As a teenager, life seems like it’ll go on forever without an end in sight. In this illusion of life’s slowness, we were always eager to grow up and finally be adults. Whether we thought we deserved more ‘respect’ because we thought we were ‘grown up’ or felt claustrophobic living at home, we always had this idealized version of growing up but boy were we wrong. Nor did we understand how fast time really goes by.

We didn’t think about all the responsibilities our parents dealt with on a daily basis, or the challenge of managing our work, school and personal lives because those things never crossed our minds. Fixated on becoming ‘adults’ we didn’t take these twelve other things about adult life into consideration.

1. You have to do your own grocery shopping

This includes going to the grocery store, shopping, paying and carrying your groceries home.

2. You have to then cook for yourself

Cooking for one isn’t all that fun, and you’ll soon miss having company around when you’re eating. More so, you’ll definitely miss your mom’s home cooking.

3. You have to do all of your own shopping

Anything you need, you have to get. While you can shop online, you’re still obligated to find the item and buy it.

4. You have to do your own laundry

No more folded laundry waiting for you on your bed. Nope.

5. You have to schedule your own appointments

When your parents scheduled your appointments you didn’t realize the process that sometimes went into it, and you now appreciate all their effort.

6. You have to get yourself from point A to point B

This means having to take public transportation or a cab if you can’t drive or don’t have a car where you live.

7. You have to look after yourself when you’re sick

The first time you get sick and have to cook for yourself when you live on your own is when you’ll realize how much your mom did for you when you were sick at home, and how much you probably took it for granted.

8. You have to budget and manage your money

This is both time-consuming and nerve-wracking.

9. You have to pay your own bills

This is also time-consuming and nerve-wracking, especially when you’re worried about your heating bill during harsh winters.

10. You have to do your own dishes

This is even worse when you don’t have a dishwasher.

11. You have to keep your space clean

Whether living with roommates or on your own, keeping your space clean becomes something you have to remind yourself to do each day because it leads to good habits in the future. Though, it was nice not to have to worry about this as a teen.

12. You find yourself calling your parents for advice

As a cocky teen, you thought you had the world figured out. Turns out, you don’t quite have it figured out and you’re still reliant on your parents.

Each stage of our life comes with its own challenges, so relish in your youth, because as my mom always said, “you’re a child only once but an adult for life”. I didn’t understand what she meant when I was young but I do now.