Over the last couple years I've been here I've picked up on a common theme by people I've talked to/become closer with, or from reading various posts on here. More often than not an area of consensus is that lots of us had really happy and cool childhoods. Usually moreso than our teenage years - which is what most people seem to gravitate towards.

I've developed this theory too, that the people who nostalgize over high school and college are usually the more hardcore party animals. Whereas lots of us (like me) who are more attached to their little kid years or maybe early adolescence, I think it's because we long more for a time when we didn't have a care in the world. It was just a comfy feeling like our parents would protect us from anything. Or even on a smaller extent, the pop culture defined us more because it was what we knew first (like with me that would be Nintendo games, '80s pop songs, Ernest movies or stuff like Sesame Street).

My teen years weren't that great on the other hand (i.e. trying to establish your own identity). I had some cool times, and I do find myself missing it more these days, but I was going through some harder stuff, and my family life wasn't as stable either. It certainly wasn't magical the way it was for my first 11 years, especially my first 8.


How true is that for you guys? Is part of the reason you joined here or that you're old-school minded - because you miss the comfort of home when you were 7, as opposed to going to crazy parties at 17?

I did have a happy childhood, but there were some bad parts, as I am sure is the same for most people.  Nobody has a 100% perfect childhood, but it would be nice.  I just miss the 80s, the simpler times, when the only major life concern I had was figuring out what to watch on TV LOL

Nowdays, I have to worry about money, gas, food, bills ...

I would say overall my childhood was a good and happy one. There were times when life was more difficult and painful (3rd grade in particular. Rotten teacher + Nasty classmates = Elementary school nightmare), but even in those times I had something or someone to lean on for support.

I agree with Whistledog, the 80's seemed like simpler times to me, with a lot of great things from popular culture.

Yes, it's all about simpler times. My mom didn't have to worry about us taking off for the day to ride our bikes and play with the neighbor kids. As long as we checked in, stopped off to grab lunch, and were home by dinner....she was perfectly fine. Nowadays, parents cannot trust and assume that their kids will be okay, even if they let them stay IN their own yard. I watch Vaughn LIKE A HAWK, and I wouldn't have it any other way now.

In the '80's things were more carefree. It seemed like there was more stuff to do for kids too...fun stuff. Nowadays, if you aren't practically rich, the choices are far and few between. We as kids were content playing with neighbors all day, riding our bikes, writing our names in the air with sparklers, engaging in games such as Red Rover and Hide & Seek, going to the swimming pool all day long, and spending hours catching fireflies in glass jars. I think that the majority of kids of today would get bored with a lot of those sort of things. They would rather play video games, hang on the computer, etc. I try to instill the more simple things in life into Vaughn. I want him to be able to appreciate things that I did when I was his age. :)

I had a great childhood, even though it wasn't close to perfect. Pretty much like everyone else, it was a much more carefree and fun time that my teen years were and now, my adult years have been so far.

The thing is, the years since I left high school have been really boring. I don't have much contact with the people I went to school with anymore, and don't really have time to do much outside of work. When I was a kid though, whether it was playing my NES, SNES, or Genesis, going outside and playing with all of my friends and little brother in the neighborhood we used to live in, or doing stuff with my parents or grandparents, I was pretty much always doing something fun.

I know that things weren't perfect in the '80s and '90s, my parents always remind me that things were far from perfect back then whenever I talk about how great things were from my point of view as little kid and adolescent, but on a personal level things were much better for me then than they are now.

In the '80's things were more carefree. It seemed like there was more stuff to do for kids too...fun stuff. Nowadays, if you aren't practically rich, the choices are far and few between. We as kids were content playing with neighbors all day, riding our bikes, writing our names in the air with sparklers, engaging in games such as Red Rover and Hide & Seek, going to the swimming pool all day long, and spending hours catching fireflies in glass jars. I think that the majority of kids of today would get bored with a lot of those sort of things. They would rather play video games, hang on the computer, etc. I try to instill the more simple things in life into Vaughn. I want him to be able to appreciate things that I did when I was his age. :)


Yes.  Today's kids think they have it easy, but in reality they don't.  All their hot new video games, and electronics cost their parents big bucks.  And alot of times I've seen kids in stores screaming that their mommy won't buy them this game or that toy.  They're lucky they get toys at all.  When their parents were kids, I'll bet they were lucky if they even got a ball to play with

