Childhood Dreams of Adulthood vs Real Adulthood

[Griffin]

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.

This sums it up for me too, pretty much! My mum is the kind of person who's not afraid to deal with stuff - when something needs to be taken care of, she grabs the phone or makes an appointment and gets things done. She is also not afraid to confront people when she feels it's needed. Sometimes I still wonder why all that is so difficult for me... I thought it would be different when I grew up.

On a lighter note, as a child I always dreamt of a horse of my own. I did realise they cost a lot of money but what I thought less about was the amount of time you had to devote if you were a horse owner. My dream pretty much came true when I was about fifteen (through joint ownership) so I now have some experience. What I really couldn't imagine as a child was that there would be one day I didn't want a horse of my own anymore. I still love them but I'm happy without owning one myself.

[ghouldilocks]

Child Skeen: I want to be a starship captain!

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

lol! When I was a kid, I used to desperately wish that Starfleet were real. I still wish Starfleet were real, though. 

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 

That's a shame that you didn't really go for your passion initially. I certainly understand not being given sufficient guidance or support early on, though - I have always had too many areas of interest, so in high school, I never had any idea what I wanted to do. If I could do it over again, I would go to community college right out of high school, and get certified for radiography or something, so I could have been earning a decent wage while continuing my education; my high school never really discussed all realistic options for students, they kind of just pushed either military enlistment or university. I also wish I'd done dual credit in high school, too, but again...never really had any guidance as far as being made aware that was an option. 

[zombienixon]

I can't really remember much what I expected adulthood to be like when I was little, but I do remember that when I was around 7 or so I wanted to be a cartoonist.  I think I also wanted to be like my Dad, which is kind of ironic since now I use him as an example of what not to do. That said, I am working in the same area he did.

I do draw things for a living, but instead of cartoons, it's production prints for cutting tools.

I think I also wanted to have a sports car, most likely a C4 Corvette.  I'm kind of halfway there since I have a hot hatch, and want to eventually sell it and get a Miata.

I can tell you one thing- having a large collection of My Little Pony toys, I did not see that one coming.
 

[Harmonie]

Childhood me had not just dreams, but expectations that I would go to college, graduate, find the love of my life, and go live out a fairly normal life.

...I hit 'adulthood' pretty hard at 18, when I suddenly came to recognize that none of that was guaranteed, and, in fact, it wouldn't be happening for me.

I wish more than anything I could have a second go at handling that realization properly...

[Tulips]

I don't really remember my childhood, but I reckon I probably wanted to be a vet when I grew up. I did a week of work experience in a vet as a teen and spent five years working in a grooming salon attached to a vet, I very quickly decided I never wanted to be a vet.

Other than that I don't recall thinking about what life would be like as an adult, I don't recall much. I'm 24 now and still have no idea what I want to do or what to expect from life.

[scarletjul]

I went through a lot of phases of wanting to be different things, from a teacher, to an archaeologist to a published author.  Child me wanted to a published writer for a very long period, where I would write books, have a husband and children and a big house with a pool.  At one point, I also wanted to be a stage actress, but that was more during middle school. 

Adult me still isn't published but she still plans to be published.  I just don't plan to make a career of it anymore.

[SnorkMaiden]

I went through a lot of phases of wanting to be different things, from a teacher, to an archaeologist to a published author.  Child me wanted to a published writer for a very long period, where I would write books, have a husband and children and a big house with a pool.  At one point, I also wanted to be a stage actress, but that was more during middle school. 

Adult me still isn't published but she still plans to be published.  I just don't plan to make a career of it anymore.

Good point. I think it's very common for children to think that a hobby (may it be writing, singing, painting, sports etc) will become their profession one day, and then when they grow up, they realise that very few people make their living out of those things and just keep them as a hobby.

[ringwraith10]

Child: I can eat whatever I want (even cake for breakfast)
Adult: I'm hypoglycemic and have PCOS and if I eat the wrong foods bad things will happen to my body, so I better just stick to vegetables.

Also, when I was a little kid I couldn't wait till I got to read textbooks in school that were all words with no pictures.

[shelvesofwhimsy]

Child: I'm going to be married by the time I'm 22, and have 4 kids by the time I'm in my late 20's.
Adult: *has small panic attack going into babies r us at age 23 (27 now)

Child: I can't wait to grow up
Adult: There is no such thing as "growing up"

Child: I'm going to build a house next to my parents and live there!
Adult: *moved to opposite side of country*

[Kittywhiskers]

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.

This. Plus I wanted to be an astronaut. ...Leaving my house is enough of an adventure. I don't think I'll ever be ready to leave the planet.