Growing up isn’t easy. As kids, we all wished to grow up. But now, as teenagers and soon-to-be adults, we can’t help but think that life is moving too fast. So, to give you some nostalgia, here are a few things that we miss about being a kid.

Especially in this era of technology, many of us have become insecure and developed social anxiety. As kids, it seemed like we never had a problem with walking up to another kid and starting a conversation. We had no concerns about whether or not the conversation would go well. 

I think we can all agree that our lives are much busier now. As high school students, many of us are constantly worried about if we are doing enough to impress colleges. But as a ten-year-old little kid, I only remember going to school, seeing my friends, and coming straight home to play outside for the rest of the day. Remember when there was no homework and we didn’t even comprehend the concept of a GPA? Aaric Duong (11) agrees and says that the thing he misses most about being a kid is the carefree feeling. “Nowadays, all I worry about is school and college. I wish I was able to feel relaxed.”

Not only was our school life less stressful, but the amount of free time that we had was not appreciated as much as it should have been. When was the last time you could relax without thinking about any of your responsibilities? As kids, there were only a few things on our minds: friends, games, and food. Now, it seems virtually impossible to not think about anything important and simply relax. Rebecca Kam (11) says “one of the things I miss is not having to worry about anything and having the time to do whatever I wanted. I also miss the way that I used to see the world and my surroundings because everything seemed more vibrant and fascinating.”

Even during winter or summer break, being a kid just seemed more enjoyable. Kayla McKechnie (11) adds “the thing I miss most about being a kid was the aura I felt around Christmas. The winter season would always fill me with a warm sensation that I couldn’t get any other time of the year. It seemed like everything sparkled, especially driving past all of the trees and their shining lights. Even though this feeling was so important to me, recently, I haven’t felt it. It’s been a few years since it stopped, but now the winter season just feels like any other.”

Although we may feel like the fun days are gone, we can still cherish the moments in the present. Yes, being a careless kid will always be more fun than having responsibilities. But, instead of being sad about missing the past, we should enjoy the current moments as these are the moments that will also be looked back on in the future.