When I was a kid, I had video games, all kinds of action figures, etc. but I also knew that there was a world of fun to be had outside as well.  Today's kids don't even think about that, they just wanna play their precious video games

Yesterday's kid:  Let's go outside and play baseball!
Today's kid:  Why go outside?  I have 8 different baseball games for my PS3

I hate to disprove your theory but I would not call my childhood happy. In fact, I am amaze at how sane I am (or even other members of my family) considering what we went through. I like this message board because of the interesting (and sometimes crazy) people, the topics of discussion, etc. Many message boards are so limited on the topics they discuss. Here, I think just about ANYTHING has been discussed. That is what I love about this place.



Cat 

Over the last couple years I've been here I've picked up on a common theme by people I've talked to/become closer with, or from reading various posts on here. More often than not an area of consensus is that lots of us had really happy and cool childhoods. Usually moreso than our teenage years - which is what most people seem to gravitate towards.

I've developed this theory too, that the people who nostalgize over high school and college are usually the more hardcore party animals. Whereas lots of us (like me) who are more attached to their little kid years or maybe early adolescence, I think it's because we long more for a time when we didn't have a care in the world. It was just a comfy feeling like our parents would protect us from anything. Or even on a smaller extent, the pop culture defined us more because it was what we knew first (like with me that would be Nintendo games, '80s pop songs, Ernest movies or stuff like Sesame Street).

My teen years weren't that great on the other hand (i.e. trying to establish your own identity). I had some cool times, and I do find myself missing it more these days, but I was going through some harder stuff, and my family life wasn't as stable either. It certainly wasn't magical the way it was for my first 11 years, especially my first 8.


How true is that for you guys? Is part of the reason you joined here or that you're old-school minded - because you miss the comfort of home when you were 7, as opposed to going to crazy parties at 17?


Marty, I couldn't agree or relate to you more

To me, everything up until the summer before 7th grade was incredible; even some of the bad things that happened don't seem so bad anymore. When I look at my childhood, five things come to mind very quickly:

1) Nintendo 64 - This was the very first game console I owned, and I love it to death. I've had it since I was 8 years old, and I cannot tell you how many memories I have with this thing. I remember my friends and I would ALWAYS play Goldeneye and Super Smash Bros., and we even had a lot of fun with more mature games like Conkers Bad Fur Day and Perfect Dark (the holy grail of all shooters). I remember being so pissed at it whenever I'd lose  :D, but hey, I was a young'n  ::). This more or less IS my childhood, and it STILL works fine after over a decade.

2) Nickelodeon - This defined my childhood before my N64 came along more or less. I remember watching shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark and Ren and Stimpy like it was my job, loving Kenan and Kel to death (who loves orange soda!? KEL LOVES ORANGE SODA  ;D), and impersonating every character on Rocko's Modern Life. Needless to say, I am very upset with the current state of the channel. But hey, that's what corporatism does, right?  :-\\

3) Dragonball Z - This show is the S**T. PERIOD. When I first saw this in '98 I fell in love with it IMMEDIATELY (in fact, I made A LOT of friends back in the day because of a shared interest in DBZ, and I STILL hang out with most of those kids). Everyday after school me and 3 or 4 of my friends would go to one of our houses and watch DBZ, and this went on for a few years. This show was EPIC, and to be honest, I still watch it sometimes (the unedited ones mind you).

4) Pokemon - I cannot begin to tell you how into this I was. I STILL play the games. The show was freakin sweet when it came out (though now it's a big pile of dookie), and I collected the cards like it was nobodies business (they're still somewhere around here, I'd NEVER get rid of them  :)). I would bug my parents all the time to buy me pokemon cards, and I remember one time I kept getting the same star card and getting really angry about it  :D. Honestly, I wanted to be a pokemon trainer more than a Super Saiyan at one point back then.

5) Iroquois Middle School - Grades 4 through 6 were the best years of my life. I moved to Irondequoit then, and I made some of my best friends in those early years that I still talk to on a regular basis. '99 was a F**KING AWESOME year for me (though it was a low point for pop culture) - I have so many memories from that year. Recess was awesome, and we still played games in the classroom. Also, it was easy to go to a friends house because they all lived in the same area (that changed A LOT when seventh grade came along), and my house was a 5-10 minute walk. I liked K-3, hated 7 and 8, liked high school, but LOVED 4-6 so much more.

