Being silly is still allowed, not excluded by adulthood. What’s excluded by adulthood is thoughtlessness, so be thoughtful and silly.
—Hank Green
We have all sorts of rules of thumb for when various behaviors are age appropriate: the age they should stop having accidents; the age they should stop throwing a tantrum just because they’re tired; the age it stops being okay for other people to have to pick up after them.
Then, when our kids mess up, we say: Aren’t you a little old to act this way? Grow up! Unfortunately, we apply this standard to ourselves far less often. Whether it’s as serious as an affair or as silly as getting hangry because we neglected to eat, we seem to forget that we should be policing ourselves first. Our kids are at least still kids, even when they’re acting a bit beneath their age. You’re an adult. What excuse do you have? Remind yourself today and every day that you are getting older, that it’s time to grow out of these silly habits you’ve lazily allowed yourself to fall into. Remind yourself that you’re too old to act out, to stoop this low, to not be responsible for yourself. And remember, your kids are always watching, so act like the adult that they believe you are.