[missymrs80]

What was your childhood like? How would you desrcibe it?

 

[Desperate_Housewife]

I lived in fear every day.

And it was very lonely.

 

[827Aug]

Interesting to say the least. I grew up on a large farm with my parents and two older brothers. Some of my earliest memories were of me sleeping in an "egg case" in the egg grading and packing room while my parents were working. By the time I was three to four years old I freely roam between the house and the barns. My mom always made sure I had plenty of animals to keep me company. Although my mom had a ton of work to do, she always found time to read a bedtime story and tuck me in bed every night. As I grew older, I began to help out around the farm.
Fortunately, both sets of grandparents lived within three miles of us, so I also visited them a lot.

Overall it was a great childhood, and I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.

 

[anotherguy]

Free, but sheltered. Pretty low income, but we never considered outselves 'poor'. We never went hungry. Dad worked full time in a factory doing back breaking, filthy work, mom worked part time usually and tried to be home when us kids were home. They both worked tirelessly so that us kids were always provided for. Eventually, they scraped enough money together and bought a small house.

We could jump on our bikes and just go do what we pleased all over town when we were 6, 8... young. Explore in the swamp near our house, whatever. As long as we were home for supper. After that, we could go out as long as we were back home 'before the streetlights came on'. We did our chores and made frends and went to school... you know... kid stuff. We used to think getting 50 cents for the ice cream truck was a seriously big deal, and we were content to climb trees and play pickup games of baseball and catch frogs.

I worry that we really cant do that with our kids these days - or give them the same amount of freedom. Times were a bit different in the late 60s early 70s - or it seems so.

But even though this was the case, I didnt realize how sheltered and protected we were. College was a very eye opening and liberating experience in the 80s. I think that was partly why I partied so much.

For me i'm sure time magnifies all that was good and minimizes the bad - but I truly feel I had an unusually fortunate, good, untroubled childhood. Yeah - every family is plenty screwed up too - but I feel very, very, lucky.

 

[SimplyAmorous]

Early years >> I grew up in a trailer court that my Grandparents owned in the country, a blessing since I was an only child, this gave me lots of playmates. We'd make pud pies, sled ride, catch cray fish & swim in the creek, this one little boy convinced me to steal my moms jewelry & bury it so someday it would be found treasure, we got into some mischief being left alone ....many hikes in the woods getting poison ivy.

Early teens, parents were divorced, I didn't like my step mother....she was major strict, if I even crossed a line with her , I would be grounded a month (no phone, no seeing friends)... My dad had his drinking buddies over & did Hill climbs in the back yard many weekends.

My time with friends was my Happiness...just not close with dad & step Mom at all....they did their thing....I did mine... I just lived there....(My Mom in another state)

I was very independent so long as I listened. I'd spend nights at various friends houses, go to Youth group with another, hang with another family -her Mom was more like the Mom I was missing in my life.... Grandma next door, we had long chats on her country porch swing...about life, love. Only school activity I was ever in was gymnastics in elementary .

A bunch of us swam at the Strip mine up the road, went to the local firehall for rock concerts, rode bikes to a nearby little town to eat at Isleys - I joined 4-H at the horse farm next door , I was always fond of going into the spring house, cupping our hands on a hot summer day & drinking that cool water, 1st kiss by that brother. A lot of sweet memories -even though I had a rough home life.

I've always loved the country.

 

[F-102]

Like "A Tale Of Two Cities":

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

 

[F-102]

Early years >> I grew up in a trailer court that my Grandparents owned in the country, a blessing since I was an only child, this gave me lots of playmates. We'd make pud pies, sled ride, catch cray fish & swim in the creek, this one little boy convinced me to steal my moms jewelry & bury it so someday it would be found treasure, we got into some mischief being left alone ....many hikes in the woods getting poison ivy.

Early teens, parents were divorced, I didn't like my step mother....she was major strict, if I even crossed a line with her , I would be grounded a month (no phone, no seeing friends)... My dad had his drinking buddies over & did Hill climbs in the back yard many weekends.

My time with friends was my Happiness...just not close with dad & step Mom at all....they did their thing....I did mine... I just lived there....(My Mom in another state)

I was very independent so long as I listened. I'd spend nights at various friends houses, go to Youth group with another, hang with another family -her Mom was more like the Mom I was missing in my life.... Grandma next door, we had long chats on her country porch swing...about life, love. Only school activity I was ever in was gymnastics in elementary .

A bunch of us swam at the Strip mine up the road, went to the local firehall for rock concerts, rode bikes to a nearby little town to eat at Isleys - I joined 4-H at the horse farm next door , I was always fond of going into the spring house, cupping our hands on a hot summer day & drinking that cool water, 1st kiss by that brother. A lot of sweet memories -even though I had a rough home life.

I've always loved the country.

First paragraph:

You made WHAT pies?

 

[SimplyAmorous]

First paragraph:

You made WHAT pies?

Well I don't know what a pud pie, of course I meant to say "MUD" -- oh sometimes the brain is thinking too fast ahead !! I try to be so careful to proof read too - but I sure missed that one ~ flew right over me !

