Our Childhood Experiences Reflect upon our Adulthood Lives

I

imp

Senior Member
How would you describe your own childhood, regarding the kind of adult individual you became from it?

If I may, in my case, I suspect my adult existence was shaped not very much by childhood. imp
 

I was a sheltered child. Very protected, never fight back, never swear, let it all roll off your back like a duck. When I got into the real world I was bullied like heck. Now they protect kids, then it was "character building". But I can say now...almost fifty years later that yeah that did shape me. Now I am not afraid to speak my mind at all and if I ever was approached by a mugger, if my dog didn't get them first, I would absolutely kick ***.
 
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All of the humans I had to interact with up until 1st grade were adults. I was treated like an adult and judged by adult standards. Childishness resulted in being ignored at best. By the time I got to school it must have been too late. Never seemed to be in sync with contemporaries. Now things have started to reverse. But I don't seem to act my age now either. Still out of sync. :shrug: ;)
 

I enjoyed a structured, yet independent childhood. A typical summer day would start with chores after breakfast, then the rest of the day until dinner time was mine. We would play baseball, swim in the creek, ride bikes, whatever kids did in those days. Our playground was the entire valley. There were only 700 souls in the valley, so everybody watched everybody's kids. The older kids would shepherd the younger. We were taught to respect our elders, mind our manners, and be responsible for ourselves, even in our pre-teen years. I think that reflects in how I do things, and view things, today. The old values still reign. I am responsible for myself, but I'm glad to know you have my back. And know that I have yours.
 
I was an only child for 5 1/2 years, living with my parents and grandparents, so I was really, really spoiled. My mother lost five babies in that time and it looked like I was going to be the ONLY one, so that added to the spoiling. Well, that all ended as all good things must when the other ones started showing up....sigh.

I swear sometimes I grew up in the only functional family in America, according to what I have heard from my friends over the years. So many people have stories of severe beatings, sexual molestation, alcoholic parents, and just plain dysfunctional families. My parents were good, religious, kind people who were pillars of the community and always deeply involved in our lives, sometimes TOO involved for my teen-age tastes. We never had a lot of money but we had everything we needed and a good percentage of what we wanted.

I think because I did have love and stability growing up and good examples of strong people, I grew up to be strong myself.
 
I was both overprotected and living with senior grandparents who had health issues. (Both of my parents worked, so I was with the Grans). This made me a target for bullies until I grew so tall I scared everyone just on general principles.
Dealing with adults in ill health made me feel forced to be quiet and compassionate of others, considerate and attentive. By teenage I became a raucous party girl and sang in rock n roll band instead of going to college right away after graduation.
Now full circle, I'm back to being quiet, polite and considerate of others...most of the time, and I think dealing with quietude so much has made me almost require it in my own life which has influenced what I do for a living. Only difference now is that it benefits others - strangers, whereas before it was only my family.
 
My parents had a strong sense of right and wrong. They were always right and I was always wrong.
I've grown up with bitter memories and things I will never forgive. Yes, your childhood can reflect on your adult life.
On the positive side, I've got the ability to be unmoved by most major events.
 
I had great parents and a really good childhood. My brother is two years older and my sister is two years younger. My brother and I looked out for her. I am six foot two inches and my brother is six foot. We both played on the same varsity basketball and football teams in high school. The only real trouble we got into as kids was with firecrackers. I'll save that story for another time.
 
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I grew up in a pretty much ordinary family -- both parents, etc. -- not much money, though, especially when I was little. I was taught, from my earliest memory, to respect others, know right from wrong, to do the best I could, to be grateful for what I had, never to hurt people or animals, not to make excuses and to take responsibility for my own actions. I was taught to be polite and respectful of my elders. I believe it was a solid grounding for successfully navigating the vicissitudes of life . . . .
 
I was loved, but not coddled or spoiled and learned to do many things for myself as well as how to be alone and entertain myself. These things have carried throughout my adult life.
 
I was at the preschool age. My father woke me each morning to take me to work with him. He installed and repaired televisions. We would climb into his truck and before staring the engine, we would say a prayer to protect Mom and my sisters while we were gone. He would start the engine and drive around the block to gain main street's bars where we would fortify the day – me with a coke and maraschino cherry and he with his beer. At work, I was often given the large boxes that TVs came in to play with. What fun that was. At the end of the day, we would return to the bars to unwind with me and my coke and he with his beer. Me and my Dad, side by side sitting on bar stools. All the town drunks knew us, and when they saw us coming, they would load the vending machines with coins for they knew I would check each one for coin returns. One day, Dad got a job wiring a house that was being built. Dad talked the guy into giving me a job to pick up all the scrap wood and put them in a pile so that they could be burned. At first, he wasn't sure because of my age, but Dad prevailed and I was set to work. The man was surprised and happy with my work. That was my first real job. That evening, I came home with my pocket full of coin.
Today, I will do as I have always done - question convention.
 
Capt Lightning said:
My parents had a strong sense of right and wrong. They were always right and I was always wrong.
I've grown up with bitter memories and things I will never forgive. Yes, your childhood can reflect on your adult life.
On the positive side, I've got the ability to be unmoved by most major events.
Click to expand...

This reflects upon things which troubled you extensively, from childhood, but remain unresolved. Am I close? Care to reveal more? Might that help resolve issues of a lifetime ago? My own adulthood is severely restricted by my childhood, beyond doubt.

What is meant by "major events", in that they do not move you? Current events? Or just those directly involving your personal existence. We all have skeletons, I fear. imp
 
Butterfly said:
I grew up in a pretty much ordinary family -- both parents, etc. -- not much money, though, especially when I was little. I was taught, from my earliest memory, to respect others, know right from wrong, to do the best I could, to be grateful for what I had, never to hurt people or animals, not to make excuses and to take responsibility for my own actions. I was taught to be polite and respectful of my elders. I believe it was a solid grounding for successfully navigating the vicissitudes of life . . . .
Click to expand...

It shows.
 
Well, Phil, I may be a bit cynical, but I don't believe children now are are getting the grounding in the basics that most of us did as children. The way children react and talk to their elders and authority figures makes that perfectly clear. If I had misbehaved in stores, or talked back to teachers, or used the language I hear from children all the time now -- I would still be grounded!
 
Something that I think my parents thought was for the best but not really...was sheltering me from some of the bad stuff. Instead of " Oh Poppy is coming to live with us now." which really translated into " Poppy is midway into dementia which means he wakes up thinking it's World War I again, which explains why he has a spaghetti pot on his head, and your Mum will start to drink like a fish because she feels a bit frustrated. But that's okay because when you are her age you will too and then you will understand". Gee thanks, just shoot me now.
 
I wouldn't even know where to begin to answer this question, so I'll just keep my mouth shut. I enjoyed reading everyone else's answers though.
 

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