Often, people meet their childhood friends in school, parks, neighbourhoods, etc. In contrast, adult friendships are your bonds with people you meet in college, the workplace, or at a party.
Difference Between Childhood Friendships And Adult FriendshipsÂ
- Maintenance
Childhood friendships are low maintenance as you don’t require keeping in touch with them every day. You talk with them once a week or a few months and you will still have a strong bond. However, adult friendships do require putting in effort and time.
Sometimes, your childhood friends may have different priorities in life but an understanding between you and them allows you to focus on your priorities without affecting your friendship.
- Expectations
In adult friendships, you often have higher expectations compared to your childhood friendships. For instance, you may have expectations from your friends to get emotional support and enjoy shared interests together.
We expect our adult friends to be available for us, but we have lesser expectations from our childhood friends because we understand that we are often not in touch with them.
Read more: 6 Expectations You Should Have In Any Friendship
- Trust
You may trust your childhood friends more than your friends you have just gotten to know because they have been friends since childhood, you grew up together and have a special connection with them.Â
Childhood friends are more trustworthy because you have known them for a long time and you feel more comfortable around them.
- Bond
You often have a stronger bond with your childhood friends as you have known them since you were kids. These friends have seen you through different stages of life, therefore they understand you more, which is why this kind of friendship doesn’t need daily communication.
- Time
Even if you don’t spend a lot of time with your childhood friends, you can still bond with them anytime. However, if you are not frequently in touch with friends you made as an adult, you may likely drift apart.
How Does Friendship Transition From Childhood Friendship To Adult Friendship
Childhood friends are the best because they stand the test of time. You may fall out of touch with them, but when you talk to them after a while you still feel a strong bond with them.
As we grow older, we start exploring our own interests and hobbies. It leads us to meet new people and make new friends.
Also read: 7 Reasons Why School Friendships Are Important
Which One Is Better?
This question is quite subjective. Childhood friends are the ones whom you share a strong bond with, these people have been there for you since you were young and they know a lot about you. Whereas, adult friends have helped you navigate your adult life.
Childhood friends have witnessed your embarrassing moments, and adult friendships have seen the more mature version of us. Hence, it depends on a person’s bond, their past experiences, and other factors. Some people may be closer to their childhood friends compared to friends they made as adults and vice-versa. Both childhood and adulthood friends are equally meaningful.Â
Despite all these differences, what matters most is who is there for you in difficult times and who has your back.
Growing Apart From Friends
It isn’t uncommon to get out of touch with your friends, whether you have been friends since childhood or met as adults. There can be various reasons we fall apart with our friends such as:
- Having Different Interests
Sometimes, you may notice that your friends have different interests than you which is natural since everyone is unique. Often, following our own individual interests can cause us to drift apart from our friends.
- Moving To Different Cities
If you or your friends are moving to different cities due to job, education, family etc, it is common to go out of touch. This is because you both have your individual time and you or your friend can get busy settling into a new life.
Nevertheless, it isn’t always the case. Some friends still manage to work out long-distance friendships.
- Toxic Friends
It takes time to realise if your friends are toxic. As we grow older, our friend circle gets smaller as we like to keep only a few people close. It also includes cutting off toxic friends.
Also read: How To Identify Toxic Friends
Conclusion
Childhood friendships and adult friendships both are special in their own ways. However, there is a difference between the bond and trust you share with them.
Often, it is believed that childhood friends are the best because they have known you for a long time and seen you through the different stages, but adult friendships have their own charm because with these friends you navigate through adulting.