You’ll understand when you’re older.

You’ll understand when you’re older.

You’ll change your mind when you grow up.

You’ll like it when you’re older.

Did anyone else get a lot of lines like these as a child and teenager?

I got them frequently.

I never liked sports carnivals as a kid, not just because I’ve never liked the sports that were taught at school (Hey, give me horse riding & I would have been the most dedicated student ever!) but for all those house or team cheers. Even as a kid I thought they were stupid and lame. I hated the older kids picking on you if you didn’t want to participate in the cheers. One day in about year 9 I was talking about this on the train to a year 12 student I knew from another school. She claimed that I would understand when it was ‘my time’, that it would start to be a bittersweet memory while it was still happening and that’s why I would SO PASSIONATELY want everyone to join in the cheers with me.

Nope.

Sorry.

That isn’t me.

In fact I’m pretty sure in year 11 & 12 I told my parents I was not going to any sports carnivals and they wrote me a note to take me out of school for the day/afternoon. (I didn’t lie to my parents as a teenager much. I just told them what I was going to do and if they didn’t want me to do it I would just write & sign my own name on a note/permission form. It got to the point they didn’t care and so I was allowed to manage myself. Somewhat ironically, they would still come and pick me up from these things that I’d given myself time off from.)

You’ll wear makeup/do your hair when you’re older. I don’t get this one too often anymore; I think everyone has given up on me. I have a vague picture in my head that people were expecting some kind of massive female hormone surge (or something like that, I’m not a doctor) that would make me like doing my hair and wearing makeup.

But I used to get this a lot even from close friends. Please let me do your hair. “Just try a little bit of makeup, it won’t hurt.” Of course I know it doesn’t HURT! I’m not allergic to it and so long as you have a steady hand to apply eye makeup there’s nothing TO hurt! I just don’t like makeup!

The one I get a lot these days is all about having kids. Apparently because I’ve been with my husband for 8 years it’s surprising we don’t have kids. And apparently it’s even worse that we’re married and don’t have kids. (I can never remember what year we got married. I suck at dates. And being married vs defacto isn’t important to me. I think I got married 4 years ago.) For “normal” people, you’re supposed to change your mind about wanting kids when you meet your husband. That’s how you know he’s the one, that he makes you want kids.

Once again, nope.

Sorry.

Also not me.

You choose what you want about having kids, absolutely, but the thought of being pregnant and giving birth pretty much disgusts me.

I do feel I could handle kids though. People often get offended by this, but owning a dog (especially a smarty pants cattle dog) is a lot like dealing with a toddler, from what I’ve seen.

They eat things they’re not supposed to.

You have to tell them to pee or poop before you lock them up.

You have to shove tablets down their throats.

They understand basic commands perfectly but decide having fun is more important (actually, I think I still do this myself – maybe I’m a dog or a toddler).

Basically, they disrupt & dirty everything. The only difference I see between kids and dogs is that leaving your kid at home is kind of illegal.

What did you get told you would do/understand when you’re older? Did it turn out to be true for you?

2 Replies to “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

  1. Hmmm. I think all the things I got told I did grow to love! lol. Like veges and fashion. Oh but the children thing – I did swear never to have any but I’ve changed my mind the last few years.
    Being in a relationship and either choosing not to have kids or not being able to have any is extremely tough though! We’ve not even been married a year and already friends and family are applying a bit of pressure. I sincerely hope that part does get better for you – being judged is harsh.

    1. I’m all for being able to change your mind, I’ve just found that I really haven’t!! I guess the word ‘pressure’ for us to have kids isn’t really the right one – we don’t get outright asked about it a lot but there’s a lot of “oh, really?!” type of looks and comments.

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