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Original poster

What did you not have growing up?

305 replies

littlemisscomper · 21/10/2018 20:20

That 'everybody else in the world!' had? For me it was a tamagotchi. My mum was afraid of it waking me up at night because she heard you couldn't switch them off. I desperately wanted a 101 dalmatians one. I have a lump in my throat thinking about it now! It felt so lonely to be the only one in the playground without one. I even looped a Christmas cracker keyring over my finger and held it in my hand so I could pretend to myself I was like the others. Blush

What about you guys?

OP posts:
sashh · 22/10/2018 05:09

Any toys advertised on TV.

Fireworks.

LongSummerDays · 22/10/2018 05:35

Me Frosty (the adverts must have been GOOD! We all wanted one!)

I yearned for the Sindy dining room set with candles. I got a knock off chair no table. How could Sindy entertain? Shock

But then I suppose that as everything I got my younger sister got at the same time or mine was given to her because of her tantrums - best being with a pippa doll on Xmas morning that I hadn't even taken out of the box when miss green-eyed goddess kicked off and I was told it was my fault if Christmas was ruined if I didn't let her have it. I was a bigger girl and she was too young to realise, come on don't be mean. Angry

maddiemookins16mum · 22/10/2018 06:24

A Barbie or Cindy, my DM hated them so I had an Action Girl instead (and her horse). Oh and Buckaroo and Operation. I’m still scarred.

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General health
nosyparka · 22/10/2018 06:45

We had central heating but my dad was too stingy to put it on unless he was cold. All us kids were skinny so were freezing all the time. But weirdly it wasn't until I moved out that I realised how much time I'd spent being COLD - trying to warm school uniform on the barely-on radiator before I put it on, wearing several layers to bed etc

Obviously whenever I visit now it's sweltering there.

rosy71 · 22/10/2018 07:02

A car
A phone (we got one when I was 11)
A video recorder
riding lessons

Nakedavenger74 · 22/10/2018 07:17

A brother or sister.....

stumpyteapot · 22/10/2018 07:21

A bike !

I have never understood why .

0lga · 22/10/2018 07:23

Parents who loved me

Jeans

Shoes apart from school shoes

By the time I was a teenager I cared more about the jeans and shoes

tombstoneteeth · 22/10/2018 07:27

A mother who actually loved us. A father who would acknowledge our existence. Sanitary pads/tampons. We had torn-up old scratchy towels that had to be washed by hand in secret, after being soaked in a bucket in the wash house.

GuntyMcGee · 22/10/2018 07:40

Teddy Ruckspin
Mr frosty
A La Carte Kitchen
A bike with a doll carrier on the back

Central Heating
Double Glazing
Holidays abroad

Had a pretty awesome childhood though despite all that

sheldonstwin · 22/10/2018 07:44

I know that this is lightweight compared with many here, but I longed for pretty clothes and shoes when I was growing up. In many ways I was lucky as a kid, but I had to wear my sister's cast -offs or the odd catalogue crimplene dress. I only had my school shoes and plimsolls, too. By the time I was about 13/14 I would go into shoe shops just to try on all the latest style shoes, and I would wander round the local Chelsea Girl just dreaming of owning some of those little tops and flares.
I buy a lot of clothes and shoes now and I do think it's because I didn't have nice clothes when I was growing up.

Enb76 · 22/10/2018 07:53

I didn’t really want anything. There are lots of things on this thread I didn’t have but I never felt I was missing out on anything though used to love going to friends houses to play with stuff. I guess the one thing I would have liked but never got was my parents to be around for my birthday - they always went on a particular holiday. Nothing material though. My child is the same - when asked what presents she wants her answer is always books.

Mississippilessly · 22/10/2018 07:55

Lighthearted answer:
MR Frosty
One of those toy dogs on leads.

Actual answer:
Privacy
Autonomy
Independence

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 22/10/2018 08:00

A Scalextrix
Nice clothes (not hideous brown flared cords from the catalogue)
Riding lessons

And I would have liked parents I felt I could talk to, instead of them flipping out over everything. I learned to be very secretive and still am.

Penguinsetpandas · 22/10/2018 08:02

Ears pierced not until 21 and I got shouted at then. Hmm

No Barbie or Sindy but that was as I didn't like them.

Stoppedat1 · 22/10/2018 08:05

Another one who didn't have a Mr Frosty. My DBro bought me one for my 30th. It was shit Grin

I did have an a la carte kitchen though. Preens

Stoppedat1 · 22/10/2018 08:07

I wonder if my 4 y/o DD will be on here as an adult because I'm not buying her the skateboard she wants for Christmas this year

Singlenotsingle · 22/10/2018 08:12

A phone
A bathroom
A car
Double glazing
Central heating
Nice clothes

thenightsky · 22/10/2018 08:13

Inside toilets. We had to share our outside lavvy (4 toilets, 8 houses).

Bathroom. We had a tub in front of the kitchen stove on Sunday nights, with the clothes horse set up for privacy. Strip washes in the kitchen sink on other days.

Central heating. Remember writing my name in the thick frost on the inside of the bedroom windows.

This was all when I was very small though... we got a bathroom and toilet when I was about eight and central heating when I was a teenager.

cortex10 · 22/10/2018 08:14

A hairdryer - had to sit by the gas fire for ages drying (singeing) my wet hair - it was the first thing I bought when I got a Saturday job.

Moanella · 22/10/2018 08:27

A video recorder. I think my parents finally acquired one once I'd left home, when everyone was getting dvd players.
My DH is astonished at my lack of film knowledge.

Crispyduckskin · 22/10/2018 08:52

Love, affection, appropriate boundaries.

TV
Washing machine
Car

New clothes, clean clothes unless I washed them myself

Enough food
Protection from the inevitable abuse

All in a big house full of antique furnishings, oil paintings and first edition books.

Nobody knew because nobody looked, left on my sixteenth birthday and didn't look back.

witherwings · 22/10/2018 09:12

I also desperately wanted a mr frosty. But my neighbour got one (they had everything!) and it was crap so didn't really want one after that.
I wanted jeans. I had skirts and corduroy trousers. Not sure why I wasn't allowed jeans but finally got some when I was about 13.

Babybearsporij · 22/10/2018 09:15

A Tressie doll
Barbie / Sindy - everything had to be educational

MadisonAvenue · 22/10/2018 09:17

We didn’t have a car. My Dad could drive and had a Mini in the 60s but that was sold just before I was born and he’s never driven since.

We got central heating when I was 4 but there were only 3 radiators in the house, the only one upstairs was in my parents’ room, they had one fitted in my bedroom after I’d left home. The house was bitterly cold when I was growing up.

Meals in restaurants, or even in cafes for that matter.

Swimming lessons.

Didn’t go to the cinema.

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