5 Things from Childhood that Adults Miss Out On

As a teacher, there are very few days that go by when I don't hear a student complaining about being young and wanting time to speed up so that they can become full-fledged adults. I remember feeling the same way as a child/teenager, and I had no idea how many of the simple pleasures I took for granted back then I would miss as an adult.

Atari Games: When I was a child, games like Pac-Man, Frogger, and Donkey Kong were considered "cutting edge technology." We didn't have our own Atari system, but going to my aunt's house to play them or spending a quarter at the skating rink to play the arcade version made me feel like I was one of the cool kids. Yes, the games weren't that complicated and the graphics very elementary compared to the standards of today's game systems, but that's part of the reason why I wish they were still around.

Building Forts: Children who didn't have a tree house or a fancy tent will remember the DIY fort created by draping an old sheet or blanket over a few chairs facing outward. Who knew that you could have so much for so many hours underneath a blanket held up by furniture? Being able to escape into your own little fort and not being bothered by the forces from outside the sheet was a wonderful thing. Inside the fort you're safe. No phone calls, no faxes, and no boss giving you piles of work.

Blissful Ignorance/Innocence: How many children care how many calories are in a piece of birthday cake? Probably not too many young children worry about calorie intake when they're enjoying a party or care if they look fat in a new pair of jeans. Or think about how laying down in the grass and staring at the clouds for hours is wonderful-but you might get bugs in your hair or dirty up your clothes if you lay there too long. Children are largely protected from the evils of the world: famine, war, human suffering, how poorly the economy is doing, etc. Aside from wishing those evils didn't exist, I also wish I didn't know so much about some of them.

Enjoying the Snow: There are certain pleasures associated with snow that children experience, but cause problems and inconveniences for grown-ups. At the sight of the first few snowflakes, children begin to get excited because there's the chance that school is going to be closed. (Which actually I still enjoy.) Children will play in the snow until the tips of the fingers are numb, the nose is running profusely, and all clothing is wet and cold-and love every minute of it. A child will scoff at the notion of frostbite or catching a cold. The idea of being stuck at home and unable to make it to the store or to school is wonderful-if you're a child. Adults tend to get frustrated when they're unable to get from place to place.

Magic: Someone or something is always watching a child to keep a check on his or her behavior. The Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and The Easter Bunny sees and knows all, and naughty children won't reap the benefits that a well-mannered child will. It's a little scary to think about an imaginary person or animal knowing your every move, but the fear is far outweighed by thinking about the tangible objects left by the entity. Sure, religious people have their own entities for checks-and-balances, but think about how many "naughty" things adults do...the magic of those from our childhood keeping us in line are definitely gone.

Of course, there are so many things that could be added to this list. In childhood, you don't have the same kind of responsibilities you have as an adult. Paying bills and dealing with the daily grind are one of the necessary evils of being an adult. The television shows from childhood were so much better. Hannah Montana has nothing on You Can't Do That On Television, Saved By The Bell, Salute Your Shorts, or The Electric Company. I can't really say that the fashion from my eighties childhood was better, but I do miss some of the more simple pleasures: getting lost in my imagination, a hope that I could do anything when I grew up, magical imaginary people like Santa, playing in the snow until my body froze, and not fully knowing how hard being a grown-up really would be.