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Random childhood memories, good or bad, important or frivolous ...

kenny

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
34,659
Post the first that come into your head.
I'll go first.

Circa 1967 my family moved from the Midwest to California.
When packing up for the movers I hid my then-precious "granny glasses" (a Beatle hippy fad) in a drawer of my mother's dresser.
Had I known they were about to vanish forever, I'd have kept them with me in our car trip to CA.

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All of our household belongings were sent to storage, to be sent for after we got on our feet in California.

We never did get on our feet.
As it were our family fell into poverty, and dad into alcohol abuse.
After months of unpaid storage bills our possessions were auctioned off.
Gone forever ... family photos and all.

Good memories ...
The magical glow late at night of the Christmas tree lights.
Making angels in the snow.
Rollerskating with those stakes with metal wheels that you clamp onto the bottom of your shoes.

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Getting a guitar one Christmas morning that was bought with S&H Green Stamps.
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One of my very first memories is when I was a flower girl for my aunt and uncle's (mom's younger brother) wedding in 1968. I was 3. I was wearing a yellow frilly (very short) dress with black shiny shoes and I was sitting on the marble platform waiting for the ceremony to begin and my thighs were freezing as the marble was cold and my dress short. I then remember walking down the aisle as flower girl and people staring at me awwwwing and oohing and I remember being shy with all the people looking at me and making awww comments. That is one of my very first memories. My aunt and uncle are still happily married all these decades later.
 
good memories: we had a speed boat and I loved to go boating and my sperm donor taught all us kids to water ski and yeah some good Christmas's

bad memories: welp not sure you all are ready for that...maybe some day, its just too painful
 
The best memories from my childhood center around Christmas. We had a lot of decorations, old ones, nothing like they make today. My mom would let me put some ornaments on the treee and then watching the tree light up like magic from those big colorful bulbs. Amazing.

My mother passed away when I was eight but there is a memory I have kept for 34 years. The last Christmas, I woke up to see my mom sitting in a chair next to the Christmas tree (I didn’t have my own bed so I slept on the sofa). She was extremely sick at this point with cancer and would pass the following May. She was peacefully asleep with the Christmas lights casting a soft glow on her. As I looked at her I told myself that I never wanted to forget that moment.
 
YadaYadaYada said:
The best memories from my childhood center around Christmas. We had a lot of decorations, old ones, nothing like they make today. My mom would let me put some ornaments on the treee and then watching the tree light up like magic from those big colorful bulbs. Amazing.

My mother passed away when I was eight but there is a memory I have kept for 34 years. The last Christmas, I woke up to see my mom sitting in a chair next to the Christmas tree (I didn’t have my own bed so I slept on the sofa). She was extremely sick at this point with cancer and would pass the following May. She was peacefully asleep with the Christmas lights casting a soft glow on her. As I looked at her I told myself that I never wanted to forget that moment.
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❤️
 
YadaYadaYada said:
The best memories from my childhood center around Christmas. We had a lot of decorations, old ones, nothing like they make today. My mom would let me put some ornaments on the treee and then watching the tree light up like magic from those big colorful bulbs. Amazing.

My mother passed away when I was eight but there is a memory I have kept for 34 years. The last Christmas, I woke up to see my mom sitting in a chair next to the Christmas tree (I didn’t have my own bed so I slept on the sofa). She was extremely sick at this point with cancer and would pass the following May. She was peacefully asleep with the Christmas lights casting a soft glow on her. As I looked at her I told myself that I never wanted to forget that moment.
Click to expand...

Sending warm ((hugs)) @YadaYadaYada ❤️
 
YadaYadaYada said:
The best memories from my childhood center around Christmas. We had a lot of decorations, old ones, nothing like they make today. My mom would let me put some ornaments on the treee and then watching the tree light up like magic from those big colorful bulbs. Amazing.

My mother passed away when I was eight but there is a memory I have kept for 34 years. The last Christmas, I woke up to see my mom sitting in a chair next to the Christmas tree (I didn’t have my own bed so I slept on the sofa). She was extremely sick at this point with cancer and would pass the following May. She was peacefully asleep with the Christmas lights casting a soft glow on her. As I looked at her I told myself that I never wanted to forget that moment.
Click to expand...

I remember you telling this story before. I'm so sorry that you lost your Mom at such a young age.
I'm glad you have this beautiful memory of her.
 
When I was about 7, I used to play with the girl down the street.
We had fun skating on her patio wearing those clamp-on skates that @kenny was talking about. I fell a lot, too!
This girl's Mom had a big box of clothes for us to play dress up with. There were 2 beautiful 1950's prom dresses. One was cream colored with crinolines built in and it was like a princess dress!
The other dress was made of yards and yards of tulle covered with big brown flowers. Of course they were too big on us, and the hems were filthy from dragging the ground. I loved to play there and wear those dresses!
 
I have no happy memories of childhood, only feeling scared and worried when the next beating would come.
 
I remember raising my sister very vividly. Even what the poopy nappies look like!

One memory that I've never mentioned to her was how she used to stomp on the bed when she was feeling incredibly joyful. She had only recently learnt to walk and it was this fast and furious stomping motion, accompanied by lots of giggles.

