Did you have a happy childhood?

[Artoo]

I recently took to thinking about the days when I was growing up, before I hit adolescence. Some of the time I remember it being a happy, idyllic experience; my parents loved and cared for me, I spent a time doing a lot of enjoyable yet mundane things; visiting my cousins on their farm every so often, learning to play piano with my Aunt, riding my bike along the seafront, and reading as many books as I possibly could.

However, at other times it was very much different. Although I wasn't conciously aware of certain things that had gone on during my childhood, it clearly affected the way I grew up. The reason I lived with my Aunt so much was because mum and dad were constantly taking time apart from each other, and while they were together, they fought most of the time. I would ride my bike as far away as I could to get away; I'd bury myself in books as a means of escapism, sometimes not leaving my room all day so that I could ignore the shouting downstairs.

Mum and dad loved my sisters and I very much, and I'm sure they did their best to try not to let their disagreements affect us. Inevitably it did in some ways, but there were certainly moments where we came together and had fun. By no means did I have the worst childhood ever - at the time, I assumed that I had a normal childhood. It's only reflecting upon it as an adult that my perspective seems to have changed.

/vent

 

[Carsomyr]

Well I've been around enough to know that there's always someone out there who's far worse off than you, but no I don't have too many positive things to say about it.

 

[..Glamorous..]

I have absolutely nothing positive to say about my childhood.

 

[Mister Scruff]

Well I've been around enough to know that there's always someone out there who's far worse off than you, but no I don't have too many positive things to say about it.

This.

 

[Perduabo]

The years I spent growing up with my father were utter hell. Without going into much detail, lets leave it as simply me saying I and my mother were both physically and mentally abused greatly by him

After my mom divorced him when I was nine, things began to perk up. I still had my ups and downs, but my childhood was relatively happy afterward. There are nights that I look back on and reminisce about fondly so it couldn't have been all bad.

 

[Marquis De Sade]

Mine was good. I was an Only Child so I gotta lotta attention. When I hit my early teens I rebelled a little too hard though and put my parents through a lot they didn't deserve. I was raised by my parents until I was about 11, then I was more raised by different groups of friends from then on but never forgot the important stuff my parents drilled into me when I was young which is why I'd like to think I'm somewhat stable, drug free and only an alcoholic on Fri.

 

[Adam]

For the most part I was pretty lucky, but it wasn't all peaches and cream. A few of you already know that my father has had a huge problem controlling his temper over the years. He never got particularly abusive, though he and I did have our heated moments. I've tried very hard over the years not to become like that in my adulthood. It's a challenge at time, because while he has mellowed in his older age, he's still prone to go off over the most ridiculous crap.

 

[Deleted member 66627]

Not really.

 

[JustPeechy]

Happy? No, but it was alright. It made me who I am today.

 

[vladtickleman22]

I'd have to say no.

 

[falcon]

until my parents got divorced, yes. childhood was cool. lots of friends. after they got divorced, everything sucked assholes until i left for the air force when i was 18.

 

[xionking]

I had a wicked childhood. Fucking wicked!

Best times fo my life thus far.

And for how it could've turned out...hmmm, Mum being 14 when she gave birth to me for a start...I'd first and foremost consider myself lucky to be here to begin with.

-Xionking

 

[Aragon]

Well, depends on who I was with. My grandfather protected me against the beatings and such I recieved as a child, so with him, it was awesome. After I grew bigger than my mother, I faired better as well.

 

[chicago]

I have very few happy memories from childhood mostly due to my parents hurricane of a divorce and the subsequent deterioration of my mother's mental health. My good memories are probably just ordinary childhood memories in comparison to other peoples', but they make me smile nonetheless.

 

[Mz Chaos]

Considering that I crawled out from under a rock fully grown and dripping with ichor...

Nope.

 

[Miss Serendipity]

Not really! No.

 

[kered]

Yes, I did.

 

[Excess]

Considering I didn't hit puberty till I wasn't a child anymore, no. XD XD XD

 

[nenezinho]

It´s always relative.

I enjoyed and miss mine 🙂

I was mostly sick all the time. Missed classes, could not play sports with the other kids, had to stay home most of the time. Still i loved learning and staying home gave me the time. My parents and everyone also sponsored and offered me lots of books and VHS with cool stuff.

Generally i was a spoiled kid, the best student in class but still playful enough and always helping others. So i was usually loved and spoiled by all 😉

If i could, i would only erase the loss of one of my best friends and the consequent crash that seems to have hit her family and close friends. Today i know that different people were hit by different reasons almost at the same time. I would like all of them to have lived happy and close to me for all our childhood and teens. I would also erase my grandmother (mother side) dying how she died. We all have to leave someday but to fight and be defeated by a monster inside us is not the way i wish for my loved ones. Basically between 6 and 12 i had a tragic death each 3 years and this is not something i wish for anyone.

Still does not erase all the great times and memories i have from everyone during my childhood 🙂

 

[ticklee_heather]

No my childhood wasn't happy.

 

[Mistress Aura]

Nope. I made the best of it and survived with most of me semi-intact, but it was kinda warped in a lot of ways.

~ Mistress Aura

 

[Snail Shell]

Childhood was good until I turned 8 and we moved across the country. I went from everyone in my house to everyone being miserable and irritable.

Ah well. Such is the bread of an every day life. 🙂

Snail Shell

 

[Capnmad]

I am content with it, but it wasn't as it could have been. I wished (and wish) my parents were flexible and believed in divorce. I believe they would have both been happier ultimately, had they gotten one, and I'd have been happier, too. But they took an oath before God and wouldn't split for that or for the sake of the kids... ...but I think they should have. They both loved me, however, and treated me as well as a son could expect to be treated under the circumstances and with what personal shortcomings they had, and I'm thankful for that.

 

[KrazieDog]

Yes I did.

 

[Redmage]

I think I can sum up my childhood with one story.

My mother died in November of 2006. The last time I saw her alive was the spring of 1989. We weren't what you'd call close.