At this point I am 44 years old and I still totally agree that adulthood is a trap!
What we say in our house, is that adulting sucks, but if you learn to do it well then you can work smart not hard to have a good time long after you leave the comforts of childhood.
As a parent to children ranging from 8 to 22, I can say that teaching them to think for themselves, to develop critical thinking skills, and offering them freedom and responsibility hand in hand has been key. Just waiting until they are all grown to give them responsibility, or freedom, seems to be a bad choice (based on what I can see here in the United States).
Great post!