If you went up to a stranger on the street and asked them about a time that they wish they could go back to, there's a high chance that they would say their childhood. I'm going to go against the trope that childhood and adolescence is some utopian period of our lives and say we overlook the difficulties we faced as children and undermine the perks of adulthood. I'm claiming that our lives are perpetually hard and we should take our childhood memories with a grain of salt.

One thing I was happy to outgrow was the lack of credibility people gave to me due to my age. I was conscious of the stigma that I was seen as less intelligent and self-aware as adults. I knew that people would not take me seriously due to my youth. There were countless moments where I would have an insightful and creative solution to a problem and I would try to say my piece, but the adults would brush it aside. They did this time and time again, only to circle back around and come to the same solution I had given them hours ago. To say it was infuriating is an understatement. If they did listen they were shocked at my wisdom, or state that "even the ten-year-old" understood such and such and that was insulting to my intelligence. I don't think that I was particularly wise. I just think children are hugely underestimated, and that makes their lives hard.

Besides being condescending, people treat youth with a lack of respect. At restaurants the waiter or waitress may not give you the same hospitality as they give your older relatives, they don't even acknowledge you at all sometimes. Your personal space is constantly violated. People think it's okay to touch and hug you and kiss you without asking. Your self-expression and freedom are limited. You're told, "don't do this" or "don't do that" or "be quiet" when older people are allowed to say and do the same things. You can't go places when you want to go places, and you even have to ask permission to use the bathroom!

You have to get permission for every little thing actually, always at the mercy of your authority's yes or no. You get forced to do things and go places you don't want to go because as a kid you don't have much of a choice. Teachers will treat you harshly and cut you less slack for things that you do. For example, one time in elementary school I did my homework in class and my teacher took the paper and tore it. Can you imagine someone acting these ways as an adult? It would be inappropriate but somehow for kids, it's okay. I love that as an adult people generally treat me with respect and I have independence.

Imagine that you're sitting in a classroom, but it's a level 400 class, and everyone has prior experience on the subject, and you switched in halfway through the course so it's your first time being presented with the material. You don't understand half of the words being said and since you're so far behind, you struggle to get a grasp on topics everyone else considers to be simple. The professor doesn't even slow down to explain what they're talking about unless you raise your hand, but everything is new to you so you can't possibly have all of your questions be answered the way you like. You can't do research because it's hard for you to read since it's a new language and you haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet. You can understand how frustrating that situation must be.

Due to the fact that children are new to the world and everyone is older than them, childhood is like being lost in class but all the time. It's all the more frustrating if no one slows down to get you up to speed. It has nothing to do with their intelligence despite the fact that they are often treated like they are dumb, and when you do that they can tell (trust me). They just haven't been exposed to a lot of things and that's hard and not their fault. We are always learning throughout our life but at least now that we are older everything is easier to process.

After examining several crucial points that I find are often overlooked, perhaps you may think twice about chastising children when they claim that they want to grow up. Their life is hard for them, just as it was for you. You just don't remember because you're too busy examining your past through your rose-colored glasses. I also hope after reading this you gain a newfound appreciation for your adulthood and the things it offers you which childhood does not.