Do you have many happy childhood memories?

[Kay7979]

Do you have a lot of happy memories from your childhood? Did your family do a lot of fun, memorable things together?

I'm not sure the saying is true that you can't miss what you never had. My sister and I never had much of a childhood. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, it was just uneventful. My father died when I was young. He worked long hours on our dairy farm and we rarely saw him. After he died my mother did the best she could but she had health problems, never got a driver's license, and was sort of timid and helpless by nature. Throughout my childhood there were no vacations, no family outings, parties or backyard barbecues, etc. I have few happy family memories to look back on, and I don't know if I can even imagine what I perceive to be a "normal" childhood. I was single most of my adult life and have no children to treat to the "childhood I never had" but when I see families at Disney or other vacation spots, I think WOW, those kids probably have NO idea, how lucky they are. Bless their parents for giving them wonderful memories.

 

[Micca]

Great question Kay. My childhood was good, but not remarkable.
My memories from about age 17 through to present day are much more interesting.

 

[Mermaid02]

Not a lot of them- I had summers with my cousins on the Maine coast, but it was just my mother and myself and not much money. That is one reason I want to give my kids these trips (myself too probably)

 

[KristaTX]

I am lucky. I have a lot of happy childhood memories. Two of the most memorable are when we went to California (including Disneyland) when I was about 7 and Florida (including WDW) when I was 12. I'm not sure how much fun my parents had on the Florida trip, though - the three of us kids were quite whiny. I know they've had more fun on the trips I've been on with them since I've been an adult. (Hi my lurker mom ).

I also have fond memories from when I was a teenager of going out to the 15 acres of land my parents owned. We (my family and friends) shot off fireworks, had bonfires and cookouts, played games, and just hung out. Eventually they built a house out there.

I also grew up with a terrific (although far away) extended family. I have lots of memories of going to my grandparents' houses in Eastern Oklahoma.

I am genuinely sad for all of you who can't remember any really great times, or even worse who have really bad things you remember .

 

[cati]

xx

 

[WDWLVR]

I have many wonderful memories of my childhood, but we never did anything memorable. My dad left us (or more accurately was kicked out) when I was a baby. We went on exactly 2 vacactions when I was a child. One by train to Missouri to spend a weekend with my mother's cousin and one by car up to Wisconsin with another family.

They built a public pool 1/2 block from my house and a playground in the same park. Every summer we would get a new bathing suit, a new towel, and a pool pass. My friends and I would spend hours and hours at the pool. When we weren't at the pool we were playing in the park or riding our bikes. Every winter we would go skating in that same park.

A special treat was going to McDonald's for dinner - did that maybe 2-3 times a year.

Other special treats were spending the day at the zoo, going to a movie, going to Kiddieland, or maybe taking a ride out to the lake front.

Nothing memorable at all - but wonderful wonderful memories of a carefree childhood and plenty of time to play!

 

[CyranoJones]

Never had a chance to have much of a childhood but I do have some good memories. It does make me realize that my life now is really, really great though.

 

[miste76]

(Hanging my head in shame)... now I really feel like a spoiled brat. I was so lucky growing up! I have been going to Disney World every year, at least once a year, since I was 7 years old. (I'm 28 now)
It's hard to imagine a better memory than those from WDW, but I do have some... I remember our family get togethers during the holidays. I had such a large, close family... and the best grandparents in the world. They used to take me to McDonald's for dinner every friday night and we would get an icecream cone for dessert.
I really had a wonderful childhood... I just hope that I can be as great to my children (if I'm lucky enough to have some) as my family was to me.

 

[emmy]

Growing up as one of eleven children was the greatest childhood ever. We spent summers in Maine and went on one trip to Niagra falls- but going out to eat or on trips didn't happen too often with that many of us! Just washing the car was an adventure for us, we always had wayer fights and lots of laughs. Also the "free time" we had to wander, explore and be kids was great!So it wasn't so eventful, but I have wonderful memories of being with my family and being a kid!

