Child

“I wish I could be a child again.”

This phrase, often uttered by adults, is frequently an expression of avoidance toward responsibilities. Bills, work stress, the complexities of relationships, the burdens of life… When adults feel overwhelmed, they retreat into childhood. They equate childhood with play, innocence, and carefree days. Yet this view captures only the surface of childhood.

To an adult, being a child symbolizes freedom. But in reality, children face far more restrictions within their own world than adults do. Adults have the power to solve their problems through effort, hard work, or decision-making. For example, an adult can alleviate workplace stress by working harder or choosing to change jobs. A child, however, must not only study harder to make up for a poor grade at school but also contend with the expectations of their family.

An adult makes a mistake and corrects it. A child makes a mistake and is judged.

Children’s opinions are often silenced with the phrase “You don’t understand.” From the moment they start school, they are thrust into a competition: higher grades, more achievements, more disciplined behavior. An adult who makes a mistake at work may have a chance to make amends. But a child who receives a low grade on an exam faces judgment not only from their teacher but also from their family.

Childhood is an invisible racetrack. An adult can work harder to earn a higher salary, but a child cannot do anything without their parents’ permission. While adult problems can often be resolved through effort, children’s problems frequently remain unsolved due to the desires and decisions of adults. A child’s true desire may be to paint, yet their family might insist “You must become a doctor.” Their dreams often collide with and are erased by those of their parents.

Children’s dreams often fade in the shadow of their parents’.

To adults, childhood appears from the outside as play and freedom. But even a child’s play is often transformed into a competition. When adults long for childhood, they are actually yearning for their own carefree days; yet real childhood is a constant struggle under the pressure of “be better.”

A child is put to the test even within their own innocence.

Perhaps that is why being a child is harder than being an adult. An adult can change their life; a child must walk a path determined by someone else. The adult’s burden rests on their shoulders; the child’s burden rests in their soul.