Did You Have a Happy Childhood?

"Did you have a happy childhood?" Fuck no. Stable household, caring parents, and all that good stuff, but I was the youngest and lived under the tyranny of my immediately older brother who never missed an opportunity to humiliate me. I wet the bed for years, a classic symptom of emotional disturbance (as I only learned in adulthood) as well as an additional humiliation.

I have never wanted to have children because I could not bear the possibility that they might be something like me.

I had shelter, food, clothes, some affection, and some friends, mixed in with some abuse. It wasn't great but it was much better than a lot of kids I knew. Did it scar me for life. No

I would describe my childhood as "hard knock." My dad was the worse the kind of husband to my mother, and completely neglected my brother and I, but my mom was a soldier. She can take a direct hit and keep tickin'. We laughed a lot and that made the worse days...okay. I always had a lot of friends, was rewarded when I excelled in something, slept peacefully when I knew my dad wasn't coming home and I could tell that my mom was at peace.

Childhood was cool. How about that other than happy or unhappy? It's too difficult of a time to just place in the happy or unhappy box, for me at least. I wouldn't do it again if that says anything.

Yes I had a good childhood. We didn't have a lot of money but we always had food and clothing and a home. I had neighbor kids that I was friends with. In the summer on the weekends we would go to the lake and have an all day BBQ. The only regret is that when we drove to Florida with my grandparents we wanted to go to Disney and my grandparents were against it. My parents are very different types of grandparents and never would say no to my niece or nephew.

After I graduated High school me and my older sister went to Disney for vacation and it was great. By coincidence we picked the perfect time in early September when the kids were all back in school.

Childhood was pretty good. I have six brothers and sisters and I was second from the last. We had the usual sibling dramas, but we generally had a lot of fun. Our parents were firm, but kind and funny as hell. We always ate together at a big table and manners were strictly enforced. I was the family comic and got away with a lot of shit that the older kids never would have. I think parents mellow as the number of kids increase.

My dad died when I was 11......childhood was hard for me.

I think that I had an okay childhood. Thinking back, I think that I didn't associate with the best of peeps. I wanted friends. But I learned that sometimes no matter what...people you want in your life aren't necessarily good for you. When you are young--you can make some regrettable mistakes. But HOPEfully, you learn from them. THAT IS A BIG HOPE AND PRAYER OF HOPE, as well.)

And add puberty into the mix, and that compounds everything. There is a certain nostalgia I have. There was a sense of wonder and had a feeling of mysticism then. I miss who I was though. I wish that I could go back and change a lot of things. I would have done a lot of things different (if I had the knowledge what I know now) back then.

And having an older sister on my case when I was young didn't help either.

had a ruff but pleasant childhood i grew up fast and had to learn responsibility and respect

I just saw some pictures of Iraqi kids playing in a war ravaged town and swimming in a makeshift pond in the middle of the street. It dawned on me that most kids left to their own devices will have fun and make their own happiness regardless of how wealthy their family is, where they live, and what shape their country is in.

I think it's more about how you are socialized and who you live around rather than any external material factors. Basically the people you grow up with and around determine a happy childhood.

I also think some kids are more predisposed to happiness than other kids just like adults are but much of that is learned.

I find this a hard question to answer.
I don't think I was very happy as a child, no.
But I had an exceptionally stable home, apart from my father's bad health. (He died when I was 14.)
We had reasonable physical comfort, were given standards, the family was respected in the community ... but I was a very conflicted child.
I eventually worked all that out, and now when I look back, I can't understand the unhappiness I felt then.
But, that's what I felt.

i had great childhood. it was fun growing up in southern california because i experienced a lot as a kid. my parents took me to all the gazillion theme parks during the summers and we'd go to the beach and griffith park all the time. my dad also planned road trips a few times a year too. my mom is the best though!! from a young age, she taught me how to cook, clean, take care of myself, etc, which totally paid off. most of my extended family is here in southern california too, so i've always had support and people to turn to as well. dammit, now i miss being a kid. i didn't have bills to pay or repsonsibilities to live up to.

my two fave childhood memories: riding bikes with my dad every saturday and making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with my mom.

While I had a good childhood, I do not miss it. I love the freedom of being an adult and doing whatever you want to do whenever you want to.

that's so true! i hated being dragged places i didn't wanna go to with my parents. being a kid and being an adult have their own perks though.

One thing that every child wants is not to be a child any more.