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childish

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recently i've realized that i'm really childish. not in an immature way, but the things that i think are fun and interesting aren't too unlike what kids would think. i don't really do kids activities like playing with dolls or playing make-believe anymore, but that's really only because, who am i going to do those things with? i'm not particularly close with any of the little kids in my neighborhood, and i'm too socially awkward to play with them. and since i'm sixteen, i mostly socialize with other teenagers who would never be as childish. i don't mind that much, though.

i don't mind being too old to do things like that but i do watch kid shows. in particular i watch my little pony a lot. mostly because i'm autistic and it's one of my special interests. (the other is vocaloid. i know, epic cringe, but whatever) but i'm very, very embarassed about it. i'd never dare talk about my little pony in real life. even my best friend, who knows i watch it because i introduced her to it (although she stopped watching after a while, i did not). for a while i actually stopped watching it, until i had a really bad night and decided watching my favorite my little pony episodes would make me feel better. it sounds stupid but that show really does mean a lot to me. even if it's mediocre in everyone else's eyes i still enjoy it. but there's two reasons i'd never admit it out loud. one, i don't want to be associated with bronies. two, from what i can tell, mlp is one of the cringiest interests an autistic person can have, at least in the eyes of allistic people. i'm supposed to watch reality shows or game of thrones or whatever, not my little pony. yknow?

and i remember a few weeks ago i mentioned to my best friend that i'd never watched arthur, but it seems like a good show so i'd like to watch it. my english teacher overheard me (it was a bit before class started) and said with snark, "arthur is awful. you like arthur?" it made me feel really bad. i don't like arthur (because, duh, i've never seen it) but i do like my little pony and that's so much worse and so much more juvenile and he would probably go as far as to mock me if he found out i like it so much.

sometimes i don't mind being childish. i don't think it's a bad trait, because i don't think of it as a synonym for "immature." being childish just means i have interests in things that are meant for children. that doesn't make me a bad person. i think it might actually be connected to my autism. but i really wish i was normal, i wish i was wired differently so i could watch the same kinds of shows my mom watches and listen to the same kind of music as everyone else. and i hate that every time i post something on the internet (particularly tumblr, since that's where most of my thoughts though, but instagram is also common) about how much i love my little pony, i get so paranoid about who sees and and how disappointed they are in me. in fact, i'm kind of afraid to post this too because i'm already imagining all kinds of hurtful things people will say and think. (i'm sensitive, and i hate myself for that too.)

this isn't really a request for advice. it's just something i felt like sharing. thanks for reading.
 
Someone once told me that growing up doesn't mean you stop playing with dolls or drinking from juice boxes, it means buying your own, and I'd like to think we live in a mature enough world that we can accept the fact being interested in child-like things and loving our lives is far more important than confining ourselves to things that are considered "adult".

Enjoy your life, whether you enjoy it by making Barbie look stunning or watching operas.
 
:D

it's perfectly fine to like these things! i kind of understand how you feel about not wanting to tell people the things you're interested in. i'm really self-conscious about showing too much interest in things, especially if it's associated with an awful fanbase or "cringe culture" or something (like undertale). i also really love things that might be described as childish, like kids cartoons. so i don't often tell people irl about things because if the response is slightly negative im like hmm :/ im not even sure why, it just kind of makes me feel stupid or something. i also have a lot of autistic traits (though i haven't been officially tested or diagnosed because my psychiatrist was like 'eh we can wait' so.. lmao) so i can kinda relate.

but if something brings you joy, by all means immerse yourself in it. don't try to change yourself because people find you "weird". you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, though.
i don't watch mlp or know too much about vocaloid (though i've heard some songs) i'd be more than willing to let you talk to me about it, infodump or whatnot. i love hearing people talk about things they love and i like talking w/ them about it. so if you ever wanna talk to someone about it you could always vm me lol. speaking of which, have you seen the mlp movie that came out?

and not liking the things everyone else likes doesn't mean you're not normal. it's normal to be excited and passionate over something you like! autistic or not, i think it's wonderful to keep these types of things close to your heart.
 
in all honesty, if those things make you feel happy, don't be afraid to keep doing what you're doing and enjoying them! i know it's way easier said than done, but it's important to try not to compare yourself to others, as everyone enjoys different interests regardless of age; if it's something that you cherish and brings you joy, then don't be afraid to continue loving them. it sounds like mlp and vocaloid, as well as your other unnamed interests, are things that are special to you and help you get through tough times, so if that's what helps you when you're feeling down, then the throwaway opinions of others are irrelevant. whilst sometimes these types of things might be associated with "cringey" fanbases or children, whether you're autistic or not, it's important to keep what you love close to your heart regardless of what others may think of it, because in the long run, if it's something you really do love, it doesn't matter what it is. you obviously aren't hurting anybody, and besides, i can think of far more potentially embarrassing interests c: just because the things you like may not be popular with other people your age doesn't make you any less ordinary or make you weird; if anything, it makes you unique, which is a great thing to be!