When I think of my childhood, 1999 is a year where most of my memories center around. It's weird, because 7th grade was so lame and different; to me, it totally went against everything that happened in the eleven years prior, and I don't like change that drastic. Bad teachers, dumb kids, no recess, and a joke of a principal made me hate everything about Jr. high - it will be a point in my life I will ALWAYS shun. High School was a lot better though, since there was a lot more freedom and most of the kids were mature enough (not mention I had some of the best teachers there). A lot of bad things still happened, but I can see more good than not, and I would know because I graduated less than a month ago  :D. So yes Marty, for the most part my nostalgia is directed toward the late 90's/very early 00's, since I was so carefree and had so much fun with my friends back then.

I've also had more of a "happier" childhood.  The worst years of my life were probably when I was like 10-16 though.  I liked the earlier years of my childhood very much.  It was also great to be with my grandparents (who lived 1/4 mile from our house--but they died in '98 and '01).  That was a big change when they died, because I went to their house almost every day.

I was also more into outdoor activities than technology when I was younger.  But I lived (still do) in the country so there's a lot more to do outside.

I had a semi-happy childhood.  I think somehow I chose to block out the unpleasant.  However I don't feel that having a happy childhood has much to do with cultural nostalgia.

   I was raised by my paternal grandparents from the age of five. They were kind and gentle people.  Gramps' values were venerable, his demeanor, stoic.  Grams' were firmly rooted in faith.  When grandparents raise the kids there is a gap of two generations, so therefore, not much in the way of understanding.  What parents would probably understand, grandparents cannot.  This would become a problem that would manifest itself in my teens...

   Childhood was busy.  Had fun despite it all, as only a child can, in times of struggle.  Happy times on a creaky foundation...

   Not a care in the world.  Carefree.  Nope.  I had lots of cares.  Cares that kept me awake during the night when the lights were out, the TV was off and the toys were put away... 

   Miss Reynolds says we hold onto the good memories to remind us that bad times aren't all we had.  I agree...

Does everyone agree though, that if your little kid years were BETTER THAN your teens, how that drives nostalgia even more?

Mine certainly were, for reasons I've gone into before (i.e. a less stable home life, worries about self esteem or fitting in, parents splitting up, relatives dying). It wasn't horrible and I had some cool times, but when it was occuring, it sure wasn't that great either.

That's why I'll never love 1995 as much as I love, say 1988. Even if my teenage years have become sorta nostalgic now too, it's not the same magic feeling.

I'd rather reminisce about family stuff, toys or discovering songs or just my initial personality in Elementary school, rather than rebelling and going to parties in high school (well, geeks/goody two shoes like me barely went to any regardless, but you get my point). ;D

Marty, I couldn't agree or relate to you more


Thanks Vegetto. :) Yeah, video games enhance childhood don't they? The N64 sounds like your equivalent of what the NES was for me (from about 6 to 11 I was attached to it, my dad even played them with me).


I guess childhood is great because you don't have to contend with any issues like peer pressure, looks or fitting in/being cool. You're more pure in what you like or how you feel, and you're TOTALLY dependent on your parents or other adults for everything.

That's probably why "popular people" like jocks and cheerleaders reminisce more about teen/young adult years, because they naturally fit into that better and didn't worry as much. For the record that's not a knock against anyone who is/was like that lol, it's just a basic observation I've picked up on. ;)

I was born in 1988 and I miss the 90's (actually 1992-2001). Which means I miss my childhood years. I am especially fond of my pre-teen years (9-12), because I had really good friends then. It was a great time. The time 2001-2008 is/was losing myself, but I think, that I will find my true identity ib 2009-2010. And my true identity is very similar to my childhood self actually. To put it simple, I've "lost" myself, and soon I will "find" myself.  Wish me luck! :)

I can relate to what Erin was talking about as far as childhood being a much simpler time.  She and I have discussed before the fact that we had very similar childhood memories - playing outside all day, riding bikes, all the neighborhood kids playing together, feeling safe and secure.  It was definitely a different world back then.  In that regard, I am definitely nostalgic for my childhood.  As far as my family went, however, I had quite a difficult childhood, so I don't miss that part of it at all. 

