Did anyone else think they had a happy childhood?

[NambaSutra]

To start with I'm 48 years old and my childhood happened before the internet. When I actually was a child, I thought life was ok. My parents had a middle class life. They took me on lots of trips. My dad was smart and snobby and so was I. I went to a good school and got a good degree and a good first job. I did know I was "different" and not very popular and didn't have many friends, but I had a few.

I had my first major diagnosable depression as a young adult and things have been going downhill ever since. But since this post is about childhood I'll cut it short.

When I look back at my childhood as an adult I see all kinds of problems with myself and my parents. But not the usual stuff. They didn't beat me or abuse me. They probably made me feel I was too special which doesn't work when you're an adult.

 

[endofafoxtwo]

No. I had a terrible childhood where neglect and abuse were the norm.
I've never had a real friend, I don't think.
Being "neurodiverse" never helped (although I wouldn't want to be "normal"...)
Edit: I just noticed you joined on my birthday. Cool.

 

[TraumaEscapee:)]

Nope.
Severely abused, sexually abused by my one birth parent and two older siblings, beaten by my birth mother and birth siblings, neglected by her and them and emotionally abused by my birth mother and her kids. Went back into foster care, passed around the care system like a game of pass the parcel except no one wanted this parcel, homeless at 18, severely bullied growing up. Had some really shitty foster carers and some good ones. Just generally failed. I spent my childhood suffering. I always say, I never got to be a child. I had to grow up before my time. The abandonment, the abuse and the heartache. Now I am in my early 20s diagnosed with ptsd and bpd. I don't sleep at night because I am constantly reminded in the night of the sexual abuse and rapes. Night time is very difficult for me. I am completely estranged from my birth family. I hate them.

 

[Torabol]

I thought I did, but looking back I can't really find a true moment I was happy. Now much like the poster above I simply do not sleep due to trauma. A sleepless life loses all meaning.

 

[EverythingIsPain]

I did, until I realized it's not normal to have your parents fly off the handle about every little thing. Or that it wasn't normal to be absolutely terrified of them. All while being told "we love you" and how important we were to them.

 

[UsagiDrop]

Well that would depend on cultural contexts. I would say I had an above average childhood. Regular trips abroad, good education, roof over my head, my own room (eventually), lots of toys and electronics, never was in need of food or clothes, no sexual abuse and lots of love (in my relative's own ways).

I only had to deal with a fair share of beatings, some of them being out of a drunken rage, and both parents who have varying degrees of a drinking problem. Also, seeing all of the violence happening in my households wasn't great either. Oh, and there was also the emotional neglect and straight up abuse over my appearance at times. But beating and sometimes emotionally neglecting kids is pretty normal where I'm from so even considering that, I had it better than my peers and some people I've come in contact with over the years. I try not to call it "bad." I've just always been empty, never been able to pinpoint a reason as to why but I wouldn't blame anything I went through in childhood for it. Or at least I don't have the understanding to blame my childhood, yet.

 

[leavingsoon99]

I'm 42. My life was a mix of pre and post internet. I remember going outside and catching lighting bugs, climbing trees, playing in the mud, riding my bike with friends, sneaking into movies, going to the arcade, and playing freeze tag until 9pm in the summertime. All that said, I also grew up before autism was really considered or discussed. I was mercilessly bullied and abused by my mother, her boyfriends, my brothers, and others.

No. My childhood wasn't good. It had some moments, but those were few and far between.

 

[Alcoholic Failure]

I think I had a relatively very happy childhood. Shit hit the fan once I became an adult and started down the dark road of alcoholism.

 

[unnormal9]

No

 

[Dominicka]

To start with I'm 48 years old and my childhood happened before the internet. When I actually was a child, I thought life was ok. My parents had a middle class life. They took me on lots of trips. My dad was smart and snobby and so was I. I went to a good school and got a good degree and a good first job. I did know I was "different" and not very popular and didn't have many friends, but I had a few.

I had my first major diagnosable depression as a young adult and things have been going downhill ever since. But since this post is about childhood I'll cut it short.

When I look back at my childhood as an adult I see all kinds of problems with myself and my parents. But not the usual stuff. They didn't beat me or abuse me. They probably made me feel I was too special which doesn't work when you're an adult.

Omg my story EXACTLY. Except the part where you said "they probably made me feel too special." Yeah I didn't get that from my parents. I didn't figure out how effed my childhood was until I was in my 30s. At that point had been through the ringer of mental treatments, medications and diagnoses.

 

[HyperdimensionLoser]

I think I had a decent one but tbh I don't think I deserved it since I was a shitty person back then and even now still.

 

[Kittzuni]

Depends on how you look at it. I personally do have a few fond memories of my childhood and I wholeheartedly believe my parents tried their best, so I do not resent them whatsoever. I mostly remember being sad and suicidal but I repressed a lot of the really bad stuff so besides the overall sadness the most memorable thing that's left is the endless love my mum tried to give me as well as my obsession to make my dad proud as I always admired him growing up.

