Top things adults miss most from childhood – like no life admin

The top things adults miss most from childhood are waking up without a care in the world, school holidays – and having no life admin. A study of 2,000 Brits revealed the activities they long for from their youth, with more than half (56 percent) admitting they have lost their sense of fun with age.

Getting pocket money, playing in the park, and watching TV as soon as they got home from school, were featured in the top 40 list.

And others miss things being done for them, such as cooking, washing, and packed lunches being made.

Waking up feeling excited, particularly on their birthday, was also featured.

The research was commissioned by Tropicana, which is calling for adults to reclaim a childlike positivity at the start of each day – by building a giant bed, and placing it on the main concourse of King’s Cross station for adults to use as a trampoline.

The poll found people typically remember starting the day feeling happy (35 percent), playful (22 percent), and optimistic (21 percent) in their youth.

In comparison, adults today wake up feeling tired (42 percent), stressed (24 percent), and anxious (21 percent).

They wake up with four things on their mind – including the weather, tasks at work for the day ahead, money, and bills.

Caroline Wilding, spokeswoman for Tropicana Brands Group, said: “With so many adults across the country missing some of the fun they had as a child, such as being outdoors or singing out loud, we’re calling for the nation to embrace that nostalgic positivity and “Be More Kid”.

“We want to remind people to bring a sense of that childlike fun and sunshine to the day.

“The way we start each day, from what we have for breakfast to how we get to work, has a huge impact on setting the tone for the day ahead.”

The research went on to find that more than a quarter (26 percent) wish they hadn’t taken childhood for granted when they were young, with the most fun age revealed as nine years old.

In comparison, 27 was found to be the average age adults lost their sense of fun.

Half of those polled agreed grown-ups need to be more carefree and take a leaf out of children’s books, while 27 percent envy others who have fun without caring what people think.

Among the things adults think they could learn from youngsters were making more time for fun (45 percent), seeing the best in people (40 percent), and starting the day with positivity (38 percent).

Of those polled, 56 percent have partaken in a childlike activity since being an adult – including having a daytime nap (41 percent), playing on arcade machines (38 percent), and colouring in (33 percent).

Such pastimes made them feel happy (56 percent) and carefree (44 percent), according to the OnePoll.com data.

Caroline Wilding added: “For almost a third of adults, their mood is impacted by how they start the day.

“It just goes to show how important it is to start the morning positively – a glass-half-full attitude, if you will.

“It was enlightening to learn that over half said doing a childlike activity made them feel happy.

“So, to spark inspiration, and to give people an excuse to carve out time for positivity, we have installed a giant bed into King’s Cross, so that commuters and passers-by can tap into their inner positivity and make their day more joyous.

“We hope those that get involved can forget about work commitments, or daily stresses, and jump on a giant bed, turning their regular morning routine into an opportunity for fun.”