childhood

When I was a kid I thought my peers with Barbie dolls were rich. And people with air conditioners. And I wasn't the only child with a unique idea of what indicated that someone had money. This thread from @cpoliticditto proves that most kids had their own special ideas of wealth:

"My wife grew up thinking that having water/ice dispensers IN THE FRIDGE DOOR was a life goal.  I grew up thinking if you had a basketball hoop with a clear/plexiglass backboard, you were rich.  What are some things you thought were indicators of wealth when you were a kid?" 

The responses are a nice mix of amusing and depressing. While some kids thought that having an attic or a wide variety of cereal meant someone was privileged, other kids thought hot dog buns were a luxury. We've included some of our favorite responses, but there are tons more over at the thread.

We can never get enough of the '90s memes, which is probably because many of us are about to hit 30 and we're longing for the days when we didn't have to worry about spending a fortune on rent or getting grey hairs. The '90s were just a simpler time where we could play with our Tamagotchis and not have a care in the world. And hey, while we're at it, have even more '90s memes!

While we miss the lack of responsibilities that came with childhood, and being blissfully unaware of the absolute shit-show that is adulthood, we don't miss the weird and debilitating fears we grappled with when we were young..Redditor u/Shay_la_da reminded us of those phobias when they asked the AskReddit community to share the ridiculous fears that tortured them as kids. While some of them are understandable (um, escalators) others are just a little more absurd. But they're all entertaining. 

These memes are here to help you remember the simpler times of childhood. You know, back when all we had to worry about was which Pokemon cards we were going to trade, or what the school cafeteria was serving for lunch. Check out some '90s-specific memes here!

As we grow older we start to understand why parents occasionally lie to their kids; 1.) because it's funny as hell, and 2.) because sometimes you just don't have the patience to explain things to someone who will either not fully understand or throw a temper tantrum over it. 

These poor Twitter users are describing the ridiculous lies their parents told them as kids!

If you're unfamiliar with the term "toxic masculinity," this post is for you. As most people know, we're a huge fan of webcomics. But a webcomic that teaches the world about important issues? That's where Luke Humphris comes in. The artist manages to present a primer on toxic masculinity that is heartfelt, sympathetic, and very, very personal. Men need to know that it is okay to feel and express things that fall outside of patriarchal norms. If you like what you see here, consider donating to Humphris' Patreon. 

Growing up and moving out on your own is probably one of the biggest shockers you can experience in life, and we're sorry to report that it doesn't get much easier as time goes on. Even nearing age 30, most of us still don't know what we want to be when we grow up. If only they'd teach you practical advice about all of this in school! Alas...

We don't have much more advice to offer you, so godspeed to you on this unfortunate lifelong adulting journey.