Sunshine FMCs

Does anyone else feel like authors keep mistaking "childlike" for "childish" when writing a Sunshine FMC?

Because I feel like a lot of Wattpad authors don't know the difference between a sunshine FMC and an emotionally underdeveloped one.

I'm not saying that a woman in her 20s or even 30s can't be playful, tease people, laugh over the dumbest things, get excited over little moments, and have a childlike side around the people she feels safe with. That's completely fine.

What throws me off is when the FMC is written as if she's still stuck at 13. She can't have a serious conversation, keeps making reckless decisions without ever learning from them(no character development), throws tantrums instead of communicating, and everyone around her has to rescue or parent her.

Somehow all of this is framed as "cute" because she's the sunshine character.

That's not sunshine. That's emotional immaturity.

It becomes even more noticeable when she's supposed to be 25 or 30. By that age, I'd expect at least some level of emotional growth, self awareness, and life experience.

Sometimes I feel like authors lean into this because it creates a contrast with the hyper-competent, cold, billionaire or mafia MMC. The male lead becomes the "responsible adult," while the female lead is written to be quirky and dependent. It can make the relationship feel less like a partnership and more like a caretaker/babysitting dynamic, which isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Why are authors so afraid of letting cheerful women be intelligent?

A woman can be kind without being naïve. She can be soft without being spineless. She can be funny without having the decision making skills of a toddler.

I don't want every FMC to be a badass ice queen. I just want adult women to actually be written like... adults.

Your thoughts?