As kids, we dream about what it will be like to be an Adult — but once you grow up, you find yourself longing for the carefree days of being a child. We looked at a popular online discussion group and found 25 things everyone liked as a child, listed in no particular order.

1. Losing a Tooth

Losing a tooth was always an exciting experience when you were a kid. That was because the “tooth fairy” would visit you and leave some money under your pillow. You also knew that another tooth would come in to replace it. As an adult, losing a tooth and wanting to replace it could cost you thousands of dollars.

2. Receiving Mail

When you were a child, receiving a piece of mail could be an exciting event. It was most likely from a friend or a family member, perhaps for your birthday, Christmas, or other special occasion. When you are an adult though, mail usually consists of a bill or something you don't want to deal with.

3. Eating Large Quantities of Candy

Eating ability is one of the many things that change when you grow up. As a child, you can eat a bunch of candy and not have any adverse effects except a bit of a sugar high. As an adult, you need to be much more careful with your diet, your metabolism slows down, and you have a responsibility to care for your health.

4. Going to the State Fair

Going to the fair or an amusement park was a lot of fun as a kid. There are a lot of rides to go on, many different exhibits to see, and of course, a variety of foods to eat. As an adult, it can still be a fun experience, but you actually have to pay for it. You must also pay close attention to your kids and plan appropriately to ensure everything goes right.

5. Thinking About Being an Adult

As a child, sometimes you wish you were an adult. Being an adult seems really cool at a young age. You get a lot of freedom, can do what you want, go where you want, and more. Once you become an adult though, the reality sets in. While there are some good aspects of being an adult, it isn't the carefree experience you thought it might be as a kid.

6. Staying Up Late

When you were growing up, it was a special treat to stay up late. You might be tired the next day, but you had endless energy as a kid, so that didn't matter much. As an adult though, if you stay up really late and then have to get up early for work the next day, it can be a rough experience. Thank goodness for caffeine.

7. Being on Summer Vacation

One of the best times of the year for kids is summer vacation. School is out and you have approximately three months to hang out with friends and stay home to relax. As an adult, you are responsible for watching your kids during those summer months, trying to keep them entertained, and working at your job. Plus, you are doing all that while sweating from the intense summer heat.

8. Celebrating Birthdays

When you're a kid, birthdays are a big deal. You receive many presents, you might go out to eat and pick the restaurant, and it's a day that is all about you. As an adult, it is a different experience. You might still receive some nice gifts from friends and family. Still, chances are you will have to work and even if you want to try and get everyone together, conflicting schedules might not make it feasible.

9. Having Friends Come Over

It's a good time when you are young and your friends come over. You might run around and play outside or play video games or just hang out. Your only concern is having fun. As an adult, you can still have fun with friends when they visit you, but it's much different. 

10. Going to the Mall

When you were growing up, going to the mall was a fun experience. It was another place where you spent time with your friends, there were fun stores to visit, and there was probably an arcade to play games. Once you become an adult, you know your money is better spent elsewhere — like on that stack of bills at home.

11. Sick Days

Being sick is never fun, but it would mean you didn't have to go to school as an adolescent. You could stay home, watch television, play video games, or relax. Once you grow up, you can still do all that on sick days, but you constantly worry about the amount of work piling up at the office and how you will make up that time.

12. Snow Days

Like a sick day, a snow day as a child might mean you don't have to go to class and can enjoy your day. As an adult, you must leave earlier to get to work so you can arrive there safely, but first you might have to spend some time shoveling snow off your driveway.

13. Experiencing No Pain

When I was young, I could fall without many consequences. Sure, I would get a scrape or a bruise, but generally, I was fine. If you take a tumble when you get a bit older, chances are good you aren't going to bounce back as quickly, and you might feel the impact of that fall for days or weeks.

14. Christmas

Christmas can be a magical time of the year. Kids are excited because they see Santa at the mall and receive gifts on Christmas morning. They also get some extended time off from school. There are Christmas trees and lights, and everything looks fantastic. As an adult, you can still experience the magic of the season but it can also be highly stressful with shopping, baking cookies, wrapping gifts, and decorating. 

15. Swimming in Indoor Public Pools

One of the main objectives of childhood is to have fun. Going to an indoor pool can be a fantastic experience as you play in the water and stay cool in the summer heat. When you grow up, you notice how gross some of those areas are, and what was once fun as a child might be the opposite as an adult.

16. Jumping on a Trampoline

One commenter mentioned that as a 33-year-old, he bought a trampoline for his kids, who had a great time jumping and bouncing around. He tried to show them some tricks and they clapped, cheering him on. He wasn't quite sure what happened but said he could barely walk for the next two days after that.

17. Playing With Action Figures

Growing up there were a lot of action figures, such as G.I. Joe and Transformers. You could set them out and have them battle and it would be a fun afternoon. You don't have the time to do that as an adult. One person also noted that his wife thinks his action figures are weird.

18. Swings

Having a swing set in your backyard is fantastic as a kid. The public park swings are also great if you don't have one. You love going up and down and seeing how high you can go. Once you reach adult age though, riding on a swing in the same manner can make you nauseous.

19. Fireworks

The Fourth of July is an exciting time when you are young if you live in the United States. You are celebrating Independence Day and that comes with setting off fireworks. As an adult though, you realize how dangerous they really are. You have to take care of your pets so they don't get scared and you worry about the fireworks malfunctioning and potentially starting a fire.

20. Getting Everything for Free

When you were a kid, the cost of things didn't matter. If your parents got you a Happy Meal, your biggest concern was the toy that came with it. If you went to Disneyland, you just walked into the park ready for a fun day. When you are an adult with your own children, you must worry about how you will pay for things. You are the one who has to pay that high admission price to Disneyland!

21. Spending the Day Playing Video Games

Games are no longer the simple side-scrolling affairs we remember from Super Mario Bros. on Nintendo's first console. There are still side-scrolling games, but there are other games you spend hundreds of hours exploring and living a virtual life. You could spend the day playing games as a kid, especially during the summer. As an adult, you don't necessarily have this luxury between your job, family, and other daily responsibilities that need your attention.

22. The Phone Ringing

Like receiving a piece of mail, if you received a phone call as a kid, it was a good thing most of the time. Usually, it would be a friend calling you to make plans for something fun or talk about an upcoming game or movie you were excited about. As an adult, if you hear your smartphone ring, you immediately ignore it — especially with caller ID.

23. Going Grocery Shopping

A trip to the grocery as a kid could be a lot of fun. You could pick your snacks and get what you wanted, within reason. As an adult, grocery shopping can seem like just another chore. Some adults also prefer to stay home whenever possible and don't like going out to shop. Fortunately, there are services like Instacart now, but that can be expensive.

24. Going on Roller Coasters

When you are young, roller coasters are fun and exciting. They offer an adrenaline rush that can be addictive. Once you get older though, it is an entirely different story. The potential for excitement is still there, but as an adult, you worry about getting thrown around during a ride and potentially injuring yourself.

25. Flying

Flying can be a fantastic experience as a kid. You are sitting on a plane and then suddenly, you are flying in the sky. You can take pictures, and look at the clouds, and there is a sense of wonderment. As an adult, you sit back in your seat and try to get some sleep if it's a long flight.

Source: Reddit.