Remember when you were little? Remember how everything around you was new and exciting and you had enough energy to play all day long? Growing up, we sometimes forget just how great our lives were when we were young. Thinking back on it, there are more than a few things we miss about being a child…things like:
15. Lemonade stands.
This was a quick way for you to make some extra cash and to hang out with all your neighborhood friends on a hot summer day.
14. Riding your bike.
Nothing beat being able to ride your bike around your neighborhood to release some energy before you went to bed. Now you would just look like a creep if you rode your bike by your neighbor’s house 5 times in one night.
13. Energy!
Being a child came with a heavy dose of uncontrollable energy! Being able to run around playing tag all day is a secret talent only children possess. Think about how great your body would look if you still could jump on a trampoline for 3 hours a day!
12. School.
School sucks, we know. But there were definitely times in your childhood that you would probably love to relive. For example, gym class was always fun when you were able to roll around on the little scooters. And you knew you were going to have a great class when your teacher wheeled in an ancient looking TV to watch “Bill Nye The Science Guy.” Not to mention the delicious snacks your mom probably packed you to eat during lunch. Gushers, Dunkaroos, Sunny D! We had it made.
11. Mom being your planner.
These days, you use a planner heavily filled with homework assignments, meetings, and work schedules. When you were a child though, you relied on your mom to organize and keep track of all your social outings. It was so nice to have her plan and execute all your play dates and keep your busy social schedule in tact.
10. Playing outside with your neighborhood friends.
It was awesome when your mom planned play dates with friends from school, but nothing beat going outside on the weekends and playing with all the neighborhood kids. You could always count on your neighborhood friends to rally together and play outside until your mom called you in for dinner.
9. Having $10 and feeling like you had 1 million.
As a child, you thought $10 was A LOT of money. When your grandparent from another state sent you a birthday card with $10 in it, you were on top of the world. Now, if your grandparent in another state sent you $10 you would call them cheap and immediately spend it on gas, utilities, rent, or Chipotle.
8. Watching all the good TV shows.
Whether you were a PBS Kid’s, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, or Nickelodeon kid, our generation was definitely born in the era with the best after school programming. The shows we watched showed a plethora of unique characters and always taught us a heartwarming lesson at the end. The children of today will never know how inspirational TV shows like “That’s So Raven” and “Rocket Power” were.
7. Playing pretend.
Playing pretend was one of the best parts of childhood. A stick became a sword in your mind. A playground was a magic castle, and your neighbor’s dog became a vicious dragon. Everything around you turned into something magical with a little bit of imagination.
6. Willingness to make friends.
When you’re little, everyone is your friend; there is no such thing as cliques when you’re in kindergarten. Children see the world through an innocence that adults cannot. Until you’re socially conditioned to think boys have cooties or to notice the difference in someone’s skin color, everyone is your friend. If only we never lost this quality, the world would be a much better place.
5. Believing your parents were invincible.
When you thought of a superhero as a kid, you probably imagined Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and your parents. No man could ever be stronger than your daddy, and no woman could ever be as beautiful or loving as your mom. We miss the days of believing our parents were indestructible and could accomplish anything.
4. Falling asleep somewhere and always ending up back in your bed.
This was one of the most magical things about being a child. Weather you fell asleep on the couch, in the car, or even the kitchen table, you would always magically wake up under the covers all cozy in your own bed. Now if you fall asleep on the couch no one is moving you up to your bed except yourself.
3. Not having any responsibility.
It was SO NICE when all you had to worry about was if you’ll be forced to eat broccoli again for dinner. When you’re little, you have absolutely no responsibilities to worry about. No bills to pay, meetings to attend, or tests to ace. Life was definitely easier when you were a kid.
2. Being fearless.
Sure, you were probably afraid of the monsters under your bed, or the Boogey Man in your closet. But you weren’t scared to swing on that rope or climb that tree. The world was one giant playground for you to explore, and you intended to explore every inch of it. Growing up, you realize how dangerous these things could be, and are much more likely to not try new and adventurous things in fear of hurting yourself.
1. The endless opportunities of where your life could take you.
One of the greatest things about being a child was having no idea where your life would go. You could have a life dream of being a ballerina one day, and decide you’re going to be a Veterinarian the next. Your possibilities were endless, and you loved to imagine where you would be in 20 years.
Here you are, 20 years later. Growing up is one hard slap to the face. Thank your lucky stars that you were able to be a child when you were. We were apart of the greatest generation of children ever.