School holidays, having no life admin, and waking up without a care in the world, are among the top things that adults miss the most about their childhood, a study has found.
Other nostalgic things about being young include being cooked for, being looked after when they were unwell, and spending a lot of time outdoors, such as playing in the park.
Others miss waking up feel excited, such as on the morning of their birthday – with the poll of 2,000 adults revealing that the top moods they recall feeling at the start of the day were happy (35%), optimistic (21%), and playful (22%).
In contrast, one in four say they now wake up feeling stressed (24%) or anxious (21%), while 42% wake up feeling tired.
And over half of those polled (56%) feel they have lost their sense of fun with age – and said that 27 was the average age at which this happened.
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.
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%) wish they hadn’t taken childhood for granted when they were young, with the most fun age revealed as nine years old.
It emerged that adults now wake up with four things on their mind – including the weather, tasks at work for the day ahead, money, and bills.
But half of those polled agreed grown-ups need to be more carefree and take a leaf out of children’s books, while 27% 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%), seeing the best in people (40%), and starting the day with positivity (38%).
Of those polled, 56% have partaken in a childlike activity since being an adult – including having a daytime nap (41%), playing on arcade machines (38%), and colouring in (33%).
Such pastimes made them feel happy (56%) and carefree (44%), 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.”
TOP 40 THINGS ADULTS MISS ABOUT BEING A CHILD:
- School holidays
- Waking up without a care in the world e.g. no worries about the day ahead
- No life admin
- Being cooked for
- Being looked after when unwell
- Waking up on birthday mornings feeling excited
- Spending a lot of time outdoors
- Playing in the park
- Getting pocket money
- Seeing friends every day at school
- Falling to sleep quickly and easily
- Washing being done
- Watching kid's TV shows
- Not knowing the concept of money
- The newness of everything e.g. flying for the first time, going to the cinema for the first time
- Waking up feeling excited
- Having friends over after school/going to friend's houses
- Feeling like you could be anything you wanted when you grew up
- Not having to do food shopping
- Watching TV after getting home from school
- Climbing trees
- Being bought sweets and chocolate
- Having toys bought for you
- Drawing/colouring in
- Knocking on neighbours' doors to go out and play
- Playing hide and seek
- Not worrying about getting dirty when outside
- Going to fairgrounds/on rides
- Going on arcade machines
- Being read to
- Having packed lunch made
- Waking up with a positive attitude
- Getting carried when too tired to walk
- Singing without caring how it sounded
- Jumping in puddles
- Walking, cycling, or scooting to school
- Getting certificates, gold stars, etc.
- Having sleepovers
- Napping in the day
- After-school clubs/hobbies
