Childhood and adulthood are very different, and involve many different factors that make them both so contrasting. For example, childhood proves to be much more relaxing than adulthood, for many reasons. Children do not have to worry about many things that adults do, because they are so dependent on others. Children usually will depend on their parents or legal guardians for almost everything, from the littlest to the largest things. Children also show to have a much simpler life. They do not have to worry about much, because the majority of things are taken care of from another person. On the other hand, adults have a much more complex and stressful lifestyle. They must care for the people who depend on them, whether it is a family member, spouse or their own children. They must tend to themselves, as they also tend to other’s needs. They also must care for themselves financially, having a job or some form of payment coming through to them to thrive off of. With these finances, they must pay taxes, mortgages, debts, medical expenses, life necessities, and more. On top of all of this to juggle, they must live their normal lives, and find time to socialize with friends and family. Children prove to have a much easier lifestyle than adults, and have to only worry about few things.

There are many factors that can lead a person to grow up, and reach the peak of their maturity. Many things in a person’s life can alter when they fully “grow up”, such as childhood experiences, environment, and a person’s surrounding peers. As a child, studies have shown that many experiences people face can and will affect them in the future. If a person grows up acting like a juvenile, and never fully reach a point that they act mature for their age, they will never be fully mature. If a person grows up at a normal rate, and act the correct way for their age, they will most likely grow up and reach the peak of their maturity at a normal age. Environment will also show to affect the way a person grows up. For example, depending on a financial situation where a person must start providing for their family at a young age, they will most likely prove to be more mature at a younger period in their life. A scenario where a person is fully financially stable with their family, they will most likely reach maturity at a normal rate, or even younger, depending how they are treated. Someone’s surrounding peers and how they are treated will also affect their maturity and their behavior. Peer pressure can force a person to feel a need to act more mature to fit in or look better to their friends or family, which may cause turmoil in their maturity rate in the process.

Growing up can show to be a mix of physical, mental, and emotional behaviors. Physically, every person’s body is going to change. They will become taller, gain weight, and hit puberty. Hormones have and will affect everyone’s bodies in very drastic and diverse ways. These can cause a variety of bodily changes, such as acne, tiredness, mood swings, and different effects on muscles or bones. These seem to be the stereotypical “teenage hormones”, that many people associate with people in their teenage years. These also show to be the most common hormonal changes to people, especially as they are growing up. Mentally, people’s brains are all physically developing, which will make them change behaviors, attitudes, and possibly even opinions. Emotionally, people will find themselves constantly changing they way they feel about people and situations, depending on the way they have developed. Mental and emotional changes tend to go hand in hand with each other, both being affected by brain development. The way a person acts mentally or emotionally can be a factor into their maturity level, based on their behavior. 

To be “mature” means to act “adult-like”, and not juvenile. The full definition of mature states, “fully developed physically; full-grown” (Merriam Webster). In my opinion, I feel maturity is more than just being developed physically, but is also part of a mental state of mind. A person could be very tall or very short, but their maturity level will depend on their behaviors, attitudes, and opinions. There are certain stereotypes that will usually follow an expected “maturity level” for certain ages in specific societies. These stereotypes cannot be explained as one definition, because they will vary from one community to the next, depending on peers and environment.

Children are usually seen as very innocent, which possibly has direct relation to their maturity level. I believe that a child’s innocence cannot be protected forever. Eventually, all children will be introduced to the outside world, which is not an innocent place. There is too much crime, drama, and controversy for a child not to eventually come aware of. Although these factors may not directly influence an “innocent” child, it will still become a known factor in their lives.