I love her so much. I went to yum cha and shopping with her today. She's coming over tomorrow to hang out. She's my best friend and one of my great loves. It's a privilege to hold those memories of her.
 
My first memories are from when I was about 3-4.
I remember being really angry with my mother and I announced I was running away. My mom suggested I bring a snack so I didn't get hungry. So she packed me a snack and I went out to the front lawn, sat under a tree and ate my snack. Afterwards I wasn't so angry so I went back in the house and announced I was done running away.

I was sexually abused between the ages of 2-3 by a babysitter's son. I have some of those memories, too, as my earliest memories. They mostly come in images and flashes.
 
My heart goes out to all of us who were abused as children.
Unfortunately, I understand.
 
Hi,

I also remember my father whose face always lit up when he saw me, whether or not it was when I was 3 and would run to him when he came from work, or, when I was 8 and would stop off at his store on the way back to school, or when I was a teenager and had a new dress that he would compliment.

i have wonderful memories of my childhood with the exception of my mother. She was mean. Agustina , I know that fear. My mother didn't like me very much underneath. She did not spare the rod and there were times I asked my brother to say he did it. He wouldn't get hit.. To this day my brother or I cannot figure out why she disliked me so. Sad, for all of us kids who didn't understand the mindset of those that were supposed to love us. She did do some good things for me, but she like to strap me and hit me. Once she tried to hit my brother and he hit her back and told her to never ever do that again. She didn't. He stopped her. I saw it all. He was about 13,

Families go on. I loved it back then.

Annette
 
HI:

I remember decorating our silver Christmas tree, my Mom had a ritual certain things in a certain order LOL and the frosty light bulbs (can't buy those anymore).

I also recall her crying when JFK died; I was thinking why is my Mother crying? I was pretty young, but I can still see it in my head.

And my Dad pouring the skating rink in our back yard every year. Such a lot of work and he didn't even skate.

cheers--Sharon
 
Love this thread! I have so many happy memories.

My mom would drive to a dairy every summer and buy the best popsicles ever! My friends and I would sit by the pool and eat them on our hot brick deck. I also loved when my dad would swim with us- he was such a fun man!

My mom baked regulary and coming home to her cookies was the best thing. She was awesome! When she went out to dinner, she'd always bring home a dinner roll from the restaurant, wrapped in a paper napkin. I loved to get in her purse the next morning and find the roll.

I loved playing house and had several dolls and stuffed animals. I also played school and would have parent-teacher conferences with the parents of the mean kids. I hated playing outside unless I was swimming, although I always liked riding my bike. One of my friends wasn't allowed to play inside. I hated going to her house.

And finally, when I was six my parents bought a boat. From then on, summers meant trips to Catalina. It is still one of my favorite places. My mom died last year and wanted to be scattered there. My daughter just can't accept us getting rid of her grammy yet, so my mom is still in a box, on the chair she had for 50+ years.

Catholic school was awful. I hope those teachers are burning in hell. My brother was always jealous of me and very mean to me. Some of his behavior was abusive. I was extremely smart, and he struggled. We never got along, and he's gone now. I'm so envious of siblings with close relationships. Then there was my grandpa who lived with us and did things grandpas shouldn't do to little girls.....

@kenny We went to the Blue Chip Stamp store. SO freaking fun! Thank you for starting this thread. The past few years I've focused only on negative events. I don't even know what precipitated it. It's only recently that I've worked at replacing them with all the happy memories I have, and this thread brought back so many of them!
 
My grandma always had chocolate biscuits (cookies) in a big tin
if you feel over no matter how unhurt you were you got a bandaid and a chocolate biscuit

there was this one fake rubber chocolate biscuit
it was probably covered in bite marks from my cousin and I

no one got germs back then !

Grandma and grandad went that old - they both died at 72 in the same year but back then they seemed so old

my grandad (and grandma) were the best grandad and grandma
I wish i had been older so i could have had them longer

i feel so bad for people who have awful and bad memories c/o the Catholic church because the nuns that took care of my grandma in the home did a really wonderful job with love and dignity
 
I remember the local kids I was friends with used to go and take the chrome tyre valve caps off random sports cars etc to put on their BMX bikes. Sometimes we'd meet up and they'd show me what they had gotten and would give me some to put on my bike, I never had the guts to do it myself

One day I was with a few kids and we got chased by a guy, turns out he recognised one of my friends who had taken the valve caps off his car. He caught my friend, took his bike and put it in a tree in his front yard and told my friend if he wants it back then his parents can come get it. He got grounded for a month for that.
I had never done it before that happened and I DEFINITELY wouldn't after :lol:
 
Austina said:
I have no happy memories of childhood, only feeling scared and worried when the next beating would come.
Click to expand...

I just want to pick you up as your childhood self & wrap you up in safety & love. These memories scar us & never fade. I believe they change who we are inside & leave us bitter feelings towards the perpitrators
 
This may sound sad to begin with, however, it has a positive ending I promise.

My dad was a heavy drinker and got drunk frequently. Although he was not violent when he was drunk, his drunken episodes were still very distressing, like threatening behaviours and throwing things about (nearly always missed the intended target).

