I read an interesting argument the other day that, because of how memory and perception of time works, childhood ends up being something like 40% of your lifespan in “experiential” terms. The stuff that happens to you over your first 20ish years loom large over your whole life and the memories of those times will be intense.

So, in a way, designing the world in a way that assumes childhood is a transitory thing that you’re just trying to usher kids through until they can get to the “real world” part of being an adult is just making everyone spend most of their experiential lives in a world not meant for them.