Do people wish you acted your age?

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My 13 yr. old sister does. I'm 26 nearly 27 and still skip around and snap my fingers being silly like a child. I said I didn't want to grow up she said then I should have a condition that makes me that way. I read of the condition (forgot the name) where 2 40 yr. old men acted liked they were 5. They were mentally ret*d and just pointed at things. (No offense to AS or Autism you guys) and this was ANOTHER disorder NOT! Autism related. They were fine 40 something year old men then started changing and act like they are 5 and 2 now. (Some Yahoo! article can't find it now.)


The fact my sister would mention I should be like that hurts. I understand with Asperger's we are emotionally immature but is that so wrong? I'm tired of people saying I should act my age!

I don't really think it's wrong but maybe she is annoyed by certain things you do?
Or maybe it's another case of not realizing how words can hurt someone (I doubt this was supposed to be a joke). You should try to explain your sister that this was an offending statement and ask her if some of the things you do bother her.

In my case it's usually vice versa:
I should be less serious, they say.
I should go out and do party, they say.

I'm not interested in the latter one and have troubles changing the first one because I don't think I'm all that serious as they say. Maybe they just don't understand my humour or think so because I don't laugh at their jokes? Wouldn't surprise me, usually people who don't know me well say that.

I have been told to "grow up" off and on for years. I just don't give a crap about it any more. I am different. I think weird and I love myself. Screw you world!

Your sister is at a very sensitive age. My daughter is 13, too. At this age they are not kids anymore but they are not grown up either, so they react strongly to anything that reminds them they are still children. I imagine your sister feels embarrased of the way you act. Just give her space and try not to act childish around her, specially when you are in public. She will eventually stop acting like that. They are very hurtful at this age.

Thanks Ilka. I tend to act "silly" and jump around in public. I get super excited going to Disney and jumped around like a small child last year when I went. Some lady looked at me and smiled and I didn't even notice. I'll try not to act that way in public. 13 is a tough age she's rude alot and very defensive.

This has been a big issue with me and my Dad/step mom for ever, I like to play alot and entertain my youthulness and find enjoyment in child like entertainment. They find my love (and natural way of thinking) of maintaining my innosence very annoying.

Then again on some topics they tell me i'm acting to old and cynical like grandpa.

I think they just wish they had the guts to do it.

I was actually thinking of this song the other day, everyone should try to live by its words

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I always felt since I was a teenager that my family expected me to act my age. I'm able to be really mature (perhaps too mature) in public, but I get questions from my older sister on why I still wear t-shirts, watch cartoons, and insinuate that I'm not looking for a job period and whatever stress I feel when I imagine seeing both going to school and having a job is childish and that I have to deal with it. Nevermind the fact that I've been looking since I became old enough and that, last semester, I was essentially at school constantly in the second half because I needed to pull my grades up, since art school can be very subjective with grades.

I don't think anyone really minds my immaturity, because I try not to pair it with irresponsibility.

I've been told both explicitly and implicitly to "act my age" over the course of my lifetime. Apparently no one ever told the folks I heard it from that they do not have the right to tailor another human being to their expectations.

I'm sure my stepmother wishes I acted more my age....take my stuffed animals, for example. Before she and my dad got married when I was 12 (and was more like a "visitor" or a "permanent houseguest" than a stepmother) she actually seemed to LIKE my plushie friends. She was okay with my taking one everywhere I went, she talked to them when I prompted her to, she tucked all of us in (me and my plushies) at night, and once she even took me to the Disney Store to pick out a Disney plushie.

As I got older, she seemed to actually hate my plushies, would drop hints that I needed to get rid of certain ones, and got mad at me when I bought/rescued new ones. I never understood that; I mean, as a teenager, there were much worse things I could have been buying, including but not limited to drugs, alcohol, porn, etc (now that I think about it, I missed sooo many opp'ys to play the "I could have been worse" card lol). Now that I'm in college, she seems to be okay with my having plushies (probably bcuz I took the majority of my "family" with me to the dorms and she doesn't have to see them anymore), and her attitude seems to be more like an irritated "Ohhhh-kay, WHY are you in your 20s and STILL buying those things?" than a full-blown resentment/hatred.

I'm sure they do. I feel (and can act) much younger than my chronological age, and I like a lot of stuff (from clothes to books etc) that is generally YA.I feel like I am 15-20 years younger than I am, and that is really the age I have always felt like I was, even when I was younger than that age. It was like I was basically born that age. Some things have changed of course, but basically I am the same.
From a list I saw I have also understood that I am emotionally immature.

Nobody really wishes anything or expects anything from me.

Yes, and some become annoyed when I refuse to act "mature." Why should I act mature when they are just as immature as I am, but in a different sense of the word? They even act more childish in certain situations. I don't find that fair. Just because I play video games, watch cartoons, and still own stuffed animals doesn't mean that I am immature in how I function in daily life. I am still independent and behave like an adult when the time comes. The only difference is that my view point can be more innocent, and my hobbies more childish. *Shrug*