Our childhood memories and experiences are known for shaping our adulthood, and it’s often too easy to focus on the negatives. However, staying grateful is so important for your happiness, and because of this, we share some positive signs that your childhood may not have been as tough as you think!
Caring Parents
As much as your parents may have felt like a pain in your backside as an angsty teen, you probably realize as an adult how important they were! Not everyone is so lucky to have two or even one parent to give them love, so if you did, your childhood probably wasn’t that bad.
Having Access to Education
People say that your school years are the best years, but many children don’t get this experience. Many don’t even have a local library, so if your educational needs were met and you had the opportunity to learn and explore various subjects, you have certainly been given a leg up compared to some.
Having Basic Needs Met
Not knowing where their next meal is coming from poses a huge toll on a child mentally and physically, but chances are, you never experienced this. If your family didn’t struggle to provide the basic necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing, maybe your upbringing wasn’t as treacherous as you thought!
Feeling Loved and Valued
If you experienced love and generally felt valued as a young kid, you have received affection from your parents, and that’s more than many could ever dream of. It’s tragic that things have to be this way, so count your lucky stars and show gratitude for the loving parents or guardians who raised you!
Having Positive Memories
Do your childhood memories include joy, laughter, and happiness, as well as cherished memories of family vacations and celebrations? How about Grandma falling asleep in her dinner at Thanksgiving? If your answer is yes, c’mon–your childhood sounds pretty wholesome, so always remember that!
A Sense of Belonging
Verywell Mind reminds us that we all crave that feeling of belonging, yet many of us never achieve it. So, keep this in mind because if you felt this throughout your childhood, perhaps within a group of friends or just within your family, that is a fantastic position to be in!
Positive Role Models
Having adults in your life who you look up to as a child is an amazing thing that not everyone has! Many people have no access to such supportive mentors to guide them through making the right choices in life, so you really hit the jackpot there!
Having Opportunities to play
Thousands of children worldwide must grow up before their playtime is over, but we bet that wasn’t the case for you! Always remember those moments when you could run wild and free through the forest of your imagination before adult problems were thrust upon you…it’s certainly not something to dismiss!
Learning Important Life Skills
Life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and managing finances may seem like they are adult issues, but where would you be if you hadn’t learned them early on? Being given the opportunities to learn these skills has probably set you up for life, making it far easier to hone these skills in adulthood.
Living in a Stable Home
We mentioned the importance of having a stable support network earlier, but having a stable home is equally important. Having a sense of permanence and belonging in your living situation makes for an admirable childhood, rather than one where you had to move homes frequently and throw away your security on the regular!
Emotional Support
Regular support is one thing, but if you had someone to talk to when you were feeling down or anxious, how could you criticize your childhood? It’s so important for a child’s feelings to be validated and worked through with an adult, yet sadly, so few kids get to experience this.
Age-Appropriate Responsibilities
Chances are, you probably learned the value of responsibility and accountability because you were entrusted with age-appropriate tasks rather than being given adult tasks as a child. Tragically, this latter situation is all too common, so don’t complain so much if your childhood was exactly that–that of a child.
A Great Group Of Friends
Having a friend group who valued, included, and respected you is often taken for granted when you’re a child, but looking back on it, they likely set you up for having better relationships in your future! This isn’t the case for everyone, so make sure you treasure those old friends and stay in touch.
Opportunities for Creativity
According to Psychology Today, having creative outlets as a child meant you were able to express yourself through art, music, or writing, something that not all parents can afford to provide. Even if you were not the next Van Gough or Mozart, having these opportunities helped you more than you could ever imagine!
You Were Treated with Respect
Respect is powerful, but it’s not just for adults; if you felt respected by adults and peers when you were young, this means that others valued your opinions and feelings. Trust us–this is a luxury that many children simply cannot fathom, which is tragic.
Consistent Routines
When we were kids, routines felt like a nightmare, and we would relentlessly fight bedtimes and dinnertimes. If only you knew how important those habits were! This consistency gave you a sense of stability and structure, which made you feel safe and secure, even if you had never realized it.
You Were Encouraged to Pursue Your Interests
Finally, Everyday Education claims that participating in extracurricular activities and pursuing passions at a young age is hugely advantageous, putting you at an advantage over others. Being able to express yourself and hone in on those talents has most likely aided your confidence and abilities through adulthood, something many could only dream of!
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