- - - Post Merge - - -

p.s. i actually love vocaloid too haha
 
I am 24 years old. My favorite things are kids games and toys. I completely agree with Bowie as well, growing up is just buying your own. I still actively drink Caprisuns because they're cheap and delicious and it's fun to drink out of a plastic pouch! I love stuffed animals and plushies, and squishies, and dolls. I think the only difference now is that instead of really "playing" with them I more so just love collecting and looking at them, but I mean I still cuddle and love them because what kind of monster doesn't hug their plushies? I love coloring and playing games that are meant for people much younger than I, I mean, I'm on an animal crossing website for heaven's sake! There's nothing wrong with having interests that aren't "aimed" at your demographic. You can like whatever you like!
 
a good example to follow would be Melanie Martinez. as anyone can see from any of her music videos, she enjoys the nostalgia of anything baby. dollhouses, toys, cribs, milk and cookies, so many references. ive seen a few interviews where shes admitted that sometimes, though she feels childish, she knows that its just her state of mind, its what she enjoys doing, its what she likes, etc.
 
I'm 22 years old, allistic and I love my little pony. Try not to let other's opinions of things bother you (I know, easier said then done). Honestly I think cringe-culture is so outdone and cringeworthy in itself these days. Adults (like your English teacher) who take time out of their day to make fun of something a kid/teen likes is pretty pathetic imo. Don't worry about being childish or liking things others might not like, and as far as allistic's saying you can't have certain things as your special interest, screw that. You don't have to live up to anyone's standards and you certainly don't have to listen to someone who likely has no idea what it's like to be autistic. You're not cringeworthy, weird, different or anything else for liking a cartoon. You just do you, no need to feel bad about what you like as long as you aren't harming anyone else.
You're already normal and there's no need to hate yourself for being sensitive, it's a good trait to have. The world could use more sensitive people in it.
 
Most of us here play Animal Crossing despite probably being a little outside the target demographic. Just find others who share your interests.
 
I saw your title and thought, "Hey, that's what everybody thinks about me because I'm autistic."

But I feel as though my mind isn't "immature", it has a lot to do with how I appear to other people. Yet I'm still the best, most hard working and devoted parent that I know and if that isn't proper adulting, I don't know what is. What other people think gets really annoying, but at the end of the day you're probably having more fun than they are anyway. I stopped having "childish" interests (other than Animal Crossing, lol) a long time ago because I thought it would make things better, but all it did was make me feel totally empty. You'll have so much more fun if you just embrace it. The most fun, happy, and interesting people never "grow up". You just have to find the people who appreciate that.
 
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i'm very very very childish, kinda immature. i act like a 5 year old and have the brain of one
 
?Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.?
-C.S. Lewis author of the Chronicles of Narnia

Don't ever let anyone make you feel bad about what you love
 
I'll be 32 in less than a month, and my interests and favorite things are certainly what people would call 'childish.'
I love Pokemon to a huge extent (special interests woo), I collect stuffed animals, I love coloring, I laugh at immature jokes, I listen to k-pop (where the general age of the fandom is 15-19), etc.

Then again I'm also autistic, so.
 
I add "eee" to everything I say.

Don't want to do something? "No-eeee"
How do you feel? "Okayeeee"

I can't help it. Its super childish but ?\_(ツ)_/?
 
I'm a very mature person, but I'm still very childish. I love stuffed animals, I still hate vegetables, I spend most of my days in a town with little frolicking animals in it, the mere definition of child-like. It's all partly due to anxiety, but I just prefer acting like a smol bbu. My friends make fun of my tendencies quite often. Just because I prefer a bubblegum pink world doesn't mean I'm not a perfectly functioning human. It's comforting to know I'm not the only one who feels this way :)
 
I'm pretty sure I'm older than most here, by a long shot, and I still enjoy a number of things that are "far too young for me". It's a matter of semantics (since we all know what you mean by it), but instead of "childish", I think you mean "childlike". And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Some of the greatest inventors, writers, artists, etc. we've known had the ability to retain a childlike view well into adulthood.

And not everyone enjoys reality shows and 'Game of Thrones'; I have an extreme issue with violence, to the point where it can trigger a panic attack. My comfort zone are the old musicals from the 40's and 50's, but there are a few animated shows I flip to, as well. I've also got a MLP-inspired tattoo on my leg, so I guess I'm in cringe-worthy territory, too. :)

You like what you like, and as long as it isn't hurting anyone, that's all that matters.
 
After I got out of highschool, people really didn't say anything about anyone liking a certain TV show or liking collectibles and action figures or whatever. Teenagers want to seem mature and grown up to such an extent that a lot of them criticize each other for liking stuff for "babies". But once you become an adult, you'll find that most people don't care at all as long as it's not creepy or obsessive . (Which is a different topic entirely)
 
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Hey kid at heart slash childish here and people treat me like a kid because how I look like and how I act and btw I'm 20 years old. It's okay to be childish just be yourself kid
 
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