Remind your kids to enjoy it while they can.

Being an adult has so many benefits. You get to make your own decisions, you actually have money, and you're (usually) past the drama of former years.

However, summer is one of those things that reminds adults of the magic of being a kid. Whether you're just watching the kids from afar or experiencing it with your own children, it can be both nostalgic and disappointing when you realize how different summer is as an adult.

Here are 9 ways summer is different once you become an adult.

  • 1

    Time Spent At the Pool

    As a kid, the pool is not only a great place to cool off, it's also a social watering hole. Being an adult means that it's no longer cool to show up at the community pool. In fact, the only acceptable reason to go to the pool is to pick up your friend's kids or sit with your own child in the kiddie pool.

  • 2

    Sleeping In

    Summertime is a kid's favorite time of year because there's no alarm to set every morning. You don't get to sleep in as an adult. Period.

  • 3

    Staying Out Late On Week Nights

    Summer is so much fun for kids because their weekday curfews get later and they get to see what the town is like after 9 p.m. Adults dread being out of the house later than 9 p.m. for two reasons - 1. That means less sleep and remember, there's no sleeping in for adults, and 2. All of the kids are out enjoying the summer.

  • 4

    Boredom

    Kids are always complaining about being bored during the summer. The great thing about adulthood is that we spend our entire day at work, so our boredom is at the same level it is every other season of the year.

  • 5

    Having A Job

    Summer used to mean lifeguarding, babysitting, monitoring an empty store, or mowing lawns. Those were the kinds of jobs that promised little effort and maximum tans. Adults spend all day at their potential careers, so they actually have to make cognitive decisions about their work and do their best to make a difference.

  • 6

    Going On Vacation

    Some kids get to fly to Mexico with their families and enjoy a week of going to the beach. Other kids complain about spending a week with grandma, reading old books and baking pies. Either way, the vacations came without consequences, besides the fear of missing out on time with friends. When an adult takes a vacation, it's both the highlight and low point of the year - yes, they get to escape from work for a week, but they also lose valuable paid time off, meaning they have to come to work for six more months to earn another vacation.

  • 7

    Dating

    Summer is prime dating time for high schoolers. They get to see members of the opposite sex in shorts, tank tops, bathing suits, and much later at night than they would during the school year. The draw of boys and girls hanging out together with less adult supervision is almost magical. This is one of the few things that maintains its magic into adulthood. Live outdoor music, going to the lake, weekend getaways, and relaxing evenings on the patio are some of the things adults get to enjoy on dates during the summer. And that can make even the worst day enjoyable.

  • 8

    Hanging Out With Friends

    Kids use summer as a time to solidify existing friendships and forge new ones. It's imperative to have a friend to take to the pool, see all the good summer movies with, or bring on the family vacation to the lake. However, for adults, friends are seen rarely and often in situations of consuming alcohol to forget the stress of being an adult. Plus, summer is wedding season, so most adults are seeing their friends get married, catch the bouquet, or, once again, consume alcohol to forget the stress of being a (single) adult.

  • 9

    Having A Great Sun Tan

    While kids are spending time by the pool or tanning in their backyards, adults are stuck in their offices, far away from the sun. It takes a lot of effort for adults to maintain a good tan during the summer, because even if they spend a week at the beach, lack of vitamin D upon their return to work will make sure that bronze glow quickly fades.

More From 98.7 The Bomb