NEW YORK — Feeling “like a kid around the holidays” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be – just ask the two out of three millennials who actually prefer being grown-ups during the holidays instead.
A recent survey of 2,003 Americans between the ages of 25 and 40 found that 67 percent enjoy the holiday memories they make as adults more than the ones they have from their childhood. Even with more responsibility as an adult, three in four say they’re more motivated to cook and clean around the holidays. In fact, seven in 10 claim to enjoy these chores.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of State Farm, 57 percent look forward to hosting their loved ones during the holidays, adding that they enjoy it much more than they expected. For many, there are some holiday activities they find surprisingly better to do as adults than when they were children, like wrapping holiday gifts (71%) or decorating their home (31%).
Is adulting…fun?
Results show that cleaning up after holiday meals (30%) and watching movies or listening to holiday music (28%) are also activities that people are enjoying more in adulthood. According to the survey respondents, other surprisingly “great” parts of adulthood include learning new things (50%), staying in on a Friday night (40%), and even paying bills (33%)!
Six in 10 add that purchasing big ticket items like a car is a fun experience. Still, being an adult comes with some difficult responsibilities too, as 77 percent agree that being an adult is harder than they thought it would be.
“The most surprising part of adulthood is how much the level of responsibility increases, and so quickly,” one respondent tells researchers. “I really took for granted so many things that my mom did for me without even thinking about it.”
The downsides of adulthood
According to millennials, other concerns about adulthood vary from worrying about all of their bills, to paying taxes, to not being able to see loved ones often enough. This may contribute to the 59 percent who enjoy connecting with their siblings and parents during adulthood more than they thought they would.
In fact, more than three in four respondents say they wouldn’t mind doing mundane tasks with a family member just to spend quality time together (78%).
“There are many aspects of adulthood that seem daunting until we finally accomplish them, like moving into your first apartment or buying a house,” says Victor Terry, State Farm vice president of public affairs, in a statement.
“These big adult activities, and even some of the less obvious ones like getting insurance, can be surprisingly satisfying – particularly when you have surprisingly great rates that fit your budget and an agent in your corner who understands your needs.”
