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25 Things From Childhood That We Only Started To Appreciate Once We Grew Up
Article created by: Justinas Keturka
We tend to think that childhood is the worst when we’re little. We can’t wait to grow up and be like adults. Then we’ll be able to watch whatever we want on TV, buy whatever snacks we want, and go out without telling anyone and without a curfew. That’s why they say that youth is wasted on the young – because we don’t yet know how good we actually have it.
A couple of years ago, one Redditor was curious to know what cool things people experienced in their childhood but didn’t appreciate until they became adults. They went on r/AskReddit and posed this question to the community. People shared all sorts of wholesome and sweet things and even some impressive stories.
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#1
I've shared this before, but it is a very important thing I realized I did not appreciate until I was an adult.
When I was a kid my dad and I had a tradition every week of going to the video store and renting a movie or two to watch together. I remember I used to get really upset at him because every single time we'd actually start to watch the movie he would fall asleep.
It wasn't until I was older that I realized that the reason he would fall asleep was because he was exhausted from working two very physically demanding jobs to try and give me the best life he possibly could. On top of that, even though he was tired he still made an effort to try and start a little tradition with me and spend time with me.
Those memories of me having to nudge my dad awake are so great in my eyes, because they made me realize what a caring and hard working man he was and still is to this day.
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#3
Having loving & kind parents, and a happy family unit who genuinely enjoyed each other and had great holidays together.
Seemed normal to me but reading reddit makes it seem so unusual.
#4
When I was a little kid (probably around ~5-6 years old), there were a few times when I was riding my bike around the neighborhood in the afternoon and my dad happened to see me while on his way home from work. We would always "race" back to the house, and I thought I was the fastest biker ever because I would always win even though my dad was in his car.
After a while, I completely forgot about this. Then, when I was 18, my dad was teaching me how to drive stick in the exact same car he had when that happened, and I happened to drive past a kid about that age on a bike. Suddenly I remembered those "races" again, and at the same time I realized that my dad had been revving the engine in neutral.
#5
Having a functional body.
Having free fun time.
Making friends easily.
All of these were a given for me, until it becomes no more a given.
#6
Growing up on a farm and participating in 4H. So many kids today completely lack any sense of where their food comes from, why we need to be humane ro animals or why it's so good for the mind to be outdoors! Not to mention the built in work ethic and sense of responsibility and accomplishment that comes with raising animals and doing physical tasks.
#7
Waking up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday to play video games for a few hours before watching cartoons.
I mean, I can do that now. But it just lacks a certain charm as an adult.
#8
I'm from europe and in the middle of the woods near my village there is an abadon monestary from the XV century, it's a huge place. We would play hid and seek there. It's an amazing place but for us was just a good place to play.
#9
The early stages of the internet. It felt like I was part of a secret club. The vibe of it felt much more underground and it had a ton of variety.
#10
Coming home after school and having almost no responsibilities. In fact, we were not even allowed in the house until dark because we got in the way! Now I get home after work, and I still have so much to do. I would love that feeling again.
#11
My dad had an airplane and I lived on a farm and he would buy a bag of candy and rain it down in the field for me and my cousin to find.
#12
Not only making friends easily but always getting to hang out with them easily because of school. As an adult, it's difficult finding the right time to hang out with one friend, let alone several.
#13
When I was five or so I was throwing a tantrum. So my dad locked me in his room and let me tire myself out. Once I was quiet, he'd walk in and calmly ask "are you ready to talk?"
The first couple times I baited him and just went back to the tantrum.
The last time, after I was thoroughly disheartened, he explained to me the importance of thinking things through rather than emotionally.
The lesson stuck.
#15
Being allowed to be in the room while adults spoke. I would hear things & put them in the back of my mind and forget about them. Whenever they come across my mind in certain conversations & situations, they make so much sense. No, I was never bold enough to ask questions or make comments or statements if I was not being spoken too.
#17
Showing livestock. I was embarrassed about it as a kid and especially as a teen. Looking back, it's pretty badass that I was able to halter-break, groom, and show 1,200 pound steers as a kid.
#18
International travel. Seemed normal as a kid, but I didn't realize how rare it was until I was an adult. The family wasn't rich; my parents just put all of their entertainment and discretionary money towards traveling.
#19
Those few kids in school who had it all to be popular and they were, but they weren't mean or cliquey. They had all the social power a kid could have - they were good-looking, funny, dressed well, athletic, everything - but they didn’t exploit it. They were usually smart and well-behaved (though not too much) but also fun and didn't take themselves too seriously. I didn't have many friends growing up, and even fewer genuinely good ones because most of my not-so-popular friends secretly wanted to be in those mean cliques and only spoke against them because of sour grapes (I was likely one of them, at least at some point). I wish I had known to seek out those genuinely decent kids who really had their heads on straight. Later in life, I got to know some of them and they are still great people - really the best kinds of friends to have. A number of them mentioned that they totally would have been friends with me when we were in school together - they even thought about it, but I didn't seem interested. I just assumed anyone who had so much going for them wouldn't want to be friends with me.
#21
This might sound stupid or boomerish.
When I was a kid -1960s- every town had its own stores for everything. Local shoe shop, local sporting goods store, local five and dime, non franchise gas stations, local one-screen movie theater. Every town was a little, local economy.
Then the malls killed it all. Now the big box stores are killing them.
Progress?
Mike Goslin 8 months ago
Yea, progress. I grew up in those little 60's towns then moved to the big city. the city was huge progress. Those little stores were poorly stocked. I found myself driving to the city, just to shop. Incredibly inefficient.
#22
Remember how you use to feel waking up on Christmas day? And now Christmas is just a holiday we save up for and worry about what to get people and hope we didn't forget anyone. I miss the stress free Christmas.
#24
Eating meals at the table with the whole family, using food grown in our garden. Majority of my childhood friends were raised this way so i didn't see the value in it until i left my small town for college and realized that it wasn't the norm in a lot of households. Now I really appreciate the time and conversations my family had during meals.
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