Adults Share The 6 Things They Weren't Allowed To Own As Kids That They Immediately Bought As Adults
The world is now our oyster!
fast-stock | Shutterstock As kids, some of us couldn’t wait to grow up and have unlimited access to all of the things our parents always told us we couldn't have whether it was sugary cereal or the cool band t-shirt that, in retrospect, probably wasn't exactly age-appropriate, these were the things we really wanted that could never have.
The moment we turned 18, however, all bets were off. But did we still want them is the real question! Here are a few surprisingly common things adults couldn’t wait to get their hands on after being constantly denied them as kids (and some might just leave you scratching your head).
6 things adults weren’t allowed to have as kids that they immediately bought as adults:
1. First-hand clothing
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If you were a younger sibling, most of your clothing was likely second-hand. If your parents were tight on money, it made more sense to just pass down perfectly good clothes from kid to kid — even if it meant you got a slightly ripped T-shirt from your older sister or worn-out sneakers from your brother.
As soon as you were old enough and only had yourself to dress, you might’ve hit up your favorite brand-name stores and splurged on new everything, whether it be new jeans, a new jacket, and more of the clothes that just let you be you and not your siblings.
2. Fast food
“You gotta eat your vegetables if you wanna grow up big and strong!” is likely what our parents replied with when we asked for McDonald’s for dinner. And who could blame them — fast food isn't exactly checking the nutrition boxes. In fact, it's known to contribute to childhood obesity, and it lacks the vitamins and minerals that are necessary for growth and development.
That doesn't mean we didn't want it, though. If we were banned from having fast food as kids, we may binge out on Taco Bell and Burger King several times a week as adults, catching up on the perfect blend of saltiness and sweetness we thought we were missing.
However, fast food loses its glory after a while, and we learn that moderation is key. A Big Mac and a chocolate shake only seem right when you’ve spent the week eating home-cooked meals your parents would push onto you as kids.
3. Advent calendars
For some of us, these were a holiday favorite. We used them to count down the days until Christmas, waking our parents up at the crack of dawn to pop open the tab designated for the specific day, revealing a new toy or piece of candy inside.
Still, the temptation to pop open every single tab, no matter what day it was, seemed nearly impossible to resist. We couldn’t wait to grow up and have our very own Advent calendars, we could open as we pleased, and rules didn’t exist.
4. Video games
If you grew up in a house where limited screen time was enforced, there was likely only a small window of opportunity to play your favorite video games.
That is, if your parents even allowed you to have them. They may have deemed them to be too violent or posed the risk of rotting their children’s brains.
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Like fast food, this strict ban on video games likely led to a video game binge as an adult. You may have gone out and bought entire shelves worth of video games just in case they were somehow ever banned again. And you definitely, definitely, didn't limit the amount of time you could play.
5. Bold makeup
While video games were something that boys always seemed to want to get their hands on, make-up seemed to be more interesting to girls. For some girls, wearing bold makeup was forbidden fruit. As they aged, they became more confident and comfortable expressing themselves in the way their parents may have never allowed them to. Some of them used bold makeup as a creative outlet or a statement of personality. Many people also find simple enjoyment in applying bold makeup and use it as a form of expression that doesn’t follow any rules.
6. Pets
When we were kids, pets seemed like the ultimate dream. They were our built-in furry best friends that could do no wrong, would sleep in our beds, and would cuddle us as much as we pleased.
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Of course, they always seemed that way to us when we weren’t the ones paying for their vet bills, scooping up their waste from litter boxes, and taking them for walks multiple times a day. And while pets truly can be our best friends, as adults, we also see them for the great responsibility they are and realize why our parents never allowed us to have them.
Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.
