The top things adults miss most from their childhood

By Alice Hughes via SWNS

The top things adults miss most from childhood are waking up without a care in the world, school vacations and having no life admin.

A study of 2,000 Brits revealed the activities they long for from their youth, with more than half (56 percent) admitting they have lost their sense of fun with age.

Getting pocket money, playing in the park and watching TV as soon as they got home from school were featured in the top 40 list.

Others miss things being done for them including cooking, washing and packed lunches being made.

Waking up feeling excited, particularly on their birthday, was also featured.

The research was commissioned by Tropicana, which is calling for adults to reclaim a childlike positivity at the start of each day, by building a giant bed and placing it on the main concourse of King’s Cross station for adults to use as a trampoline.

The poll found people typically remember starting the day feeling happy (35 percent), playful (22 percent) and optimistic (21 percent) in their youth.

In comparison, adults today wake up feeling tired (42 percent), stressed (24 percent) and anxious (21 percent).

They wake up with four things on their mind, including the weather, tasks at work for the day ahead, money and bills.

Caroline Wilding, spokesperson for Tropicana Brands Group, said: “With so many adults across the country missing some of the fun they had as a child, such as being outdoors or singing out loud, we’re calling for the nation to embrace that nostalgic positivity and "Be More Kid."

“We want to remind people to bring a sense of that childlike fun and sunshine to the day.

"The way we start each day, from what we have for breakfast to how we get to work, has a huge impact on setting the tone for the day ahead.”

The research went on to find that more than a quarter (26 percent) wish they hadn’t taken childhood for granted when they were young, and the most fun age was revealed as nine years old.

In comparison, 27 was found to be the average age adults lost their sense of fun.

Half of those polled agreed grown-ups need to be more carefree and take a leaf out of children’s books, while 27 percent envy others who have fun without caring what people think.

Among the things adults think they could learn from youngsters were making more time for fun (45 percent), seeing the best in people (40 percent) and starting the day with positivity (38 percent).

Of those polled, 56 percent have partaken in a childlike activity since being an adult, including having a daytime nap (41 percent), playing on arcade machines (38 percent) and coloring in (33 percent).

Such pastimes made them feel happy (56 percent) and carefree (44 percent), according to the OnePoll data.

Caroline Wilding added: “For almost a third of adults, their mood is impacted by how they start the day.

"It just goes to show how important it is to start the morning positively - a glass half full attitude if you will.

"It was enlightening to learn that over half said doing a childlike activity made them feel happy.

“So, to spark inspiration, and to give people an excuse to carve out time for positivity, we have installed a giant bed into King’s Cross so that commuters and passersby can tap into their inner positivity and make their day more joyous.

"We hope those that get involved can forget about work commitments, or daily stresses, and jump on a giant bed, turning their regular morning routine into an opportunity for fun.”

TOP 40 THINGS ADULTS MISS ABOUT BEING A CHILD:

1.    School vacations 
2.    Waking up without a care in the world e.g. no worries about the day ahead     
3.    No life admin     
4.    Being cooked for  
5.    Being looked after when unwell      
6.    Waking up on birthday mornings feeling excited  
7.    Spending a lot of time outdoors     
8.    Playing in the park     
9.    Getting pocket money    
10.   Seeing friends every day at school  
11.   Falling to sleep quickly and easily 
12.   Washing being done
13.   Watching kid’s TV shows 
14.   Not knowing the concept of money    
15.   The newness of everything e.g. flying for the first time, going to the cinema for the first time
16.   Waking up feeling excited     
17.   Having friends over after school / going to friend’s houses 
18.   Feeling like you could be anything you wanted when you grew up    
19.   Not having to do food shopping      
20.   Watching TV after getting home from school      
21.   Climbing trees            
22.   Being bought sweets and chocolate           
23.   Having toys bought for you
24.   Drawing/coloring in    
25.   Knocking on neighbors’ doors to go out and play             
26.   Playing hide and seek          
27.   Not worrying about getting dirty when outside        
28.   Going to fairgrounds/on rides         
29.   Going on arcade machines      
30.   Being read to     
31.   Having packed lunch made
32.   Waking up with a positive attitude  
33.   Getting carried when too tired to walk    
34.   Singing without caring how it sounded     
35.   Jumping in puddles      
36.   Walking, cycling or scooting to school    
37.   Getting certificates, gold star etc 
38.   Having sleepovers 
39.   Napping in the day      
40.   After school clubs/hobbies