This is how much the Stranger Things kids have grown up since season one

The Stranger Things kids growing up is weirdly emotional and overwhelming, because it's almost like watching your own children become adults. Except it's if you only see your children once a year and they look vastly different every time you see them.

The wait for season three was longer than usual because it was released in July rather than October. This, combined with the horrifying speed at which puberty works its magic, means the Stranger Things kids look completely different to when we last saw them.

So here's a run down of all the crazy transformations we've seen from season one to three:

Eleven

15-year-old Millie Bobby Brown is arguably the most famous of the Stranger Things cast and so her transformation isn't as shocking. This is because she's literally everywhere: on your Insta feed, on Drake's Insta feed, in the new Godzilla movie. Everywhere.

But regardless, she does look very different to season one, not least because she no longer has her edgy buzzcut.

Then:

Now:

And this is how she looks in real life:

Mike

Mike is played by Finn Wolfhard, edgy weird boi crush of 14-year-old girls everywhere. Finn is actually 16 now, which explains why he looks so different to when Stranger Things first debuted, when he would have been 13.

Then:

Now:

And this is how he looks in real life

Dustin

Gaten Matarazzo isn't the oldest looking kid by far, but he did used to look even younger when the series first started.

He's also 16, like Finn Wolfhard, so was thirteen when Stranger Things orginally aired. And boy did he look young.

Then:

Now:

And this is how he looks in real life

Max

I'm not gonna lie to you, Max basically looks the same as when we first saw her.

She's 17 now and looks a little more feminine than in the previous season, but not a great deal older. This might be because she was only introduced one season ago, so had much less time to glow up than the others.

Then:

Now:

And this is how she looks in real life

Will

Will Byers is, and always will be, a baby. Not in a negative way. We just need to protect him, at all costs.

Noah Schnapp has arguably changed the least from season one to three. This is mainly because he's the youngest of the kids (he's 14 now) so the puberty wave hasn't hit him quite yet, but his new, shorter haircut has aged him a bit. Goodbye bowl cut!

Then:

Now:

And this is how he looks in real life

Lucas

Lucas, played by Caleb McLaughlin, is practically a full grown man now. This is because he's actually 17-years-old now, making him the oldest kid in the cast and considerably older than the Stranger Things character he portrays.

But let's not forget that he was an adorable, baby faced 14-year-old when we first met him.

Then:

Now:

And this is how he looks in real life

Overall, the most impressive glow ups have been from Millie Bobby Brown and Caleb McLaughlin, without a doubt. We have buzzcuts and puberty to blame for this.

Plus, it's going to get even weirder when the kids start hitting the late teens and all the boys start growing facial hair. I don't know about you, but I am not ready for a bearded Will Byers.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Quiz: Which Stranger Things character are you?

• Meet all of the brand new faces joining the cast of Stranger Things 3

• If Stranger Things characters were people at your university