That being said,  I think it's also pretty fair to say that adolescence is a difficult time for everyone.  I don't think that anyone has a very easy time in junior high - even the popular kids.  I had a dream the other night that I had to start the seventh grade all over again, and it was just awful.  That time in your life, when you're trying to figure out who you are...your body is changing...you are discovering the opposite sex...you are trying to fit in and your friends all start to change - it's just rough.  I wouldn't go back for all the money in the world.  But when I got to high school I started to blossom.  I went from a chubby kid to a more svelte woman, and became more self assured, and really started to get to know who I was.  I also did my fair share of partying, and I had so much fun.  I definitely long for those days, when I didn't have any responsibilities, when I just hung out with my friends and lived for the moment.  This time of the year I get especially nostalgic - in the summer I always seemed to come alive.  I look at pictures of myself back then, so thin and suntanned, and I just miss that girl.  I had the whole world ahead of me.  And it's not that I'm not happy with my life right now.  I absolutely adore my husband, and really, I couldn't be happier.  But I miss those days.  I think it's normal to look back at the times in our lives when we didn't have to worry as much, whether it be as kids, or as teenagers, and miss those times.  I worried a lot as a kid, about things that I didn't have any control over.  As a teenager I learned to let those things go.  Maybe that's why I'm more nostalgic for my teen years.  And maybe thats why some of you guys wish you could be kids again.

I actually like my middle school years(1991-1994) better than my young childhood. High School what a drag all I did was listen to music, follow NASCAR and the NBA. High School is just all a big game with trying to get in a "cool clique" and all that. Don;t get me wrong I still love the music that I grew up with in High School(1994-1998) but I wouldn;t want to do the High School experience all over again. I wasn't a geek or a nerd in High School I just was somehere in the middle of the nerds and the popular kids.

You know I have been thinking about 1996 the last couple of days with songs like "Wax Ecstatic" by Sponge and "Guilty" by Gravity Kills. I also remember in NASCAR when the popular names were Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Sterling Marlin, and Mark Martin of course Jeff Gordon was popular back then but the drivers that were rookies in the late 70's and 80's were still the premiere drivers on the circut. Some of the newcomers like Jeff Burton and Bobby Labonte were on the rise back then too. OF course I enjoy watching drivers like Kyle Busch(man that guy is something else)and Carl Edwards currently.

I think it's normal to look back at the times in our lives when we didn't have to worry as much, whether it be as kids, or as teenagers, and miss those times.  I worried a lot as a kid, about things that I didn't have any control over.  As a teenager I learned to let those things go.  Maybe that's why I'm more nostalgic for my teen years.  And maybe thats why some of you guys wish you could be kids again.

True, I'll agree with that. People miss times when they were happier, regardless of their age...because it's like an escape from the present. I would just never want to back to the living hell that my teenage years were. Being rejected from cliques, feeling self conscious about my appearance and not comfortable with who I really was, yet all I wanted were the things everyone does (acceptance, a girlfriend, people to converse and go out with)....all mixed on top of losing the comforts of home life I had 8 or 10 years earlier.

The only thing I really like about it is that it was "closer to the past" and there were more old-school things hanging around. But there's not much I miss about, say 1998 as far as the time itself. I had some cool times, but overall it was a struggle. To be honest I'm only starting NOW to really shake off the discomfort and insecurities that started then.

If you think about it, in your teens you're really caught inbetween two worlds, with elements of both, yet without the full benefit of either (i.e. the comfort and security of early childhood, or the freedom of young adulthood).

I actually like my middle school years(1991-1994) better than my young childhood. High School what a drag all I did was listen to music, follow NASCAR and the NBA. High School is just all a big game with trying to get in a "cool clique" and all that. Don;t get me wrong I still love the music that I grew up with in High School(1994-1998) but I wouldn;t want to do the High School experience all over again. I wasn't a geek or a nerd in High School I just was somehere in the middle of the nerds and the popular kids.

You know I have been thinking about 1996 the last couple of days with songs like "Wax Ecstatic" by Sponge and "Guilty" by Gravity Kills. I also remember in NASCAR when the popular names were Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Sterling Marlin, and Mark Martin of course Jeff Gordon was popular back then but the drivers that were rookies in the late 70's and 80's were still the premiere drivers on the circut. Some of the newcomers like Jeff Burton and Bobby Labonte were on the rise back then too. OF course I enjoy watching drivers like Kyle Busch(man that guy is something else)and Carl Edwards currently.



