What was your childhood like?

My childhood was okay until I turned 10 until age 16 school work was difficult for me, was put back twice in 4th grade& 9th grade I went to 2 boarding schools, 1st co-ed school in Deerfield,Mass, 500 miles away from parents& siblings, 2nd girls school in Toronto 90 miles away. I purposely got in with wrong crowd to get my parent's attention, it worked. I got expelled,lived with aunt& uncle in Baltimore, MD last 2 yrs. I don;t know what it was like for my siblings,they got to stay home.It took me years to forgive my parents,but I survived
 

My dad was a career Army man, so we moved a few times, but making new friends came easy for me and my sister.
Just before dad retired, he asked us kids where we would like to live. I told him near grandma and grandpa, but dad didn’t like that idea. He moved us to Pennsylvania because he wanted to be close to the War College, which I never knew anything about. I thought he was kidding. A war college?
 

hollydolly said:
That's so true... I have taken things on the chin as an adult.. that most people feel have destroyed their lives.... and I really do think that it's because my body learned to grow an armadillo shield.. due to my abusive childhood.. and thereofre I can take a lot more without crumbing than most people.......the only issue is.. that pople think they can throw everything at me.. ''you're strong' is the oft repeated phrase..... yes well maybe, but it was a learned behavior ...... but I still feel emotional pain if something is terrible
Click to expand...
I got whipped as a child myself. I really didn't dwell on it and never whipped my kids. I just thought it was old fashioned.
 
When you think about it, babies don't come with instructions, so, I guess most people muddle along the best way they know how.

This is not to say that there are parents who use their children for whipping boys or girls. There is no excuse for that and should never be condoned. I am talking about real physical abuse perpetrated upon children by adults, which I sadly witnessed by a neighbor and was totally unnecessary. When I told my parents about it, my father, who hated violence of any sort, had a long chat with the boy's father. Since my dad was a lawyer, I would hope the guy listened carefully to what he told him.
 
I had a great childhood and appreciate it now that my parents are gone more than ever. Loving parents, always providing everything we needed and then more. Absolutely not rich... 5 kids, 1 paycheck and not a high-paying job, but they were magical at making it all work out with what we had.
 
Lewkat said:
When you think about it, babies don't come with instructions, so, I guess most people muddle along the best way they know how.

This is not to say that there are parents who use their children for whipping boys or girls. There is no excuse for that and should never be condoned. I am talking about real physical abuse perpetrated upon children by adults, which I sadly witnessed by a neighbor and was totally unnecessary. When I told my parents about it, my father, who hated violence of any sort, had a long chat with the boy's father. Since my dad was a lawyer, I would hope the guy listened carefully to what he told him.
Click to expand...
I wish we had your dad living next door to us...
 
Conflicted.

My mother and father stayed together. I was always fed. I always had a roof over my head (until I didn't).

My father brought me up in the values he knew. That translated to being judgemental, cold, sometimes mean, and with a lack of love.

I have spent a lot of my life unlearning these things. So what on the surface looked good, was ultimately destructive. My sibling has never risen above it. I rose above it too late.
 
hollydolly said:
That's so true... I have taken things on the chin as an adult.. that most people feel have destroyed their lives.... and I really do think that it's because my body learned to grow an armadillo shield.. due to my abusive childhood.. and thereofre I can take a lot more without crumbing than most people.......the only issue is.. that pople think they can throw everything at me.. ''you're strong' is the oft repeated phrase..... yes well maybe, but it was a learned behavior ...... but I still feel emotional pain if something is terrible
Click to expand...
I'm very sorry about how stressful your childhood was. What's important is what you think not what others think. Hang in there. You're one of the reasons I like this site so much❤️
 
My 2 brothers were older and distant. All cousins were much older. My sister was only three years older and we got along. She was much more practical and I was flighty. Left brained and right brained some might say. I spent a lot of time outside the house, coming home to eat and sleep. It could have been worse.
 
I was a boy in 1940. My father took us along on a business trip to Canada. Canada had entered WW2, but the US had not. In Canada there were soldiers everywhere. What astounded this boy from Long Island was that many of them were wearing KILTS as part of their army uniforms. I had never seen kilts before.
 
Manatee said:
I was a boy in 1940. My father took us along on a business trip to Canada. Canada had entered WW2, but the US had not. In Canada there were soldiers everywhere. What astounded this boy from Long Island was that many of them were wearing KILTS as part of their army uniforms. I had never seen kilts before.
Click to expand...
Canadian soldiers in World War II wore kilts only on ceremonial occasions and in specific, non-combat roles, as they were rapidly deemed impractical for modern warfare. The kilts were a symbol of the rich Scottish heritage of the Canadian Highland regiments, which were a part of the military for over 200 years, and remained an important part of their identity for parades and other formal events.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jet
Manatee said:
I was a boy in 1940. My father took us along on a business trip to Canada. Canada had entered WW2, but the US had not. In Canada there were soldiers everywhere. What astounded this boy from Long Island was that many of them were wearing KILTS as part of their army uniforms. I had never seen kilts before.
Click to expand...

I was a Long Islander myself. Suffolk County. Born 1937.
 
Only child living with hard working Mother in an extremely rural area. I was on my own most of the time rambling through the woods and streams around the logging camp. Being solitary in nature, it was a perfect boyhood for me. I still prefer being alone.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top