We all have that one friend who just seems to be more mature than the rest. Being the mature friend is not easy, and it comes with quite a bit of responsibility, expectations, and judgment. To the mature girls of the group: thank you, we couldn’t survive without you. Here are some struggles of being the mature friend:
1. You feel like you have to be the mom of the group
Whether your friends ask you to or not, you always seem to end up playing the mom of the group, because if you don’t, who will?
2. And you have actually been called the mom of the group plenty of times.
After a night out, who’s the one to remember everything from start to finish? Usually you. And your friends are aware you’re the mom, so they aren’t afraid to call you the mom. And you’ve accepted this.
3. You’re sometimes embarrassed by your friends in public.
You love your friends to death, but sometimes they just need to be reminded of what is appropriate to do or say in public. And you constantly find yourself apologizing to others on their behalf.
4. You want to tell them to grow up sometimes (even though you are the same age).
Sometimes their immaturity is just immature to you. Either way, it can be frustrating not telling them to just grow up, because you know you are the one not acting your age.
5. You don’t have the same sense of humor as them.
A lot of the things they say aren’t that funny to you, but you laugh along because that’s what friends do, right?
6. You don’t ever feel like bickering, even when you know you’re right.
Little arguments or debates are frustrating because you don’t even bother to argue anything unless you know you’re right. You find it silly to fight over stupid things, and could honestly care less how the argument goes.
7. You can’t get too crazy when you go out.
Being the mature one, you know your friends will most likely need you late in the night. This means you must always control yourself, whether you like it or not.
8. You’re expected to make a lot of the group’s decisions.
Making plans is usually put on you. And you just do it because if you don’t make the decisions, no one will.
9. You sometimes feel like an outcast.
Being more mature than the rest of your friends can make you feel like an outsider. It can get lonely knowing you don’t think the same as they do.
10. You don’t really enjoy “turning up” every single night.
College is meant for fun, but being as mature as you are, you just don’t feel like getting white-girl wasted every damn night!
11. You fear that you’re the boring friend.
Being the mature friend makes you feel a little boring. The rest of your friends are loud, inappropriate, and crazy, so this makes you feeling like you are the boring friend most times.
12. You’re sometimes unsure of who you can talk to about your problems, thoughts, and feelings.
You find it hard to chose which friend can relate to your feelings because you don’t know if they think the same. The mature friend can often be left feeling lonely because of this.
13. You never want to feel too mainstream or cliché.
As the mature friend, you often don’t feel comfortable acting the same way as everyone else. You feel that it’s too childish and that you are more independent than those who act that way.
14. You can come off a lot more shy than your friends.
Things like the different sense of humor and your different way of thinking make you a bit more reserved. You sometimes struggle to be as outgoing as your friends.
15. You’re not sure if you should take your friends’ advice.
You find it difficult to take advice because you feel like their advice might lead you to make the wrong decision. This can get awkward and uncomfortable because you love them to death, but may not trust their judgment.