Why Do We Think We Have to Grow Out Of The Things We Love?

At some point, we’re apparently supposed to grow up and quietly put away some of the things we loved as children.

Toys become childish. Stickers are something you should have grown out of years ago. Clothes with your favourite characters on them suddenly aren’t very “adult”.

And apparently we’re all supposed to become terribly sensible instead.

But why?

I know I went through a stage where I tried to be more “adult”, particularly in the way I dressed. Somewhere along the way I’d decided that some of the things I liked weren’t really appropriate anymore.

These days I’m much more likely to think: who actually decided that?

If I still like something at 40, surely that’s a pretty good sign that I actually like it.

Some Things Stay, Some Things Come Back

As a child I loved all sorts of things.

I was really into Goosebumps, loved stickers and swimming, played the violin and enjoyed drama.

Some of those things stayed in the past, while others apparently weren’t going anywhere.

Disney is probably the most obvious one. I still love it, I still collect Disney things and Winnie the Pooh in particular is absolutely not going anywhere.

Then there are stickers. Apparently keeping those wasn’t enough because somewhere along the way I added pins to the collection too.

LEGO is something I enjoyed as a child, left behind for years and eventually found my way back to.

And then there are completely new things. I didn’t collect trading cards like I do now when I was younger. That’s something I’ve got into as an adult.

Maybe that’s just how hobbies work.

Some stick around, some disappear and some come back 20 years later.

And sometimes you suddenly find yourself buying bits of cardboard and getting far too excited about them.

Is It Nostalgia or Do We Just Still Like It?

I think there’s sometimes an assumption that if you love something from your childhood as an adult, it must be nostalgia.

And sometimes it probably is.

But can’t we just still like things too?

Winnie the Pooh is probably a bit of both for me.

I loved Pooh when I was young, but he became particularly important to me as a teenager when listening to the stories brought me a lot of comfort.

So yes, there are definitely memories attached to him.

But I don’t only love Winnie the Pooh because of what he meant to me then.

I genuinely love him now.

I like the characters, I like the stories and I like finding ridiculous Pooh things I absolutely don’t need.

And I’m pretty sure I’m never growing out of that one.

Why Are Some Collections More “Adult” Than Others?

This is one I really don’t understand.

Someone can collect expensive wine, handbags, watches or art, and that’s a perfectly respectable adult hobby.

Collect trading cards, LEGO, Disney pins or plushies, and someone somewhere will inevitably wonder whether you’re a bit old for it.

But aren’t they all just collections?

You find something you like, enjoy looking for new pieces and get excited when you finally find something you’ve wanted.

One person’s expensive watch is another person’s tiny Winnie the Pooh sitting in a honey pot.

I know which one I’d rather have.

When Did Having Fun Get an Age Limit?

I’ve definitely tried to tone myself down before.

I’ve thought I should dress more like an adult and perhaps not be quite so “childish” about certain things.

Except… why?

If wearing something with a character I love makes me smile, what’s actually wrong with that?

If I want to build LEGO, collect cards or stick a ridiculous sticker somewhere, whose day am I ruining?

I’m not suggesting we all need to hunt down everything we owned in 1995 and recreate our childhood bedrooms.

Although I’m sure eBay would be delighted if we tried.

I just don’t think we need to deliberately leave something behind because we’ve reached an age where we’re supposedly too old for it.

If you stop enjoying something, that’s different. People change and so do the things we’re interested in.

But growing up doesn’t automatically mean you have to stop liking the things you loved when you were younger.

I’m 40 now, and I still love Winnie the Pooh.

I think it’s safe to say that one isn’t going anywhere.

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