Christmas time is often a time of joy and wonder for adults and children alike. Mostly it’s amazing for kids, with the days off from school, presents, food galore and did I mention presents? But nonetheless, Christmas is about the spirit of the season, and for young collegiettes, it also means trying to relax after a hectic finals week, budgeting to make sure you get to buy yourself something decent after shopping for everyone else and getting paper cuts while trying to wrap presents! You now understand that when people say it’s the most wonderful time of the year, the fine print says: for kids only. These are the obvious reasons why the holidays were so much better when you were a kid.

1. It was okay for you to indulge in the idea of Santa being real!

2. You didn’t have to spend money.

3. Helping cook the family meal wasn’t part of your job description…

4. But eating the food was!

5. Decorating the tree required most of your energy.

6. You were actually excited to get up early because you had something to look forward to.

7. Every present was amazing, no matter how big or how small.

8. You could eat as much as you wanted without worrying about your post-holiday weight.

9. No one judged you for singing Christmas carols off-tune.

10. You weren’t as aware of the family drama that might’ve been brewing.

11. You were able to be the center of attention because everyone loved you and every. single. thing. you did.

12. It was a lot easier to convince your family to keep the Christmas decorations up longer.

13. Your back-to-school outfit showed off what you got during the holidays.

14. You had first dibs putting the star on the tree.

15. Your family made sure that you made at least one snowman (if it was snowing, that is).

15 Reasons Why Christmas Was So Much Better When You Were a Kid