Do You Think Your Childhood Was Better Than The Ones Children Have Today?

Question

If so, why?

Answer 1

yes , i was born in 1962 and i remember my childhood years as care free, playing outside, making camps in fields and on building sites( and yes we survived) taking pop bottles back to the 'corona' van for the refund of a penny or so. no computers, no mobile phones, so when you were home , you were home and not concerned so much about what other people were doing. we were content with so much less than the kids of today have.

Answer 2

Materially kids are better off today, but that has it's down-side. There is so much to want! Pressure on parents to keep their children up to scratch with expensive clothing and the latest technology. It is important when you are young to be the same as everyone else, only as we get older do we realise that in fact being individual and different is far preferable. The thing about my childhood which I feel is lacking now, is discipline and respect. I was taught this, along with good manners, and I believe that it did me good. Children need boundaries. However I do feel sorry for youngsters now, because there is so much more temptation and peer pressure. Outdoor games seem to be a thing of the past which is a shame. I may be old fashioned, but I think it helps children develop communication skills, sharing, imagination and improvisation. So, there are pros and cons, and I realise that the circumstances into which you are born makes a huge difference.

Answer 3

Better in terms of material goods, I suppose. Nobody really starves these days (apart from nutritional starvation from eating processed, chemical laden food). No one has to go to school in rags or shoes with holes in them. A huge percentage of children have tvs in their rooms, game consoles, mp3 players, etc etc. Children aren't forced to leave school at 11 or 12 to get a job to help their parents make ends meet. But, on the other hand, children are often palmed off on nannies and childminders as their parents are off working all the hours they can, and then when they come home from work, they're too tired to spend time with the kids. Very few families spend their evenings together or even eat together. When I was growing up, everyone had dinner together and spent the evening together as the rest of the house was too cold, and there was only one tv - in the living room. No phone in the house either. Now nearly every child has a mobile phone. When I was growing up, children were out of the house all day, whatever the weather, having fun. Children were healthier then. Now children seem to live almost virtual lives - chatting to their friends on phones and computers, rather than going out and playing. I think there are many, many children who would give anything to have mummy and daddy spend some time with them instead of just giving them money or goods out of guilt.

Answer 4

i think, if i can explain this properly! that if a child is a little deprived they grow up to be a nicer person.
i see loads of kids swamped with toys and gadgets and they are not satisfied and they are grabbers, materialistic selfish and dam right spoilt!
they have no respect for their parents or other adults/ teachers included.
in some ways its not better now as they dont have as much freedom ie they cant play out climbing trees etc they are stuck in the house getting fat playing computer games and watching tv.
all in all the less a kid has ( i grew up in the 70s) under thatcher so i had sweet fa and i do appreciate the things i have now i am not materialistic or selfish, i did go and climb trees and play in the dirt! and i have very fond memories.
i think i would be a different person if i had what the kids have today.

Answer 5

Yes because people today believe that children are not allowed to do anything because it is not safe.

I grew up in a small town in Hampshire, pretty much everybody knew everybody, in the summer hols, I would be gone all day, out playing with my friends and my mum would not worry at all, we had times to be home and we stuck to them, we had places we were allowed to go and places we weren't and we stuck to that too. I am pretty sure things are the same there now.

However, I now live in London, and it is not the same, the risks and dangers are and always have been greater in inner city areas (though I don't believe they have increased on a general level as I spend much of my time studying crime trends and figures).

The children I work with here in London do not have anywhere near the opportunities and experiences I had as a child, their classrooms are overcrowded and schools often underperforming (my rural school was a top performer in the county)

My parents bought me up to respect others, respect the law and they placed a high value in my education, I literally needed a not from god to indicate I was at deaths door before my step dad would allow me a day off school - I knew this well and I respected it, I worked hard.

I had the responsibility from the age of 11 or so, of looking after my younger brothers and cooking family meals etc. I therefore know how to cook and look after a family.

I had a part time job at 14, because my parents wanted me to learn the value of money.

These things are not common where I work, and I consider myself very lucky indeed, I don't consider that times have changed as dramatically as the media might want to portray, I do know however, first hand that there is a distinct difference between rural and urban upbringings.

Answer 6

No but my kids do not appreciate everything that they have. We were very poor as kids but my kids are growing up very comfortably and as a result have too much.

The biggest difference apart from money is a disadvantage to my kids, I had lots of freedom! I was allowed out to play all the time from the age of about 7. My 9 year old has only been out on her bike with friends twice and I was nervous both times. I know that I should let her go as she is very mature and we live in a quiet suburb, but find it hard.

Giving kids the freedom to learn is one gift that alot of parents fail to give their children.

Answer 7

i had the best childhood and wish that times were like that for children nowadays!

back then we didnt have all the information that kids have now, we were naiive and could have fun without people telling us what we were doing was dangerous! i could climb trees without someone telling me i could fall and hurt myself (that was part of the fun of it!)
kids nowadays are in such a hurry to grow up and i cant understand why! why do they want to experience sex from the moment they hit teenage years, why do they want to smoke so young and damage their bodies, why does the thought of having a child so young look appealing to them?! im 22 now and i see these teenage mothers pushing 2 or 3 kids in prams smoking away just looking rough and i think to myself did they ever have a childhood? they have missed out on the best part of thier lives. im just thankful i got my childhood because i would go back if i could and do it all again!

Answer 8

Oh crumbs yes.........we used to be out doors all the time playing, and if in doors, played tents. At night sometimes, we'd sit on the doorstep (quietly), with blankets if cold, and all the other children would sit with us...oh dear, I'm becoming nostalgic.......lol

The streets had hardly any traffic and we could go just about anywhere without fear. Yes there were a few weirdo's around then, but luckily, we didn't come across too many.

Answer 9

In some ways yes. Toys, no matter how expensive can make up for love and attention! I may be nostalgic but the air seemed fresher and we werent afraid to go outside to play hopscotch and other games. There was less stress and we were allowed to be children. Not only that. but we were told off if we were too precocious. The days of innocence....Haaaa...

Answer 10

I had a fantastic childhood, we were never bored like the kids of today claim, we just occupied ourselves and there was not computers or anything around then (50's and 60's). I was taken on holiday twice a year, and taken out for day trips most weekends, so I supposed I was privilidged in that way. my mom was more my friend than most moms, I could tell her anything and she would never judge just advise me. yeah, loved my childhood and my mom and dad, oh and one more thing we had respect.