How do Friendships change from Childhood to Adulthood?

It’s assumed we cannot choose our parents and siblings as they are destined by the universe. But we hold the power of choosing our friends. So, you get the freewill to have the friendship of your choice or be distant from it at any age.

Friendship changes as people age. The expectation of a 15-year-old from friendship is different from the one in their 30s, 40s, or 50s. Additionally, as the values of your life change, our friends also change. While as your hobbies, and areas of interest change you tend to gel with a different set of people.

In a lifetime, we make numerous friends, some stay for a lifetime while others come and go. Additionally, as one grows, friendship in adulthood tends to take a major share of our life as friendship shapes our way of thinking and lifestyle. Thus, as we change our friends change.

Hence, check out the transitional phase of friendship from childhood to adulthood.

1. Connecting & Meetings

Friendship in childhood, retained because you were meeting your friends in college, school, tuition classes, institute, etc.

Childhood Friendship

So, the common meeting point was the primary factor of friendship as kids and youth.

While friendship in adulthood is not dependent upon frequent calls and meetings. Even if you don’t see your friend for years, the connectivity of friendship remains the same.

2. Quality over Quantity

Kids and teens are excited to have a group of friends, as the number of friends matters more than the quality of friendship.

Friendships in Young and Middle Adulthood

Moreover, children find great pleasure in expressing the fact that the whole classroom is their friend. Whereas kids and teens choose to be around those friends who are fun to be around.

But as one grows their circle of friendships goes smaller. And now quality friendship with few people becomes the priority. While in adult friendship it becomes perfectly normal to have 2 to 3 friends for life. As adults look forward to more meaningful friendships.

3. Breaking up with Friends

Having bad experiences in friendship was a big deal when you were kids or teens as the chord of friendship was everything.

Adolescence Friendship

But as we grow adults, life’s other priorities such as marriage, kids, career growth, etc. tend to occupy our minds. Hence, breaking up with friends or disconnecting with them isn’t a biggest fuss in life. It becomes easy to let go of friends who are not serving us in a better way. You understand that it’s absolutely okay to break friendships that are not serving your personal growth.

4. Essence of Friendship

Friendship in childhood was carefree, trustworthy, and without much drama. Friendship went with the flow. Making up with friends was easy.

Children’s friendships

But adulthood friendship withstands with time, it goes through several phases of ups and downs, good and bad days. With dents, arguments, and resentment. Additionally, as you grew older, friendships in adulthood became complex and mentally chaotic. Adult friendship came with a long silence, excuses, etc. As adulthood friendship also comes with a lot of downsides.

The Enigmatic Transition of Friendship from Childhood to Adulthood

Childhood friendship takes center the stage of our lives as we meet people at college and school, but in adulthood, the number can reduce to a team of 10 people in the office or if you are someone working from home, then the probability of keeping in touch with your friend, totally becomes your personal call.

Above all, having that one friend from your childhood to adulthood is rejoicing. Because an aged friendship is like fine wine, it tastes better with time. While true friendships are credible and make the journey of our lives incredible.

For more insightful aspects of friendship, read about the vitality of friendship in 5 Signs of Valuable and True Friendship