When you were a kid , all you could think about was being an adult.
But now that you’re there? Well, the view isn’t so great at the top. There are endless bills to pay, you start to lose touch with a lot of friends, and time flies by a lot quicker. Can it get any worse?!
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Here, Redditors share bitter truths about an adult that we weren’t prepared for.
The adult part.
This. In general. That’s because it encompasses so much of what we weren’t prepared for, such as having to pay for everything.
As this Redditor pointed out, it also sucks that fresh food spoils faster than we ever thought possible.
Watching parents get older.
“As a teenager I thought they were all about keeping me restricted and controlled. Now I realize they’re just two people who never had a kid before, did the best they knew how, and [expletive] up at times like all other humans on the planet.” – u/Hemenucha
There isn’t as much freedom as you thought.
“You can do whatever you want, but most of the time you either have commitments that prevent it, or you can’t afford it.” – u/deleted. It’s a sad reality we all face at some point.
You lose a lot of friends.
Your days of being a social butterfly drastically change once you enter adulthood. You can’t spend every night with friends when you have other responsibilities, such as work and family.
All the pain and body aches.
“Even with sleeping! I tried a different pillow one time and it somehow hurt my neck for a week… I can’t imagine that happening back when I was a kid.” – u/MyGuyThaiGuy
You’re lonely a lot of the time.
“Making friends as an adult is difficult, sometimes verging on impossible. You don’t see people in your age group who are doing the same things you are every day anymore.” – u/HilariousDisaster
You are always cleaning.
Unfortunately, you don’t have Mom or Dad to clean up after your messes anymore! While you could hire a maid, that costs money. So, instead, you keep cleaning a sink full of dishes that never seems to end.
No one makes bad things go away but you.
“When something goes wrong or something unexpected happens, there’s no one else to deal with it. Plugged toilet? You gotta clear it. Car outta gas? You gotta fill it. Run out of clean undies? You gotta do laundry. From small things to massive things, there’s no one to make it go away but you.” – u/mswoodie
A $1,000 paycheck isn’t as exciting as it used to be.
“I remember getting a $650 paycheck when I was 15 and thinking, why do I need to go to highschool anymore I can just keep doing this LOL.” – u/Alex35143
Planning dinner every night.
How did our parents do it AND feed a whole family?! Every time we try to cook, something takes over our body and we suddenly find ourselves ordering pizza on the UberEats app. Oops.
You’ll start to forget what age you are.
“The only people who remind me how old I am are my kids, and i often have to double check. I used to ask my parents how old they were and they always ‘cant remember’ or said ’21’ and it confused me. I get it now.” – u/magicatom_87
Those cliches your parents once told you now make sense.
“When all the cliches that used to piss you off start making sense and meaning something, but you can’t explain it to younger people because they haven’t lived that life experience yet.” – u/SmokeyFlannel
There’s never enough time for anything.
That book you wanted to write? That extra degree you always dreamed to take on? Big dreams, but with what time?! By the time we finish work, we’re too exhausted to do anything else but binge TV.
Everything you buy starts to own you.
“Got a new car? You now have to make a monthly payment, buy insurance, fill with gas, get inspected, change the oil, apply for a street parking permit, ect.” – u/wheezy_cheesey
You don’t fundamentally change.
“You are still you, even if you are older. It’s the same you, you just need to survive in the adult world. You don’t gain adult powers, you just have to do adult things.” – u/Pontus_Pilates
That ordering food actually is expensive.
We always thought our parents were lying when we asked for pizza Fridays and they said, “there’s food at home.” Thanks to food delivery apps, a $10 pizza quickly becomes $30 once all the fees are added.
You *definitely* can’t eat whatever you want.
“I swear when I was a teenager I could eat absolute garbage and stay slim because I was just naturally active throughout the day. Now being an adult I’m fat as [expletive] because after a full day at work and other ‘adulting’ responsibilities it’s so hard to get the motivation to work out.” – u/runfatgirlrun88
Each day is very short.
When we were kids, the days tended to drudge on and on. But now as adults? It flies by due to everything you have to do in a day: work, chores, etc. Your lucky if you have time for your hobbies anymore.
The world is cruel and harsh.
“Human compassion is one of the few mercy’s that can exist in your life. If you aren’t compassionate then you’re neglecting one of the highest purposes of human existence. We bring light into the world with our compassion.” – u/ukiyuh
