From housework chores and social interactions to personal responsibility and dependency on parents, what we learn from an early age can predict how we turn out as adults. If you learned any of these 16 habits when you were younger, your life as an adult may be harder.
1. Procrastination
Procrastination is delaying things we intend to do and it’s the thief of…well, everything! Remember how your school workbook conveniently went missing when it was homework time? This habit can snowball into adulthood and lead to issues such as missed opportunities, low-quality work (because of working under pressure), high levels of stress, stalled progress on personal goals, and a decline in mental health. However, you can break free from this habit with self-awareness and great time-management skills.
2. Disorganization
A disorganized childhood, often caused by a lack of consistent structure and routine in a household can have lasting effects. Typically, kids rely on parents to instruct them on how to plan, prioritize, and manage tasks, and when this is lacking, it can lead to messy rooms, scattered stuff (such as toys, school stuff, etc.), and forgetfulness. These experiences can translate to difficulty managing time, schedules, physical spaces, or finances later on in life.
3. Bad eating habits.
Dietary habits are established early and increase the probability of persisting into adulthood. Whether it’s picky eating, not eating whole foods, consuming only junk foods, or skipping meals, if not corrected, it can lead to poor choices later in life. In turn, it could affect your physical health (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc), mental health (lack of self-esteem), and even your productivity (poor nutrition can reduce productivity).
4. Poor emotional regulation
If, as a kid, you didn’t learn healthy ways to deal with your emotions, it can mess with you as an adult. For example, if you used to avoid difficult conflict as a child, you may find yourself sweeping problems under the rug rather than facing them directly. Also, you may have picked up other toxic coping mechanisms such as passive aggression, substance abuse, isolation, and self-harm. These emotional issues don’t just disappear on their own, they stick around and wreak havoc on your relationships, mental health, physical health, and overall well-being.
5. Not taking responsibility for your actions
You know the feeling when someone just can’t own up to their mistakes? Yeah, it’s frustrating. This habit often develops in childhood when kids witness adults around them dodging blame, not apologizing, or never facing consequences for their actions. But when you don’t own up to your actions, you lack personal growth, which makes it difficult to maintain relationships with others in adult life.
6. Lack of financial discipline
Growing up in a household with poor financial discipline can make it difficult to achieve financial stability in adulthood. Kids learn things by observing, and if your parents struggled with saving, budgeting, or responsible spending, you lack the necessary tools to help you manage your money effectively. This can lead to debt, low credit scores, and difficulty reaching your financial goals. However, with financial literacy, you can overcome this challenge.
7. People-Pleasing
People-pleasing is the compulsive need to keep everyone happy, and it can be rooted in childhood experiences. That could have been observing parents who went to great lengths to prioritize others’ needs, growing up in toxic environments (where this habit becomes a coping mechanism), or feeling loved only when you fulfilled others’ expectations. It can lead to low self-esteem, resentment, being taken advantage of, and fake friendships. The good news is that you can avoid people-pleasing and improve your life in many ways.
8. Staying up late
Do you struggle to maintain a consistent sleep schedule? Perhaps you grew up without a consistent sleep routine or maybe you took cues from your parents. These experiences can lead to sleep deprivation and take a toll on your health as an adult—heart problems, weight issues, anxiety, depression, and more.
9. Excessive screen time
If you spent most of your childhood glued to the TV, phone, or tablet, it can be quite tough to break the habit as an adult. Too much screen time can destroy your eyesight, sleep patterns, and social skills. Also, overstimulation from the digital world can lead to a lack of focus and concentration in the real world. So yeah, while watching your favorite shows or playing video games was fun, it might have lasting effects if not kept in check.
10. Poor social skills
Were you always the shy kid who never quite fit in anywhere? Growing up in an environment where socializing with others was discouraged can affect your ability to build relationships with others as an adult. As a result, you may find it difficult to make friends, build professional networks, and maintain healthy relationships.
11. Impatience
Think about it: waiting for anything as a kid felt like an eternity, right? Whether it was waiting for your turn to use the swing or throwing a tantrum if you couldn’t have a toy immediately, child you probably had a hard time being patient. Today’s fast-paced world with instant gratification doesn’t help either—you might get frustrated with slow progress or waiting on others. This can increase stress, cause conflict in relationships, and lead to poor decisions.
12. Negative self-talk
Were you constantly put down as a kid or had thoughts that you weren’t good or smart enough? This was negative self-talk creeping in and it can stick with you for ages. As an adult, it can manifest in various ways: you’re convinced you’re incompetent, you believe you’re destined to mess up, or worse, you have no doubts that you’re a failure. These thoughts can mess up your head and affect your self-esteem, confidence, and overall mental well-being. But here’s the thing: you’re smarter than you think so cut yourself some slack.
13. Talking back
When kids start finding their voice, that is, questioning things and speaking for themselves, their inner rebels come out. They start testing the waters, pushing boundaries, and challenging authority. This habit can stick around for decades and it can put a strain on relationships—friends, romantic partners, colleagues, and bosses. So, while it’s great to speak up for yourself, there’s a fine line between advocating for yourself and being disrespectful. It’s important to find that balance.
14. Nail-biting
Nail-biting is a habit most people pick up as kids out of boredom or stress, and before you know it, it becomes a full-blown coping mechanism as an adult. While it seems harmless, it can damage your nails and fingers, and make you self-conscious in social and professional settings. I mean, who wants to shake hands with someone who chewed their nails down to nubs? It’s hard to break as a full-grown adult, but you should find healthier ways to cope with stress and boredom.
15. Nose picking
Nose-picking might seem like one of those weird things kids do, but adults do it too. In fact, according to one survey, 91% of adults admitted to picking their noses as a regular habit. Like kids, adults pick their noses to remove boogers, unclog their noses, or just out of sheer habit. While it’s rarely dangerous, all that picking and prodding isn’t socially acceptable and it can irritate your nose and spread bacteria.
16. Frequent lying
Kids lie for various reasons: to get something, to get out of trouble, for attention, or just because they can. But here’s the thing: it’s a habit that can stick around into adulthood, and seriously destroy your relationships, reputation, and sense of self. Plus, once you get into the habit, it’s extremely hard to stop.
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