What would the child you once were think of the adult you have become?

Question

This isn't the first time this question has been asked. What has made it so popular this time around is all the amazing answers everyone has contributed. It's gonna be hard to choose a best answer, and I've enjoyed reading them even the short funny ones. Thanks to all for sharing.

Answer 1

What a great question! When I was a little girl, my stuffed animals became my "students" on the weekends when my bedroom was magically transformed into my "classroom" and I, the kind and caring teacher.

When I entered adulthood, I made some very poor choices for my life, so minimum wage jobs became the reality, as did having more kids than I could afford, marrying a man who was worthless, blah, blah...

But in 1983, two years after I left the worthless one, I met the most wonderful man on the planet. He encouraged me to go to college, and at forty years old, I found myself graduating with honors with a degree that would allow me to teach!!

The child I once was thinks the adult she's become is pretty wonderful. All the negative experiences have helped me become more compassionate, and they have also given me a greater understanding of my students whose lives are difficult.

Yep! That little child is patting me on the back after fifteen years of teaching saying, "You go Grandma!" Life is such a gift! Have a wonderful day and thanks for the question! Annie

Answer 2

Great question - In fact, maybe the best one I have ever seen on here since I have been on Yahoo Answers. Very deep and thought provoking.

The overall answer to your question from me.... Proud.
But I went through so many stages while I was growing up. I went through a period when I had grand expectations. I wanted to be a millionaire of course, like most kids dream of. Needless to say that didn't happen. I am comfortable, but not filthy rich. I am however very lucky and I'm rich in other ways besides financially. I have the most wonderful husband in the world and two beautiful daughters, all of whom I am very proud of. I am actually proud of myself too. Although, not that many years ago I wouldn't have had the same answer to this question that I have today.

My life has been hard to say the least. I lost both my parents at an early age. I married a loser and really had to struggle just to keep myself and my daughters alive. We were poor, physically and mentally abused, and miserable. However, I was able to get rid of the jerk who treated us so bad and move on. I got an education and a great job. I have since met who I consider to be my Prince Charming. I rose up and created a great life for myself and most importantly my daughters. We have everything we need and almost everything we ever wanted. We now own a successful, steadily growing business and are getting stronger by the day.

I suppose when I was a wild rebellious teenager I would look at the adult I am now and say I was old and boring, but in reality that is totally not true. I still have ALOT of fun. I have matured and I am still the same person I have always been, maybe just a new and improved version. Also, I now totally understand why mom and dad didn't let me do every single thing I wanted to do while I was growing up, and why they worried about me constantly. When my teenage kids ask me if they can do something, I try to think back to what my parents would have said. Maybe I am a bit more strict than they were, but I forgive them for every party and date I didn't get to go on because now I know exactly why they said no.
I hope I am as good of a parent as mine were.

I am 34 years old now and I still am a kid at heart. I love to ride motorcycles, 4-wheelers, jet - ski's and have fun as much as I can.

All of my kids friends stay at our house all the time and tell me I am the coolest mom ever. That means alot to me because it's what I always hoped I'd be.

Answer 3

I'm turning fourteen next month, and even in the past year I have seen incredible change in my own personality, outlook, and general happiness. If five year old Hannah met thirteen year old Hannah, she would probably be disappointed at first - I don't have the perfect body, or the prettiest face, or the title "Miss Popularity," - but then she would soon come to love who she is now.

She would be surprised that I did not make a single friend in elementary school that I am still close to. She would be shocked and definitely upset that my two best friends have both deserted me. She would be excited that I have a great boyfriend, AMAZING friends, and a pretty good family situation. I have followed my dream of becoming a gymnast, and she would be proud to see me at competitions.

Overall, I think it would be a positive experience!

Answer 4

I think the child I was would like the adult I have become. The child I was valued loyalty, honesty and openmindedness. The adult I have become shares these values. The child I was longed for acceptance - the adult I have become is accepting.
My kids and my kids' friends enjoy my company so I think the child I was would be friends with the adult that I am. Too bad we can't do the "Back To The Future" thing and really find out.

