How to Not Act Like a Child

Transitioning from childhood to adulthood can be challenging. Oftentimes, you may still feel like a child. Work on not acting like a kid by taking care of yourself, taking on adult responsibilities, and managing your emotions. With a little bit of practice, you will begin to see yourself acting more like an adult than a child.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Managing Your Emotions

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    Accept responsibility for your actions. You should take responsibility for your actions, whether they are intentional or unintentional. It is a sign of maturity and respect for others. Everyone makes mistakes. Failing to accept responsibility may seem like a good idea at the time, but in the long term it will not benefit you.[1]
    • For example, if you accidentally back into your neighbor’s car when pulling out of your driveway, let them know by writing them a note or knocking on their door. Then, correct your mistake by submitting the claim to insurance or paying for the damage.
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    Show people respect. Respect your partner, family members, friends, and strangers. Children are often selfish and disrespectful. As you grow up and mature, you should understand the concept of respect and why it is important. Giving respect will also give you more respect in return.[2]
    • Respect people’s right to have their own opinion, even if it differs from your own.
    • Listen when other people are speaking.[3]
    • Be sensitive and respectful for other people’s feelings.
    • Keep your promises and commitments.
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    Develop a way to handle conflict maturely. When you are faced with a conflict, it is important to keep your emotions in check. Control your anger and avoid becoming belligerent. Take a deep breath, listen, and work through the conflict with the other individual.[4]
    • Give yourself time to cool down if you are really angry. This will prevent you from saying and doing things that you shouldn’t do in the heat of the moment.
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    Receive feedback positively. People learn and grow by receiving feedback and criticism from others. You should accept that you don’t know everything and that feedback from an expert is not meant to hurt you.[5] It is meant to help you.[6]
    • For example, thoroughly read through your edits on your research paper. These edits will help improve your writing in the future.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Acting Maturely

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    Be confident. A strong sense of confidence is key to being successful in all areas of your life. To be confident you must understand your strengths and weaknesses, take risks, and trust yourself. When you do see some success, embrace it![7]
    • Show confidence by dressing yourself well.
    • Stand up straight and have good posture.
    • Look people in the eye when you talk to them.
    • Develop a strong handshake.
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    Avoid acting impulsively. Impulsive decisions are made without planning or foresight for the consequences that will come as a result of that decision. Your ability to control this urge is a sign of immense maturity.[8]
    • For example, going grocery shopping without a grocery list may result in a larger grocery bill and poor dietary choices.
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    Take action. Don’t sit around and wait for others to take initiative. Be a leader and take charge. Mature people know how to be helpful and useful without direction from others.[9]
    • Do more than is required of you at work and school.
    • Take the lead on a community service project in your neighborhood.
    • Take on more responsibilities, such as laundry or mowing, around your home.
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    Set and meet regular goals. Goals can be used to keep yourself on track in all areas of life. Use long term and short term goals at work, the gym, or saving for an expensive or luxury item. Write your goals down and display them where you can see them everyday. This will help you keep on track and meet your goals. Once you meet your goals, set new goals.[10]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Taking on Adult Responsibilities

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    Take care of yourself. When you were a child, your parents took care of a lot of things for you. As you mature, it is important to start taking care of yourself. Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and taking time to rest are all important parts of taking care of yourself.[11]
    • Learn to cook.
    • Make exercise a priority by scheduling time to work out each day.
    • Allow enough time each night to get an adequate amount of sleep.
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    Clean up after yourself. It is very childish to leave things around for others to pick up. This is especially true if you are living with other people or staying in someone else’s home. Pick up your trash, dirty laundry, and dishes. Be sure to wash your clothes, dishes, and clean any surfaces that you mess up. Also participate in regularly cleaning throughout your home.
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    Make and keep appointments. Your parents probably made all of your appointments and took you to them when you are younger. Now that you are more grown up, it should be your responsibility to make and keep your appointments. Schedule regular doctor visits. Make appointments for work meetings.[12]
    • Keep a physical planner or calendar to help remember your appointments.
    • Use calendar apps on your smartphone to maintain your schedule. Use their alarm feature to alert you to an upcoming appointment.
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    Make a financial budget. Make a list of all of your monthly expenses. Then, make a list of your monthly income. If your monthly income is less than your monthly bills, you need to decide where you can cut back or how to bring in more money. The difference in your monthly income and bills should be allotted for spending and saving.[13]
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Warnings

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References

  1. ↑ https://hbr.org/2012/08/take-ownership-of-your-actions
  2. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/life-negotiation/202206/r-e-s-p-e-c-t
  3. ↑ Michelle Shahbazyan, MS, MA. Life Coach. Expert Interview. 18 March 2020.
  4. ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/conflict-resolution-skills.htm
  5. ↑ Michelle Shahbazyan, MS, MA. Life Coach. Expert Interview. 18 March 2020.
  6. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-experience/201308/how-become-more-adult-and-successful-in-your-life
  7. ↑ https://au.reachout.com/articles/how-to-build-self-confidence
  8. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/self-control
  9. ↑ https://hbr.org/2019/08/when-to-take-initiative-at-work-and-when-not-to
  1. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-experience/201306/six-aspects-being-adult
  2. ↑ https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/weight-control/take-charge-your-health/Pages/take-charge-your-health.aspx#moving
  3. ↑ https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C1042&title=time-management-10-strategies-for-better-time-management
  4. ↑ https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/beginners-guide-to-managing-your-money

About This Article

Michelle Shahbazyan, MS, MA
Co-authored by:
Michelle Shahbazyan, MS, MA
Life Coach
This article was co-authored by Michelle Shahbazyan, MS, MA. Michelle Shahbazyan is the Founder of The LA Life Coach, a concierge life, family, and career coaching service based in Los Angeles, California. She has over 10 years of experience with life coaching, consulting, motivational speaking, and matchmaking. She has a BA in Applied Psychology and an MS in Building Construction and Technology Management from Georgia Tech University, and a MA in Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy from Phillips Graduate University. This article has been viewed 191,717 times.
28 votes - 58%
Co-authors: 37
Updated: October 3, 2022
Views: 191,717
Categories: Transition to Adulthood
Article SummaryX

It can be hard when things don't go your way, but you can avoid acting like a child by taking responsibility for yourself and controlling your emotions. Try to do as many things for yourself as you can, like making your own food, doing all your school work without being asked, and going to bed when you’re tired. Whenever you make a little mess, quickly tidy it up before you move onto the next thing so someone else won’t have to do it for you. You should also think for a second before you say or do anything so you can make better choices. Everyone gets annoyed or upset sometimes, but try to take a few seconds to calm down before you react so you’ll look more mature and sensible. For more tips, including how to deal with criticism in an adult way, read on!

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