I was asthmatic when I was young, so I was usually spared and left alone, or I would end up with an asthmatic attack.

During one of these drunken episodes, my mum decided to pack a bag and leave him at home with me and my siblings, for us to stay in a hotel nearby.

My siblings and I were overjoyed, as it was like an outing for us in a plush hotel room away from him.

However, my mum was guilt ridden, worried about him being left alone, and what could happen to him, such as hurting himself and choking on his sick etc...

Within about a couple of hours, we left the hotel and went back home, to find he was fast asleep.

I asked my mum why she put up with him, and she said she was not able to support herself and us on her own financially etc...

From that point onwards, I swore I would be financially independent when I grew up, without being dependent on another person to provide for me.

My mum and I remember that incident with a mixture of sadness and fondness.

I have my dad to thank for what I am today - for getting a good education and be able to support myself financially.

Oh, and for teaching me to drink and to play Mah-jong when I was 11 - he said they were very importance life and social skills, being Chinese in HK with a large extended family etc...

DK :))
 
Thank you @Made in London, there are people who’ve been through far worse, and I came out the other side, and married someone who is the complete opposite of my father. It was actually the 43rd anniversary of our first date on Thursday, I just hope my son looks back on his childhood with very different memories.
 
My sister loved her Barbie dolls.
My brother would pull their heads off and sis would scream and cry.
Then he'd hold all the heads up by the hair and chase sis around the house with them.
Cruel and brutal, but funny to my sick sense of humor.

In 1964 sis saw The Beatles live in Chicago.
She shopped forever and bought a special dress to wear for "the most important day of my life".
After the concert she cherished it and never wore it again.
It also ended up being sold in that storage auction. :(sad
 
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Is it just me or are the more traumatizing memories the ones that stick with you the most?

My mom has (had?) some mental issues while we were growing up. She wasn’t a bad mom but she did have her moments of sucky parenting. I remember she had a rough day when my brother and I were very young. Maybe 4-5 years old. She called us into the bathroom and, while she lounged in the tub, she proceeded to tell us how none of the fairy tails were real. No Easter bunny, no tooth fairy, no Santa Claus, etc. That‘s stuck with me through the years.

Around the same age, my parents threw me a birthday party. I remember being alone in a dark kitchen...just me and the cake, while a big group of people sang “happy birthday” from out in the living room. I freaking balled my eyes out. I guess that was my first sign that I‘d be living that introvert life. :lol: The second might have been as an early teen, my mom was literally begging me to go outside and do anything...but I was too busy inside reading a book. I’d compromise and go outside to read instead.

Here’s one of my favorite memories growing up. When I was around 11-12, I made friends with an older lady who lived on my street. She had a beautiful cat that I’d come and visit everyday (so, in reality, maybe I just made friends with her cat). Anyways, her cat got preggers and had a litter of the most adorable kittens. She said I could have the pick of the litter so I begged my dad every day for weeks! He‘s not a cat fan so it was a tough sell. Eventually, I wore him down and he let me bring one home. I have such vivid memories of those kittens. I used to visit them every day. I remember laying down and having all of them on my chest. The fattest little roley poley of a kitten rolled right off my chest and into the crook of my arm. That’s the kitten I picked and I absolutely adored her.
 
kenny said:
My sister loved her Barbie dolls.
My brother would pull their heads off and sis would scream and cry.
Then he'd hold all the heads up by the hair and chase sis around the house with them.
Cruel and brutal, but funny to my sick sense of humor.

In 1964 sis saw The Beatles live in Chicago.
She shopped forever and bought a special dress to wear for "the most important day of my life".
After the concert she cherished it and never wore it again.
It also ended up being sold in that storage auction. :(sad
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=)2
:lol:
And also
:(2
My sister is 5 years younger
I remenber quite a lot family life before her
i remenber one day when she was just a tot and my dad saying not to tease her or we wouldn't grow up freinds

i wasn't nearly as mean to her as she was to me but we bearly text a few times a year
she had these stuffed smurf toys and i would throw them on the roof of the varrannder

My most treasured childhod possessions were lost by crown removals about 15 years ago
Lots of my dad's stuff too
i don't even think i have a family pbotograph

Im trully sorry about your storage locker @kenny
 
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I have vivid memories of the carefree days when I was in Jr. High school.
After dinner, My grandparents would come by the house, as they lived nearby. Dad would go to Mister Donut, and bring back two dozen assorted donuts. Sis and I loved the ones filled with vanilla or chocolate frosting!
Mom would put coffee on, and the deck of cards would come out. We would all sit around the kitchen table playing 500 rum, laughing and eating donuts till midnight.
I wish I could bring those days back.
 
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I remember my dad coming home from work every evening. Mom would be greeting him at the door with freshly applied lipstick. He was wearing a hat and carrying his leather monogrammed briefcase. He would bend down to greet me and call me my pet name.
I had a pretty special childhood.
What I remember most is how much my parents loved one another and I grew up knowing that they adored each other. Their marriage was first, we kids were second. And that's not a bad thing to grow up with.
 
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