Answer 5

I remember in the fifth grade, we had to write a computer program that would calculate how old we would be in the year 2000. I recall thinking how OLD that would make me. My birthday is on Monday, and even though I have added seven years to that, I still do not feel old. It also helps that people tell me all the time that I look ten to twenty years younger than I am. : )


I grew up in a small town in Iowa. There was a cornfield that was against our back yard. The town had a population of about 30,000. I have since moved to Memphis, TN. While Memphis is not a huge city, it differs greatly from where I grew up.

I have to admit that I was quite naive growing up. Moving to Memphis has broadened my view of the world. There are many things that I have been through that I wish were not in my past. I have seen more things in my lifetime than I care to have seen. I have been through more things as well. Still, when all is said and done, all of those things have helped to create who I am.

I do not think that the child that I was would think poorly of me. I am not rich or famous, but I feel successful. I am not giving up. I continue to learn, change, expand my mind, and improve myself. There are also more things in my life that I am proud of than I am ashamed of. I believe that the adult I am could inspire that child I was.

Answer 6

The child wud look at the adult and think that life is very complicated - many things that the child never thought of achieving have been achieved and many things that shudn't hv happened have happened. It is a mixed blessing.

In fact u wudn't believe, I still have memories going forth and back between the child and my adulthood trying to reconcile - was it worth it, did I do it the right way, why did I choose that path in life, etc etc. And I still go back in time and can see myself looking into future - just like u wud look into the mirror and see that the child in u looking at u as curious as u r. This is no movie but the truth.
Good question.

Answer 7

I think this is best question i have ever seen on here..since i have been visting this site..
i think that the child me would be proud..of the person i am..proud that i treat everyone with respect even though sometimes i may not receive it..proud that i am handling my personal life well....but also i think she might be a little disappointed at the fact that i have so much potential and dont know what to do with it..she would tell me to stop being scare and go after what i want..be more agressive in your career..really really take charge of your career

Answer 8

When I was about 12, I had a plan. I was going to own the "last gas for 100 miles" station along a stretch of road. I was going to take every motorist for AT LEAST $1 per gallon! My friend told me gas would NEVER get that high. That was around 1976-77. I was going to be wealthy. I was going to have a really cool motorcycle. I was going to have a wife that looked like Debbie Harry (who was HOT in 1977!).
Not much of it happened. The 12-13 year old scheming child would be hugely disappointed.

Answer 9

I think they would be proud. Every time I discipline my child, I think back to what it was like when I was a child. I remember the mistakes that I made and use that when talking to my sons. I always try to remember what my parents were like and I do the opposite. Yelling and hitting never solved anything. I know the child would be surprised that I do not have a career, but work part time and stay home with kids. Since I said as a kid that I would never get married and have kids....

Answer 10

I think she would be impressed! I've had ADD before there was a medical term for it, and in school, although I was always very "bright" I could work a teachers nerves. Always curious, always out of my seat, always asking questions, I thought I'd be a lawyer! As an adult, however, I did go into the legal field but as an Investigator, sort of like CSI! It was a perfect fit for all the things that people said was "wrong" with me. I think that she would also be sort of proud that I kept a promise to myself to be intricately involved in my children's lives in a way that would allow them to feel safe confiding in me. I wanted to be a writer of children's books, and although I did write a few short stories, one which won 1st prize, and also numerous articles for newspapers! Mini me thought I was ugly, because I had kinky hair a broad nose, and was as thin as a blade of grass! Now I love my "thick" hair which is healthy and the envy of people who find it hard to style their naturally straight hair. My nose, well, I've grown to love and accept it as a unique piece of "me" and my heritage. Am I'm proud to announce that I'm no longer a blade of grass, I've filled out rather nicely, thank you! (lol) And finaly, the child I once was would be surprised to see that you actually have to share stuff with "Ken," aka husbands, and that life in the dollhouse is alot less complicated than in the real world.