2,000 children were asked the best thing about being a grown-up, and their answers were brilliant

The lure of adulthood is one of childhood’s biggest mysteries. When we're at an age where we can run around free, finish school when it’s still daylight and get all our food for free, being a grown-up is somehow still something we long for.

Now, research has uncovered exactly what it is children aged eight- to 15-years-old think of grown-ups, and what they can’t wait for when they grow up.

YouGov found that going to bed whenever you want is the most popular grown-up privilege, according to the study’s mini participants.

This was followed by:

• Having the freedom to go and visit friends whenever
• Getting a home and decorating it however you want
• Choosing your job
• Buying your own pet
• Getting out of bed whenever you want
• Being able to buy your own food
• Being able to have children
• Dyeing your hair any colour you want
• Getting a tattoo
• Getting a piercing

Let’s keep quiet about the fact that the realities of adult life actually prevent you from doing a lot of these. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

But the children did also vote on what they saw as the worst things about being a grown-up. Having to pay bills came in at number one, followed by:

• Having to be responsible for your own money
• Having to work
• Not having school holidays
• Having to wash your own clothes
• Having less free time
• Getting wrinkles
• Losing your hair/hair turning grey
• Having to go places yourself rather than being taken there 

YouGov said children were most interested in moving out and getting their own home as they got older.

It gave some advice for today’s children:

Unfortunately for today’s teenagers, neither of these two adult activities are as easy as they used to be. There are record numbers of young adults still living with their parents, and the UK has a higher than average youth employment rate for a developed country. So kids, enjoy being a child while you still can!

Number one benefit of being a child: not having to read experts’ gloomy descriptions of reality.