 

[ChefBilly]

Tons of them.
And I know how lucky I am to have had such a great family. I'm one of four kids, and we moved around the country a lot for about four years. We got to see the entire U.S. together.

And I guess it wasn't so much what we saw or where we went, because we were from very modest means (my father was a construction worker, which is why we moved around in the late 70s.) It was more a case of having such great parents and siblings. To this day we're all still very close.
I feel lucky to realize how blessed I was, and still am.

 

[christineann]

I have wonderful memories of my childhood, which included my parents (now married for 54 years) and 3 siblings. Some of my fondest memories are of Saturdays at our house when we were quite young. Dad often worked late and didn't get home in time for dinner with us most nights, but every Saturday he fixed us grilled cheese sandwiches and root beer floats, and we sat around the kitchen table playing Old Maid or Crazy Eights. My parents were and are frugal, but we were fortunate to have everything we needed.

 

[AngieBelle]

Oh yes, I think back on my childhood all the time. My sis and I love to reminise. We both still remember all the lets pretend games we made up when we were little. I grew up in a happy household- my parents are still happily married after over 30 years.

We used to take family vacations every summer- all over the country, different every year. I've had the chance to do the coolest things! I've riden the mules on the Grand Canyon...been on an airboat in the Everglades, taken a boat ride through a lake that used to be a volcano...forged a river in Arizona...even spent 4 days on the Oregon Trail living like pioneers when I was 7! (the things I listed were all before age 12)

I went to summer camp almost every year from age 8 through age 16. I had birthday parties every year. We'd go to the beach every week during the summer when we lived in CA. Gosh, there's tons of stuff.

I didn't realize till I was older how really lucky my sister and I are!

 

[missypie]

No, and it's worrisome to me. My parents both grew up very poor during the depression and always had to work very hard, never had a family vacation, etc. So my parents were determined to give us a nice childhood - not many chores, always took vacations, nice clothes, piano lessons, etc. But I really don't have many memories that I'd call happy. Maybe it's because my only sibling is a very rebellious sister - there was always lots of conflict. I don't remember the family vacations as being fun. So now when I'm trying to give MY kids a happy childhood, I wonder if it's all for naught.

 

[Kay7979]

Missypie,

Do you have the same situation with your own kids? Do they not get along? I wouldn't assume that what you are doing "is for naught" even if that is the case. Maybe another thing you can do, if they don't get along well, is to arrange some one on one time with them individually and concentrate on things that child particularly enjoys. You don't always have to do everything together I suppose.

 

[Sandy V.]

For those of you that had a happy childhood, you are indeed lucky. However, you can certainly make up for one that wasn't particulary happy when you're now an adult - I am!

I'm an only child - my mother had serious mental health issues since she was a child (she was bipolar) that continued through my childhood. She ended up in a foster care facility since I was about 8 or so. My dad died in a car accident when I was 9. My aunt became my guardian, and I moved in with her family at that time with my 5 cousins and my uncle. My aunt had serious resentment issues toward my mother (her sister) that she transferred towards me. I grew up wanting the dream of a "normal" loving family - but I didn't have it. I had all of the physical necessities, but few of the emotional ones. Thank goodness I had a very loving grandmother nearby to balance out my mean aunt.

So . . . now I'm living the happy life I always wanted! I was smart enough to realize as a kid that my aunt's issues were her own and not my responsibility (maybe she had her own mental issues - who knows?). I was fortunate to marry a wonderful man and we have two tremendous kids. My immediate family is the most important thing to me and I don't take anything for granted. We travel together to fun places, cuddle together on our king-sized bed many nights, have dinner together nearly every evening, and every one in our house gets a kiss, a hug, and an "I love you" before they go to bed or before they leave the house for any reason!

By the way, as I grow older, I realize that no one lives a "normal" life. Everyone's got their own "bag of rocks" that they carry around that makes them what they are. There are skeletons in most everyone's closet about what went on at home when they were kids, and it shapes how we act as adults - either we copy it or run in the opposite direction!