1. Being a messy eater was “cute”

Remember when your mom use to pull out her camera every time pasta was on your face? Remember when everyone would “aw” at your “cuteness”. Ya, I miss that. Now having food all over you face isn't considered too cute. Even when you are starving and want to devour that plate of wings you simply can’t. You have to be cautious of your messy eating.

2. Homework didn’t exist

I miss the good times when you went home from school and had a playdate. You didn’t need to worry about doing homework because it didn’t exist. You didn’t need to stress about the fifty-page reading your teacher assigned for busy work. Or the sixty math problems to do for “practice” even though it was really more for torture. You could just hang out, eat, and sleep after school.

3. Playing dress up was not just for Halloween

You could be whatever character you wanted to be when you were younger. You did not need to wait for Halloween as an excuse to be someone else. If you wanted to be a firefighter or doctor that day you could. Now you have to wait 365 days until you can dress up again.

4. The tooth fairy was real

Oh, the excitement you used to get when you lost a tooth because that meant the tooth fairy was coming that night. It was so nice, you got money just for sticking your tooth under your pillow. Now to get money, you actually need a job.

5. Diet didn’t matter

The golden days when you could eat Fruit Roll-ups, Swedish Fish and Animal Crackers. You didn’t even have to think twice because diets didn’t matter. You could have cared less about the number on the scale. You didn’t need to worry whether it would make your hips or butt or thighs look fat. All you worried about is if your parents were going to cut you off from sweets.

6. You got recess

Recess, the land of four square and tag games. The land of the free. No test or piece graded homework was ever due at recess. Recess was the best, just ask any elementary school student what is their favorite class. Nine times out of ten times they will say recess. I mean who doesn’t love free time?

7. And nap time

The days I got nap time were so long ago I can’t even remember them. But all I know is I wish I still had nap time now. Especially, when I am sitting in a lecture and it is putting me to sleep. If the professor said, “Okay time to pull out your pillows”, I would cry tears of joy. That professor would make the educator hall of fame on the first ballot.

8. What was drama? Besides fighting over crayons

There was no drama back then. No one tearing each other apart over a guy or a girl. It was a drama-free land. Well, maybe besides fighting over who got the non-dull crayons. I mean, nobody wanted the dull crayons; they were “gross.”

9. Snow Days were unreal

Remember you used to get excited for snow? Because snow meant snow days. Who didn’t love a snow day? Until you got older and realized snow days cut into your summer, then snow days didn’t seem so nice.

10. You get Valentines from everyone in your class

Never did you feel more loved than walking home with thirty valentines on Valentine’s day. Especially, if some kids in your class splurged and got the valentines with candy attached to them. Those were honestly always the best ones. However, now you’re lucky to even get one valentine.

11. You had no responsibilities

You didn’t have to worry about doing your homework. Or studying for a test. Or getting a job. Or getting into college. Or getting a job. All you had to worry about was having fun and being a kid.