As freckle-faced, pigtail wearing youngsters, there were a few things we were in such a hurry to grow up for!

We desperately wanted to join the deadly world our big sister/cousin/the older girl next door with the super cute boyfriend, had exclusive membership of.

Now that we’ve finally arrived, we realised we’ve been totally duped!

Here are 10 of the most overrated things we couldn’t wait to do.

1. Wearing heels
We longed for the day we could strut around like Barbie in ‘grown-up’ heels but now, we usually can’t wait to kick them off after a night out. We took for granted as girls that Barbie didn’t actually have to walk anywhere. Major let down.

2. Staying up late
When we were younger, the hours after 9pm were shrouded in mystery. You couldn’t wait to set your own bedtime. Now we crave more sleep, and on weekdays – are probably slumped in front of Netflix/Corrie/boxset of choice by before 9pm anyway! The excitement of it all!

audrey

3. Drinking coffee
We longed to gab over a latte like Phoebe, Monica and Rachel in Friends and we were seriously excited about looking super sophisticated sipping a teeny tiny espresso. In reality, office or cafeteria coffee is kinda gross and the stronger stuff makes us jittery. As adults, we mostly drink coffee in a hurried panic to avoid a mid-morning slump.

4. Going on dates
As girls, we were led to believe we  would meet charming, cute guys every time we ran out for the coffee we couldn’t wait to drink. They would take us to dances, give us their jackets when we were cold and buy us fancy looking cocktails. Hmmmm….it hasn’t quite worked out that way!

5. Getting our periods
We were in such a hurry to enter into that magical land they called ‘womanhood’. When would it arrive? Which friend would we tell first?!  If we’d known about the cramps and moods swings we’re not sure we’d have been quite so pumped.

6. Eating whatever we wanted
The thrill of culinary freedom isn’t all that as it turns out. We no longer have the lightening-speed metabolism of a 9-year-old and eating too much chocolate gives us spots.

7. Wearing make-up
As we watched our mum spend hours in a cloud of perfume applying make-up, it always seemed super exciting. As an adult, make-up can be really fun – until it’s a total pain! Crisp white collars are covered in foundation stains. Mascara runs as soon as the brain transmits any emotion to your eyes.  We’re over it!

8. Shaving our legs
Those brightly-coloured Venus razors promised us smooth-legged, beach-frolicking bliss! Now, we know that leaping into ocean with freshly shorn shins is a terrible idea!

9. Wearing a bra

Is there any greater relief than throwing off the bra at the end of the day? And to think, we couldn’t wait for our first one. Disappointment of the century!

10. Carrying a purse
This was the ultimate sign of being grown-up and all the fanciest ladies on your street had one. That was before we knew they exist to transport make-up, bills, a pair of flats and yes, probably a bra! Our poor shoulders!