, and having to spend way too much money to get it fixed.

"Waking up in another place than you fell asleep." - Persimus

A baby fast asleep on a bed.
Unsplash | Dakota Corbin

Waking up in your bed after a car ride as a kid was such a nice feeling.

Waking up in a random location as an adult is pretty terrifying.

"The thought of being an adult/ growing up." - xXSkyF4llXx

A group of kids standing in coats and rainboots.
Unsplash | Ben Wicks

We're always in a rush to grow up, and then when we actually do grow up, we just wish we could go back to the days when we were kids...

"Staying awake till 2 in the morning as a teen/young adult: 'Yea baby!! the possibilities are ENDLESS!!'" - Significant_Map122

Staying up super late is fun at first, but it gets less fun the older you get.
Unsplash | JC Gellidon

"Staying awake till 2 in the morning as a 40-something: 'This is gonna hurt in the morning.'"

"Teenagers. As a kid, teenagers are the coolest and you cannot wait to be one. As an adult, they are just stupid brats." - GodEmperorOfHell

A group of teens walking down a street, laughing...
Unsplash | Eliott Reyna

There's no worse feeling than walking by a group of teenagers and they start laughing... Even if they aren't actually laughing at you.

"Snow day. I either have to take vacation time or make up those hours, and I'm going to spend the whole morning shoveling my damn driveway." - duffman13jws

A street and bridge covered in fresh snow.
Unsplash | Filip Bunkens

With WFH and online classes for students, snow days are basically dead for everyone now.

"Going to McDonalds. As a kid, it was a victory. As an adult, it's defeat and sadness." - BrokenZen

McDonald's was a lot of fun as a kid. Not so much as an adult (but still okay).
Unsplash | Thabang

You know you've gotten old when you have McDonald's and it makes your stomach hurt for the rest of the day.

"Sleeping on the couch. Could easily fit and was sometimes teleported to your room upon waking up." - Xseeker24

Sleeping on the sofa used to feel so cool.
Unsplash | Nathan Fertig

"Now, it's just neck and back aches."

The solution is simple. We just need to make couches that are bigger and more comfortable!!

"Staying home on a sick day." - -eDgAR-

Taking a sick day as an adult means having to make up for that lost workday later.
Unsplash | Kelly Sikkema

"As a kid it was a huge victory, got to stay in bed all day, watch TV, and having a parent tend to your every need. Then as an adult you're just thinking about the work you're gonna have to make up for and how you hope you don't need to go to a doctor."

"Having a 100 bucks in your bank account." - Mr_Paper

$100 goes a long way as a kid, but doesn't buy a lot as an adult (in this economy?).
Unsplash | Giorgio Trovato

Having $100 in your bank account meant being able to buy so much candy and random stuff from the dollar store.

Now, seeing that last $100 in your spending account means being stressed out until payday.

"Snow." - Waste_Business5180

Snow! It's pretty to look at, but everything else about it pretty much sucks.
Unsplash | Andrey Bond

Another Redditor added, "I like snow. I hate shoveling." I think this is a good distinction because snow is still pretty, but it's a pain to have to shovel off your driveway/walkway.

Also, driving in snow sucks.

"The phone ringing. We used to run to pick it up first. Now I cringe anytime I see it go off." - pogo_fan1

An old fashioned rotary phone. Does anyone even like making phone calls?
Unsplash | Pawel Czerwinski

A lot of people these days have phone anxiety, which I feel like was something we didn't really worry about as kids.

"The local fair. As a kid it felt so magical to go spend an entire day at the fair." - alexlarrylawrence

The fair is still fun as an adult, just more expensive.
Unsplash | Katherine Auguste

"Now it's just hot, crowded, and expensive. I usually only go once now, and usually on the first day when it's not so busy so I can get doughnuts."

"Earning money. We used to get pocket money easily as our parents cared and loved us." - Guess_the_name

Office workers working at computers on long desks.
Unsplash | Israel Andrade

"But know as an adult its hard to earn money as you have to do a lot of efforts, deal with office politics, maintain a work life balance and so on."