 

[Jellybeans]

Loving. My parents rock. I read a lot of books and played with Barbie. Total girly-girl.

 

[F-102]

Well I don't know what a pud pie, of course I meant to say "MUD" -- oh sometimes the brain is thinking too fast ahead !! I try to be so careful to proof read too - but I sure missed that one ~ flew right over me !

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!

 

[KnK]

Confusing! Surrounded by lies and disappointment around every corner. My dad left when I was three and then I found out I was adopted at 10 then my adopted dad was killed when I was 12. Turns out he was involved in some mob activity. Then we grew up poor since the IRS took most of his money. Then my biological mom tried to come back in the picture , only to find out she was a total nutcase so I had to deal a lot with that. My mother by this time and turned into a mean bitter older woman and so I was surrounded by negativity .. I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder when I was 14 and everyone treated me like I was crazy. I got kicked out of school.. Then I became an alcoholic by time I was 16.. I will stop there , I could go on forever.

 

[cloudwithleggs]

Some of my childhood was traumatic and some was idyllic, i actually really did miss having a father about.

The best memories are being at my grandmothers, hot summer days early mornings, being surrounded by fields and farm land, down the lane was a riding school, my grandmother grew all her own vegetables, my father had a barn at the bottom of the gardens that he kept cattle/horses in and we had chickens, i loved feeding them, but best of all was going out exploring with my grandmothers spaniel bam bam.

 

[Michael A. Brown]

Childhood is one of the times of my life. How I wish I could pull back time again.

 

[that_girl]

"Wonder Years" neighborhood.

I loved 90% of my childhood.
No complaints.

 

[Ikaika]

First thing I understood... Work and Golf came before me in my dads eyes. Mom was your typical passive wife, dad was a tyrant. Every chance I got to hang out with friends to smoke pot, surf and play music I did. I'm surprised I turned out how I did. Love my wife and kids so much I would give up my life for them. No questions asked.

Edit points: It would appear the way I describe my childhood above, that I am ungrateful. And, that would not be true. This of course is a painful thread for me. It is not as if I lacked respect for my parents. They were just not there emotionally for me. I understand, both of them had their childhood rooted in the great depression and both had fathers who were alcoholics. My father was also a veteran of both WWII and the Korean war. I saw nothing but emptiness in his eyes. As a child, it hurt to feel and see these things. As I got older I began to understand his own pain and suffering along with my mothers. I was by each of their bedsides when they died, but I will admit I did not cry. I gave them the respect due them and scattered their ashes in the way they requested. I wailed and cried when my sister died and I cling to those memories and continue to be close with both of my brothers. So my childhood was emotionally painful and only recently have begun to heal. Sorry did not mean to jack this thread with my cathartic cry.

 

[Anonymous07]

"Wonder Years" neighborhood.

I loved 90% of my childhood.
No complaints.

:iagree: , same here.

I can't complain much about my childhood. We lived on a cul-de-sac and all the neighborhood kids would play baseball, football, captcher the flag, and so on together. We had a couple of neighborhood block parties. We'd all go swimming at my friends house and ride our bikes through the hills behind their place. We'd play spy games, climb trees, and just have a good time. My family also went on some great family vacations to national parks and other areas. Of course there were some bad times too, but I like to focus on the positive.

 

[Memento]

Unhappy. Even today, I find hard to look at photos of back then. There is hardly any photos of my brother or I smiling. And it breaks my heart to remember that the people that should love you the most, sometimes are the ones who cause you the most pain.
I am determined to break that cycle!

 

[Ikaika]

Unhappy. Even today, I find hard to look at photos of back then. There is hardly any photos of my brother or I smiling. And it breaks my heart to remember that the people that should love you the most, sometimes are the ones who cause you the most pain.
I am determined to break that cycle!

I can totally relate. I hope you find healing, I did. And, yes I too was determined to break that cycle, I did. Take Care.

 

[Memento]

I lived in fear every day.

And it was very lonely.

I shared the exact same feelings.

 

[pidge70]

First thing I understood... Work and Golf came before me in my dads eyes. Mom was your typical passive wife, dad was a tyrant. Every chance I got to hang out with friends to smoke pot, surf and play music I did. I'm surprised I turned out how I did. Love my wife and kids so much I would give up my life for them. No questions asked.

Edit points: It would appear the way I describe my childhood above, that I am ungrateful. And, that would not be true. This of course is a painful thread for me. It is not as if I lacked respect for my parents. They were just not there emotionally for me. I understand, both of them had their childhood rooted in the great depression and both had fathers who were alcoholics. My father was also a veteran of both WWII and the Korean war. I saw nothing but emptiness in his eyes. As a child, it hurt to feel and see these things. As I got older I began to understand his own pain and suffering along with my mothers. I was by each of their bedsides when they died, but I will admit I did not cry. I gave them the respect due them and scattered their ashes in the way they requested. I wailed and cried when my sister died and I cling to those memories and continue to be close with both of my brothers. So my childhood was emotionally painful and only recently have begun to heal. Sorry did not mean to jack this thread with my cathartic cry.