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Did you have a happy or unhappy childhood?

B

This is partly research as I've spoken on another thread about the fact that I don't remember anyone on this forum over the years saying that they had a happy childhood.

Rather a lot of us seem to in particular had very unhappy home lives.

I wonder if that is significant?

Parents

  • I think it depends on your definition of happy. At a quick glance my childhood would look and was fairly privileged. I lived in a nice village, was physically well cared for and got to go on nice holidays etc

    But I wasn't a happy child. I struggled every day. I had a difficult relationship with my mum. She didn't understand my difficulties (I wasn't diagnosed) and this led to a lot of frustration. I also really struggled with other children. I got bullied a lot. I wasn't liked. That takes it's toll. I also struggled with school. I didn't really understand the concept of doing what you were told because an adult said so. Not that I thought I should be able to do whatever I wanted, just that I needed to understand the point of the rule not it just be "because I said so". I also found it difficult to engage with work I wasn't interested in.

    So I would say I had an unhappy childhood but I also wouldn't compare it to the childhood that some people have had as I know it could have been a lot worse.

    I would say that I am now dealing with the impact of my childhood in therapy.

Reply

  • I think it depends on your definition of happy. At a quick glance my childhood would look and was fairly privileged. I lived in a nice village, was physically well cared for and got to go on nice holidays etc

    But I wasn't a happy child. I struggled every day. I had a difficult relationship with my mum. She didn't understand my difficulties (I wasn't diagnosed) and this led to a lot of frustration. I also really struggled with other children. I got bullied a lot. I wasn't liked. That takes it's toll. I also struggled with school. I didn't really understand the concept of doing what you were told because an adult said so. Not that I thought I should be able to do whatever I wanted, just that I needed to understand the point of the rule not it just be "because I said so". I also found it difficult to engage with work I wasn't interested in.

    So I would say I had an unhappy childhood but I also wouldn't compare it to the childhood that some people have had as I know it could have been a lot worse.

    I would say that I am now dealing with the impact of my childhood in therapy.

Children
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