Neglect. Literally had to learn how to cook on a stove at 6, along with my other siblings. I have no idea where the hell my parents were. They didn’t work. My kids are 6 and 8 and can’t imagine leaving them to their own devices. I remember we would fry up bologna, hot dogs, ham, then eventually meat/stir fry, whatever we could find. Sometimes it would be just cereal or crackers and cheese. We would take turns frying up our bologna like it was an assembly line. Like, I still talk about it now as adults to my siblings (there is 10 of us) and it just boggles our minds because it was just so normal for us. We were those kids who got their meals at school. Up until a certain age I remember my mom was an amazing, attentive mom, and all of a sudden she did a complete 180. She became addicted to gambling, so much so that she would slang the welfare and I dont remember her for 90% of my childhood from 5ish to 22. Around 11 years ago my mom straightened up. She has disappeared for 2 to 3 days a few times over the years but I could tell she’s full of regrets when she comes home. We have forgiven her because she has had a REALLY f*cked up life. She survived the Khmer Rouge and an extremely abusive marriage (forced to wed at 13 to my old ass dad who was 35) so she had a LOT of trauma. When you talk to my mom, it’s like talking to a 14 year old girl. She’s 76 right now.
I always thought that the kids in my class were the youngest in their family like me.
I also always thought that they had both parents that were married.
I also always thought that they had grandparents who lived far away.
I also thought that they went to church on Sunday’s.
It’s interesting how we as children perceive the world from our experiences and then how as adults those and more experiences shape us into the people that we are until we die.
Being physically ill after moderate exercise. I thought that’s why everyone hated it, but it turns out I have a heart problem and shouldn’t be throwing up after spin class
This ones a little dark, but I used to think all parents beat their children. It wasnt until I was 19 and chilling with some friends and we were talking about why none of em heard about my family.
I was like “yeah, I hate them all.” The only exception being my brother.
Told em about my parents and they were like “oh, no. That’s not cool.”
One of my friends who also got beaten as a kid told me “yeah, that’s not supposed to happen” and basically explained how he found out.
Having a Kegerator in our living room growing up with a full keg at all times.