Grow Down

One of the things I've noticed in my advancing years is that no one acts their age any more.  Most adults would say that they have an inner child, just waiting to get out and play.  A lot of us will from time to time, act childish.  We may play jokes, pranks, and run around and have fun.  There are people in their 50s, 60s, and even older who still from time to time, slip back into acting a little childish.

And why not?  It is fun, carefree, and in a way refreshing to get away from the monotony of adult life.  A lot of people post about how they "don't want to adult today."  They want to be able to go back to the days of being a child, with no bills, no responsibility, just having fun on a nice summer day.

But unfortunately, there's a group of people who don't want to be kids....  Who are they?  Why, the answer is so obvious.

Kids.

That's right.  Kids do not want to be kids.  Perhaps it is all they know and they find it boring.  Perhaps they want the responsibility.  Perhaps they just want to be treated like adults, but still have the fun of being a child.

Don't we all.

Yes, I will admit, I have an inner child, and it is very much at play a lot more than what would be considered "normal."  I play video games, watch cartoons, and still like to have childish fun at the expense of others. [Sorry honey, but you knew this when you signed the wedding certificate. :p] But I am also very much an adult.  I go to work, I earn money, and contribute to the bills every month.  And I will say, I would find it extremely demeaning to be treated like a kid.

Perhaps kids feel it is demeaning to be treated like a kid as well.  But kids do not understand what "being an adult" is all about.  They haven't experienced adulthood, and therefore they aren't entirely sure what that all entails.  They don't understand that you have to earn money, pay bills, take care of kids, etc.  

Yet, kids want to be treated like adults.  They want to be out as late as they want (something adults don't even do as we have to go to work the next day), go joyriding in the vehicle (something adults have to put their hard earned money into to pay for the gas), have children (something adults regret doing some days when kids are being especially difficult), etc.

The biggest lesson here is: there is no perfect middle ground.  Not even in adults.  If an adult doesn't be an adult, then they aren't treated like an adult.  It's typically considered bad if an able-bodied, 30+ year old adult spends his life playing video games, watching TV, reading comics, surfing the internet, and still living with mom and dad instead of making money and being an adult.  It is just as bad if a 13 year old kid is working a job because he is expected to "grow up."

We shouldn't be telling people to "grow up."  While it is fun for an adult to escape to a simpler time and be a kid every so often, we shouldn't be encourage kids to be adults either.  Kids should be able to embrace their childhood, because time can not be rewound.  Kids should be allowed to be kids.  They also need to remember that there is no "middle ground."  There is no being treated like an adult while not having the responsibilities tied into it.  The respect of an adult is earned by what you do to be an adult.  If you have your own place to live, pay your own bills, cook your own meals, all with minimal to no help from your parents, THEN you are an adult.  Then you should be treated as such (even though some parents still treat their kids as kids [demeaning, I know]).

And for us adults, remember the phrase "age is just a number."  You are as old as you tell yourself you are.  You are as old as you feel.  I fully encourage everyone who is sick of being an adult, to just be a kid every once in a while.  Just don't forget to come back to adulthood when it is time for you to be responsible yet again.

Let me ask a question.  How old are you?  How old do you feel?  If you are someone who is always stressed and burned out from adulthood, take a day to be 10 or so.  Take a day to be a child.  If you have children of your own, this is a perfect bonding opportunity.  As always, thanks for reading!!