How old will you be next year?

Do you remember the days as a child, when apart from marrying a handsome prince and owning all the toys in the world, the only other ambition was to celebrate another birthday and enjoy being another year older and the experience of growing up.

When I was 5, I so wanted to be 7. It meant graduating from Infants to Juniors.

At 7 I longed to be 10 and enjoy a later bedtime.

At 10 I wanted to be 13. The anticipation of becoming a teenager.

But it didn't stop there. Once I turned 13 I couldn't wait for my 16th birthday, then the 18th and my 21st.

And in the rush, I would always enjoy the New Year's Day game that would help birthdays speed along at a faster pace. A simple trick of the mind, but one that I always relished.

Do you wanna play? It's simple, and will work as long as you already haven't had a birthday this year and is even more effective if your birthday is at least three months away.

Just answer these two easy questions...

How old are you right now?
And how old will you be next year, on your birthday in 2010?

I tried it on my eldest boy, who is currently 7 but was delighted to hear that next year he'll be 9.

Problem is when you're 40, the last thing you want to hear is that next year you'll be 42.

Oh well...according to the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, at least 42 is the answer to life the universe and everything. But really I'm in no rush to get there. For once I'm happy that I'm still only 40.

Growing up eh? Now who'd want to do that?