Objectively speaking I get often told that I must have had an awful childhood as I was a glass child and got abused by my half brother when I was 9 which caused me to repress a lot of memories, disassociate often and develope cPTSD. I was raped before I even got my period. People usually "can't believe how strong I am cause I've been through so much". All things considered I don't think it was that bad though, it could have been worse. After loosing my friends irl I met nice people online in other countries (one of them even stayed around long enough to attended my wedding), so I'm glad the internet was around during my teenage years as I'm not sure how I would have been able to cope with everything without it (I'm somewhere in my 20s now).

On a side note, mental illness does run in my mums bloodline as my mum and my aunt have had several stress induced psychosis and suffer from burn out and schizophrenia (and probably more undiagnosed stuff).

 

[endlessagony]

I think I did even tho my father beat me a few times and my brother abused me most of the time. I had lots of friends in school and at home I had video games that I really loved. Even when my brother was being the worst person I ever met there were still things that could make me happy and forget everything.

 

[nolifezzz]

i mean...at least i still go outside at that time
the abuses, bullying, & bad stuff were all still there but i think i was less lonelier back then
and because i was still a kid i couldnt really differentiate whats messed up and whats not anyway. i just think "well this is life. this is just how it's supposed to be" and trust my parents for everything

 

[The_End_Is_Comfort]

In the middle. Happy moments, good moments, bad moments, horrific moments...

 

[RedHotRage]

I look back it with nostalgia, but the reality of the matter is that I was constantly in rage with my family, constant conflict with my parents and misery at homework and being overloaded with school and homework. No amount of playdates is gonna change that.

 

[patheticgirl]

I used to think that yes, I had a nice childhood but... Now I'm not so sure. Putting aside the fact that I can barely remember anything of it, the only things popping up on my mind are the bad memories. I know I have loving parents so I'm a little sad I can't really remember the good times we spent together.

 

[WhereMyDreamsWent]

To start with I'm 48 years old and my childhood happened before the internet. When I actually was a child, I thought life was ok. My parents had a middle class life. They took me on lots of trips. My dad was smart and snobby and so was I. I went to a good school and got a good degree and a good first job. I did know I was "different" and not very popular and didn't have many friends, but I had a few.

I had my first major diagnosable depression as a young adult and things have been going downhill ever since. But since this post is about childhood I'll cut it short.

When I look back at my childhood as an adult I see all kinds of problems with myself and my parents. But not the usual stuff. They didn't beat me or abuse me. They probably made me feel I was too special which doesn't work when you're an adult.

Same. A happy childhood, travelling and stuff. :) But just sadly it contained some bad memories, but I'm sure everyone have some.

 

[Unattainable666]

I'm in my 60s and my childhood sucked. Mother was a narcissist - father absent (he didn't like being around his wife).

 

[endless_pain]

I had adverse childhood experiences from parents with mental illnesses

 

[outrider567]

I had a perfect childhood in New Canaan Connecticut, especially the 3 month summers with no school--Had my brother and many close friends and we had a blast and so much fun(I actually kept a daily diary for a year), best summers of my life---But that all changed when I turned 14 and was shipped off to boarding school for four long torturous years in Princeton NJ(made worse by the fact it was an all boys school)

 

[glitterypearls]

I mean.. born into a very well off family with lots of resources and money. summer vacation abroad every year, private schools, growing up where money isn't an issue, my own private room and bathroom, sound so nice right? that if you ignore the mentally, physical and sexual abuse I faced. this is where my childhood isn't good. I think we all suffer one way or another in our childhood, even not getting enough love as a child would make you suicidal (something my last therapist said)

 

[StolenLife]

I think I did. It wasn't perfect by any means but I remember how the world seemed so beautiful and magical.

 

[annxietty]

I honestly have mixed feelings about it, things I thought were normal and turned out to be not very nice... But I cant say I had a bad childhood, my mom gave me a lot of love, my sister was never there (she is 10y older than me) and that used to make me sad but I was used to it lol, and my dad was always away because of his job... We didnt have much money, but my mom would sacrifice anything to give me a nice present in my birthday and christmas... On the other hand my parents used to argue a lot, in front of me and even made me participate, they would hit me if I did or said something wrong, sometimes very very hard, I remember once when I went to school with my mom's hand marked in my face and everyone looked to me in a weird way... Please if you have children dont hit them, even if they do something very wrong... Its kinda embarrassing but I still get hit by my father, sometimes because I say something he finds offensive, sometimes because I say a swear word (not directed to him) (like saying shit if I drop something) (Im 22, 23 this year) Im not an easy daughter to have (?)
When I turned 13 everything got darker...

 

[endless_pain]

I mean.. born into a very well off family with lots of resources and money. summer vacation abroad every year, private schools, growing up where money isn't an issue, my own private room and bathroom, sound so nice right? that if you ignore the mentally, physical and sexual abuse I faced. this is where my childhood isn't good. I think we all suffer one way or another in our childhood, even not getting enough love as a child would make you suicidal (something my last therapist said)

I can absolutely relate to this, adding to the fact that they have more power and control