Everyone knows, or everyone should know, which iconic movie this article references.

If you guessed 13 Going On 30, you guessed correctly! If you guessed Sex In The City, you were a close second.

This movie paved the way for young women everywhere - showing us exactly why we should cherish our younger women years.

But should we really?

I’ll take you through why being ‘thirty, flirty, and thriving’ is really a better alternative to being ‘eighteen, heartbroken, and broke’.

Now, most people will read this and say: “Oh, but you’re only young once. Don’t wish away your years just because you want freedom.”

Well, to that group of exhausted moms, and reckless teens, I pose you this statement.

I, an eighteen, almost nineteen, year old, am already in adulthood. I’m paying bills, racking up (college) debt, and quite frankly with some of the people you meet in college, already stuck taking care of children.

However, I don’t have the luxury of coming home to a family and spouse every day like most thirty year-olds do. I’m still stuck in the age group of boys who don’t always think with their heads, and the everlasting struggle of who’s paying the bill and why can’t we all just act like civilized adults right now?

I don’t have the luxury of owning my own house or car. All my money goes to college, and unfortunately/fortunately my family isn’t paying my way through life.

I also don’t have the luxury of having a degree and steady job. I’m still grueling through school, making $9.60 an hour, while you all either work to provide for yourself, or stay at home watching your family as your (wonderful) spouse works for the two of you.

Yes, there are perks to being eighteen, and still in school, I know. I get weekends off, and scheduled vacation times - and I’m lucky enough to have opportunities to study abroad. I’m even luckier to have the aid and assistance given to me to make that happen.

I get it. There are perks.

But that doesn’t mean us ‘children’ don’t have the tendency to crave your adult life.

I mean, how many of you adults are looking at your children, or your spouse, or your house, right now thinking, “God, I wish I could go back to high school/college right now. I wish I wasn’t here.”

Probably slim to none of you.

Which is great, because you should be thrilled with where your life has gone. Just try not to get annoyed when your twenty year old ‘child’ tells you they can’t wait to be your age - you probably made it look a lot better than a weekend off ever looked.