Childhood Dreams of Adulthood vs Real Adulthood

[Duenia]

So I've been thinking about what I thought being a grown up would be when I was a kid and how some of it turned out. I figured it might be fun to hear some others as well!

Here are some of mine:

Child: I can eat whatever I want (even cake for breakfast)
Adult: Mostly true, since I can do my own grocery shopping (and yes I have had cake for breakfast)

Child: My mom will never be able to tell me I can't have a toy
Adult: Now I have to say it to myself...

Child: I'll have a house full of toys and my own closet!
Adult: I do have a closet, and lots of toys - house to put them in still pending though.

Child: I can do whatever I want to my own room.
Adult: Sort of true, I'm renting right now but I have a lot more options that I did as a kid. I even get to do my kitchen and bathroom too. Not something I even considered but ups the fun.

Child: I'll never have to worry about anyone but myself.
Adult: This one is definitely way more complicated than I thought it would be...

I feel like I didn't dream big enough as a kid.

What were some of yours?

[True]

Child me: I was obsessed with learning to fly planes, "I'm going to be a commercial pilot!"
Adult me: did some introductory flying.. ok pilot's license alone is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE! xD Would still love to do that someday though, as well as own a cessna 152 just for hobby flying. u.u

Besides that, I was that kid that was kinda already thinking like a grown up. >.< I always worried about things like learning how to drive, and how difficult bills would be, and how impossible it seemed to find houses. xD I guess I started overhearing my parents financial struggles at a young age.

[Beldarna]

Child me: When I'm grown up, I will be a responsible adult with the answer for everything. I will never be insecure or need anyone again.

Adult me: I don't know anything and I still need mommy.

[mopthebunny]

Child me: When I'm grown up, I will be a responsible adult with the answer for everything. I will never be insecure or need anyone again.

Adult me: I don't know anything and I still need mommy.

Welp, that makes two of us 

[aluke]

I'm in the same situation as True in that I thought more like an adult. I can't think of any childhood fantasies about growing up, I was more the type to question how life would be as an adult...I apparently used to ask things like "how will I know who to marry?" "how will I remember what side to drive on on every single street (conveniently that's not as complicated as I expected)?" etc.

The closest I have is my 'teenage fantasies' where I would finally be done school, decide on a career, and have that perfect life until I die. Too bad teenage me couldn't predict I'd still be directionless in what I want to do with my life. I can't even say I'm out of the woods with school yet at this point.

[Honeycomb]

Child me: When I'm grown up, I will be a responsible adult with the answer for everything. I will never be insecure or need anyone again.

Adult me: I don't know anything and I still need mommy.

Welp, that makes two of us 
[/

Child me: When I'm grown up, I will be a responsible adult with the answer for everything. I will never be insecure or need anyone again.

Adult me: I don't know anything and I still need mommy.

Three.

Welp, that makes two of us 

[tulagirl]

Oh goodness I had my life all planned out by the age of 6.  I was going to be a doctor, live in a big house, have two children and nice career and a great husband.  I wasn't really thinking about toys because for me as a child I learned very early about responsibility and survival due to mom and I being alone after a nasty divorce.  So, I was thinking ahead.  I also went through a phase of wanting to be a nurse.  When I got into high school I tested on my career testing that I should be a doctor, "a Psychiatrist" or a Teacher.
Then I got sick.
Then I was disabled.
Then I worked no more.
I ended up being a teacher though and did get to teach for a while. I am glad I am not a Psychiatrist though.  The life trauma I have gone through would certainly help me understand others, but my patience level is low now due to pain and stuff.   I tend to get overwhelmed very easily now. Medical careers run in my family.  Teaching does also.
I have a small house, no children and a difficult but meaningful life.  Nothing like I expected ROFLOL.

[Duenia]

My mom and I stopped getting along when I was about 6 and pretty much had to emotionally become an adult over night without the tools to do it. So at that point everything pretty much became about getting away from that. I got super mixed messages about financial responsibility from her, and well my toys were my friends so I always figured I could pay the bills and get whatever I wanted lol.

Tulagirl - that totally reminds me. I wanted to be a Veterinarian for about 10 years. Got to my first dissection in school and couldn't do it, got sick.

[SnorkMaiden]

Child me: Living on my own will be really scary, and won't I feel lonely?

Adult me: Living on my own is THE BEST! If I get lonely (rarely), I just invite a friend over or go to their place. Problem solved. 

[dragonfly]

childhood me: when I grow up I am going to have a red car and a personalized license plate that says DUDE

adult me: seriously considering that license plate

child me: when I grow up I can eat the middles out of oreos and throw away the cookie part if I want to

adult me: this is totally the best part of being a grownup

[ghouldilocks]

Child me had grand plans to be a field paleontologist, traveling the world in an RV with my dog. Adult me is nowhere even remotely close to that as a reality, lol.

[Skeen]

Child Skeen: I want to be a starship captain!

Adult Skeen: Look, kid, I hate to break it to you, but...

[Artemesia's Garden]

Child me had grand plans to be a field paleontologist, traveling the world in an RV with my dog. Adult me is nowhere even remotely close to that as a reality, lol.

Aw.  That's a lovely dream.  I thought I might be a field botanist but that didn't pan out for me either.

As a child I was really conflicted.  I'm not currently doing the job I'd like to be doing but at least I'm working in a museum.  I kinda did know that would happen eventually, although not an art museum.  As a kid I loved books about gardens, nature and art.  As a really little kid I built a Natural History Museum in a dog kennel in my parents garden.  It had sea shells, animal bones, feathers, birds eggs and dried flowers.  There was no longer a dog.  Later I found work experience in a nature reserve.  But my family didn't know anything about working in nature reserves or museums.  I was confused about what I would do when I left school, I knew I wanted to go to university but I couldn't really see my role in the word beyond it.  I was put off by competitive people.  I wish I'd had more faith in myself at University, ignored my parents and pushed for the career I wanted when I left.  I wasn't encouraged in my passions by my parents and although it was clear that I had to do well and get a job I had no idea how.  People get into these careers it turns out by taking a taught masters degree, or doing an internship.  But my parents didn't understand paying for professional qualifications or working for free.  So I did a 'sensible' science subject, right up to PhD level.  Then I got bored and found other things at different times along the way, fell into a few pitfalls, like teaching in state schools.  Now hopefully having learned the hard way that there is no easy way I will do better!  I have spent a lot of time volunteering now and investing in my professional development.  So in conclusion I knew what I wanted to do when I was a kid, then I let the world talk me out of it and then I decided to go after it again!

I also loved My Little Pony as a kid and fully intended to buy all the ones I wanted as soon as there was no-one to criticise me.  And here I am.  I will never fulfil that ambition but I'm in great company trying 

[Taxel]

childhood me: when I grow up I am going to have a red car and a personalized license plate that says DUDE

adult me: seriously considering that license plate

I remember sitting on the floor in my room with my pink VW Barbie Bug and counting all the letters in the word "barbie" to figure out how I'd have a license plate with it in the future.

As an adult I don't drive and don't even collect Barbie xD

[Haruna]

I also loved My Little Pony as a kid and fully intended to buy all the ones I wanted as soon as there was no-one to criticise me.  And here I am.  I will never fulfil that ambition but I'm in great company trying 

Ha ha! That's awesome. We're living the dream!

I love everyone's responses. I don't really remember what I thought about adulthood when I was younger; I do remember thinking 16 seemed really old (that was when my parents would allow me to date and when I'd be able to drive, all of which seemed mysterious and grown-up to me) I don't think I thought about growing up much, come to think of it. It just happened, heh.