Growing up is inevitable.
As a child, adulthood seems far way. In reality, we grow up in the blink of an eye, and suddenly, we're forced to deal with things we had never imagined or considered before. We get a little bit of an idea of what to expect from watching the adults in our lives... but being faced with actual aging and all its struggles is jarring.
So when Redditor u/bathtub_seizure asked people, "What is an adult problem you were not prepared for?" it was no surprise how quickly the topic blew up, with many adults lamenting about the things they wished they were more prepared for.
20. Remember your first stone?
Giphy"For me, it was kidney stones. First time in a hospital for something like that, I looked down on my blood pressure cuff and said 'adult' I felt let down by my body."
19. Budgeting...
"Making money and planning your budget in order to put aside some of your salary. Cook healthy food every day."
18. What passion?
"'Follow your passion' is ********. The more 'different' types of jobs/experiences you have, the more opportunities begin to notice and actually learn to be good at. Your passion is wrapped in your ambition- just do more and you will naturally gravitate towards things you are good at."
17. Fashion isn't timeless
Realizing that at some point you have to ditch your college clothes and buy the jorts and new balances if you want to be accepted in a neighborhood.
16. Is anyone doing a good job?
"I always just assumed that most adults were smart and/or good at their jobs, practical skills.
What a monumental disappointment."
15. They can't feed themselves?
"When you have kids and realize you actually have to cook dinner every single freaking day"
14. Learning that it's not all about you
"Having to put my needs/wants/desires to the side because the needs of family outweigh my own. I sometimes think I will never do the things I want to do."
13. The intricacies of laundry
"washing machines. cant figure the things out, despite 3 buttons on them. life long struggle... gave up on them ages ago"
So many liars
"I lived off of Disney movies as a child and was completely unprepared for dating or just how deceitful the majority of the population is."
11. Mattresses are a racket
"now having my own home, not realising how expensive bed mattress are."
"Mattresses..... they're so expensive I never would've thought."
10. Your best efforts at work don't even matter
"It's entirely possible to lose your job through no fault of your own."
9. The juggling ability of moms
Giphy"Being able to not cook the same meal everyday while balancing hundreds of other tasks. I will always admire my mom for how she was able to cook, have a clean house, work 43 hours and help her children do homework all while taking time to work out at the end of everyday."
8. People aren't here forever
"Losing people. Loved ones passing away is the hardest. Then there's the nasty breakdown of personal relationships, family relationships and friendships. Then there's the sad drifting apart that happens when life takes you on a different path to a person you were once really close to."
7. Hair, hair, everywhere
Giphy"Having to institute a 'Complete Body Hair Management Program'.
Ears, eyebrows, nose, chest, balls, @ss....then losing it the only place I want it...my head."
6. Can you remember when your body didn't hurt?
"Pain.
Arthritis is ****ing horrible and early onset autoimmune arthritis is worse than just having an ache in one or two joints. I hurt all the time, everywhere, and everyone just assumes you're faking it or you're a pill popper. I don't know if going to live another 20 years with this pain like my dad did."
5. Sleep is for the lucky
"Not being able to sleep due to stress. Yet here I lay, exhausted but wide awake.
When I was younger I could sleep anytime, anywhere."
JonnyWax
3. Your parents suddenly change
"Dealing with your parents acting like children."
"I realized my mom (I am an only child) was just a big kid herself 20 years ago. What shocks me is that almost everyone's parents become younger when they don't have kids to raise. This includes myself."
2. Living is expensive
"How expensive living is. I worked all through high school, but my only 'bill' was the gas I put in my car. 30 hours a week on minimum wage goes a long way on shopping sprees and nail salons when you don't have any other expenses. I developed nasty spending habits, not the 'value of a hard-earned dollar' my parents were hoping for.
I'm not in crippling debt or anything, but sometimes having to spend money on groceries or utilities depresses me more than it rationally should."
1. Just the thought of searching is stressful
"The utter soul crushing search for a job"
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