Yeah dude, I liked middle school too (1994-early '96) actually.

I guess I'm still a little bitter because in high school I got more flack for being geeky or "less cool" than the in-crowd (even if I actually had a higher number of friends then). Whereas in junior high I still got more widespread acceptance, or girls thinking I was cute etc. ;) I was shyer then, though. In high school I tried more, and it didn't always work, so I guess that hurt more.

Have you seen the movie Romy and Michelle's HS Reunion? That's exactly how it was for me, just in a guy's version lol.

I actually like my middle school years(1991-1994) better than my young childhood. High School what a drag all I did was listen to music, follow NASCAR and the NBA. High School is just all a big game with trying to get in a "cool clique" and all that. Don;t get me wrong I still love the music that I grew up with in High School(1994-1998) but I wouldn;t want to do the High School experience all over again. I wasn't a geek or a nerd in High School I just was somehere in the middle of the nerds and the popular kids.



I know what you mean there. High school really sucked for me too. :(

The main reason that i'm more nostalgic for my kid years than my teenage years is because, in all honesty, they have only been over for a couple of years. I'm sure that 15 or 20 years from now I will probably miss both, even though i'm sure I will always favor my childhood over adolescence at least a little bit.

Yes, it's all about simpler times. My mom didn't have to worry about us taking off for the day to ride our bikes and play with the neighbor kids. As long as we checked in, stopped off to grab lunch, and were home by dinner....she was perfectly fine. Nowadays, parents cannot trust and assume that their kids will be okay, even if they let them stay IN their own yard. I watch Vaughn LIKE A HAWK, and I wouldn't have it any other way now.

In the '80's things were more carefree. It seemed like there was more stuff to do for kids too...fun stuff. Nowadays, if you aren't practically rich, the choices are far and few between. We as kids were content playing with neighbors all day, riding our bikes, writing our names in the air with sparklers, engaging in games such as Red Rover and Hide & Seek, going to the swimming pool all day long, and spending hours catching fireflies in glass jars. I think that the majority of kids of today would get bored with a lot of those sort of things. They would rather play video games, hang on the computer, etc. I try to instill the more simple things in life into Vaughn. I want him to be able to appreciate things that I did when I was his age. :)


I know exactly what you mean.  Back then there was a ton of stuff for kids and teens to do.  There were malls, arcades, nice movie theaters, and in general there were just a lot of place to go and things to do.  These days there's nothing left, and it seems like everyone is trying to stop teens and kids from going anywhere.  But then again I cant blame them.  Kids these days are rotten and immature for the most part.  They don't know how to handle freedom and act their own age.  The lack of proper parenting doesn't help much either. 

Overall I had a way better childhood than anything I've experienced now.  When I was a kid life seemed like so much fun, but now its just problem after problem.  My teen years and adulthood just cant seem to compete with my childhood. 

I know exactly what you mean.  Back then there was a ton of stuff for kids and teens to do.  There were malls, arcades, nice movie theaters, and in general there were just a lot of place to go and things to do.  These days there's nothing left, and it seems like everyone is trying to stop teens and kids from going anywhere.  But then again I cant blame them.  Kids these days are rotten and immature for the most part.  They don't know how to handle freedom and act their own age.  The lack of proper parenting doesn't help much either. 

Overall I had a way better childhood than anything I've experienced now.  When I was a kid life seemed like so much fun, but now its just problem after problem.  My teen years and adulthood just cant seem to compete with my childhood. 
There are still malls and movie theaters around but malls were more popular in the 80's-mid 90's though to go to. I would say the mall was a "cool place to go" from maybe 1987/1988-1994/1995.

I agree with Marty here.

For me it's memorable, but I cannot qualify it as "happy."
:(

To put things in perspective, I was born in 1983..

Early childhood: I had some very fond memories..  I can't say I really enjoyed or hated it but I generally have positive memories of my earlier days.

High School: I lived in a very sheltered suburban neighborhood and went to prep school.  I had strict parents who rarely allowed me to go out even though I had nearly perfect grades.  I spent the vast majority of my free time on the Internet, especially when Internet gaming was starting to take shape in the late 90's.

College: I went to probably one of the most liberal universities in the nation.  I let loose during my first few years after being pent up for so long in high school although I never did any illegal drugs (still haven't.)  Back then, I actually missed the simplicity of my high school years but looking back, college is definitely a happier memory.