When I was a kid, being a grown-up seemed like the ultimate. You could stay up as late as you wanted, eat chocolate cake for dinner, never have anyone tell you what to do, and have money all the time to buy whatever you wanted.
Of course, now I have so much to do I can’t get to bed as early as I’d like, I have to tell myself not to eat chocolate cake for dinner, and I now know that the checkbook doesn’t magically make money– it’s actually tied to something. Yes, my paycheck is bigger than my allowance, but after bills and gas and food and the like, not much.
Still, there are a few times when I catch myself going “heck, I’m an adult now! What’s stopping me?”
I noticed this most recently last night when I realized that there were 4 boxes of cereal in the house– Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Corn Pops, Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs, and a box of Raisin Bran. I noticed this because what I really wanted was a bowl of Lucky Charms. Guess who wasn’t allowed sugary cereals as a kid?
Also, I have been known to have ice cream for dinner, or at least eat desert first. A coworker made fun of me a few months ago as I ate my M&Ms while waiting for my actual lunch to finish in the microwave. Why not? I’m an adult. I knew I wasn’t going to ruin my appetite. Who cares what order things get eaten in?
I also write notes to myself on the palm of my hand– something that made my dad flip out when I was younger. And, when I don’t have to do anything in the morning and I’m not tired? I’ll stay up until I’m sleepy, even if that doesn’t happen until dawn.
I remember an episode of What Not to Wear (I think the British one) where the woman had a closet full of red shoes–something she always wanted and was denied as a child.
So, what indulgences do you allow yourself, as a tribute to your inner child?
–kidsilkhaze
Geek Buffet 
The timing of this question is kind of funny for me. A few days ago, my husband and I were out shopping with our 18-month-old, looking for shoes for her. Time ran away, as it always seems to, and we found ourselves hungry. We didn’t want to spend time going to a restaurant, and while we had a jar of wholesome food handy for the little one, the two of us found ourselves eating potato chips and novelty ice cream for dinner. I kept thinking to myself that we won’t be able to get away with this once our daughter pays attention to such things. (And worse yet, remembers them.)
I’m also a big fan of having lots of cereal options, and will occasionally indulge in the sugar kinds. We also never make our bed, unless someone else is likely to see it.
Oh yes, the bed. Never made unless company is coming, or if I’m cleaning the bedroom. But then, I was never made to make the bed as a child, either, so I didn’t even think of that!
I posted my reply (and a picture of my inner child) over at my blog: http://saralewisholmes.blogspot.com/2007/09/mother-may-i.html
Anytime I’m feeling down. or tired, or stressed, I want dessert for dinner. Sometimes I even let myself have it too.
I also read lots of children’s books and comics, and buy toys and puzzles for myself and my fiancee, who sometimes manages to convince me to go for walks with him in the rain. I’ll wear shoes if I have to, but I still hate to dress up.
I own a lot of crayons.
I read a lot of children’s books, but that’s work related. However, if I ever become a different type of librarian, I’ll still read kidlit. I had forgotten how good it is.
Walking in the rain, for me, goes hand in hand with pina coladas, and therefore is totally an adult thing. Now, jumping in puddles… š
akdmyers said:
“I also read lots of childrenās books and comics, and buy toys and puzzles for myself and ..”
I hadn’t even thought of this. I love to read kids’ books, and have a huge collection of them for myself. I’ve bought toys and puzzles for myself for years. I’m partial to wooden puzzles. Seeing the various toys around, some people (like contractors and service people) would ask about our kids, many years before we had a kid.
We’ve also had a rubber lizard stuck to our ceiling for about 7 years, which some adults consider odd.
I read lots of children’s and young adult books (and neither have a child nor work in any kind of children’s book related profession).
I can also be found, with the love of my life, regularly visiting Disney World (again, we have no kids, and we live 3000 miles away from Disney World, but we still go almost every year). And we love all of the goofy kid-focused Disney stuff.
Oh yeah, we love going to zoos and other kid-oriented activities.
Jennie’s comment about crayons reminded me: every year at Christmas, my future mother-in-law has brunch at her house for all the relatives, and almost every year she breaks out the coloring books (complex celtic designs and geometric patterns) and the fancy colored pencils. There’s usually at least 5 adults sprawled around her living room talking and coloring. It’s becoming one of my favorite things about Christmas.
[…] at Chez Geek In anĀ echo of Jennie’s cry of “I’m an adult, I swear!,” as well as an amusing revisit of our previous conversation about dinosaur to chicken […]