Older Adults Are Sharing Guilty Pleasures From Their Childhood They Refuse To Let Go
I feel like we all have a few quirks from childhood that we bring into our adult lives. Kids are weirdos, and their love for things is totally pure! So, recently, I decided to ask members of our very own BuzzFeed Community to tell me some "guilty pleasures" that they've continued to enjoy since childhood, and their answers were really cute (and super wholesome)! Here are some of the best:
1."Yo-yos. 52 years. I still have my first one from my Christmas stocking in 1972. Duncan, of course. I’m still not that good at fancy tricks. More of a thing I do in lieu of pacing."
2."Legos. When I was a kid we didn’t have much money so I’d only get to play with them at friend's houses or our cousin's houses."
"About eight years ago my S.O. bought the Porsche Turbo Lego set for a little boy she nannied for. I helped him put it together and I got hooked all over again. I’m 47 and buy at least one set a month. It’s fun and it helps me relax and wind down."
3."Fruity Pebbles."
4."Feeding my cravings. I got into so much trouble for sneaking food because my mother was [always] on one weight loss kick or another."
"Funnily enough, I found out around age 20 that I was hypoglycemic, anemic, and protein deficient. Basically malnourished. So yeah. Kinda sad but yeah. It took me a long time to feel okay with it, but I eat what I want now."
5."Coloring! Except I buy all kinds of gel and glitter pens, [and] different pencils to color with. It's so relaxing."
6."I rewatch so many of my favorite TV shows and movies. Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Arthur, Return to Oz, Good Burger."
ABC / Via giphy.com
"I even have some of the Babysitters Club Books on my Kindle. And I still read those every once in a while.
Please take me back to the 90s!!!"
7."I'm 42, [have been] married to my wife for 12 years and [am] expecting a baby girl in February (YAY)! I don't feel guilty about this one at all: I still love reading comic strips in the newspaper (or online), and buy anthology books of them."
"Mainly FoxTrot, Calvin & Hobbes, Zits, Baby Blues, and For Better Or For Worse. I like to think someday my daughter will get interested in them and she can enjoy them like her father, uncle, and aunt (my brother and sister) did when we were kids."
8."I still have and sleep with my baby blanket. It’s big for a baby blanket and from one of those swap meets in downtown LA, and it is still in really good condition. Not only do I sleep with it every night, but I have a hard time sleeping without it. I’m 25."
9."I still have the favorite teddy bear I got when I was 6, and [the] little duck that I named 'chicky; when I was 2. And yes, I sleep with them every night, in addition to a huge pile of stuffed dinosaurs."
"I’m turning 41 in a few months, and there’s nothing wrong with having comfort items, or in enjoying 'childish' things at all. I know so many adults who have sucked the joy out of their own lives in the name of being a 'proper adult' and just… why?"
10."Reading Tintin, [building] Lego, and buying Sylvanian Families for my niece because I can't quite justify it as a 42-year-old."
11."I only eat breakfast cereal in October. And it's only: Franken Berry, Boo Berry, and Count Chocula. My local grocery store carries them around this time."
12."A hot cup of cream of wheat reminds me of mom who made it on cold days. Now when I make it takes me back and [is] a reminder of my mom."
"My dad loves cream of wheat, and I always keep some on hand because I loved the mornings with a bowl of cream of wheat, we used to top it with maple syrup."
13."Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Add potato chips and a Pepsi, and I'm in heaven."
14."Okay, I was technically already an adult when Spongebob Squarepants debuted, but I loved it then and I love the older ones now... The older ones are super squeaky clean, but fun as heck!"
15."Whenever I have nothing to do at work, I'll play The Oregon Trail. I get really into it, and someday will master the hunting portion because boy, am I bad at it."
16."I still have my baby blanket. It’s pretty much tangled string at this point but I have to admit the smell of it comforts me more than anything. I guess I should be embarrassed about it, but it’s a tiny bit of simplicity in adulthood."
17."I still do: Perler Beads. My oldest kid recently got into them and I got so excited. Disney movies, especially the classics. Stuffed animal collecting. My kids and I enable each other, and my husband thinks it’s cute."
18."I am trying to get the [original] Pleasant Company (American Girl) Felicity clothes we couldn't afford. My parents bought me Felicity when I was 10, and I still treasure her at almost 40. We didn't have a lot of money and those dolls were expensive even in 1995."
"I have the original dress she came in and her green riding outfit, but I desperately wanted that blue satin Christmas gown. My daughter has her own American Girl doll (she's 7), and I let her play with Felicity, but it just makes me so happy to find those accessories and dresses from when I was a kid."
19."I still sleep with stuffed animals, as a married woman. I have a particular fondness for Squishmallows!"
20."I buy candy once in a while that I loved as a kid. Specifically, lollies and cotton candy."
21."[I like to watch] shows my mom hated, and would tell me and my sister off for watching because she said we were too old for them! For the record, we were like ten and watching Arthur."
"Also, cuddly toys. I'm 28 and don't like sleeping without at least something to cuddle."
22."Kraft macaroni and cheese still satisfies in a way nothing else can."
23."Sugar cereal was a rarity growing up. To this day, I get more of a thrill eating a bowl of Froot Loops or Cocoa Puffs than having a beer."
24."Poptropica, dressing up for Halloween, [and] watching cartoons."
25."I'm 45, [and] I still sleep with my stuffed bunny my aunt gave me when I was born. It has molded exactly to the shape of the crook of my neck, and supports my head. I could use another pillow, but who am I kidding? :)"
26."I was super into My Little Pony, and as an adult, I've started collecting them again."
27."Halloween and Christmas are still the best times of the year. I love dressing up for Halloween and watching Christmas movies and specials, especially ones for children."
28."I still play Mario Kart and get insanely competitive. I had to hold my tongue while playing with my niece so I didn’t start cursing, lol. If I could, I'd probably still collect and play Webkinz."
29."Every Friday night, my brother and I — aged 29 and 31, and both married — get together to watch Bear in the Big Blue House and play Mario Kart. We make pizzas and eat sweets from our childhood. It’s nostalgic, it’s wholesome, it’s magic."
"PSA: Bear is an awesome show, even for adults!! It’s the OG Bluey."
30.And finally: "I guarantee I would still be out here tacking up and playing with Breyer model horses at 35 if they weren't so expensive and I had access to my childhood collection."
So, what do you think? Are these totally cute, or what? Let me know down below — and share your own grown-up "guilty pleasures," if you like! Or, if you prefer, feel free to write into this anonymous Google Form. Who knows — your answer may end up in an upcoming BuzzFeed article!
