Tonight I have been hit by a huge wave of nostalgia and longing to go back to my childhood

[StealthPolarBear]

Does anyone else get this?

Yearn to return to the time when my children were 4 and 2. It is a feeling of pain. They’re 22 and 20 now.

Crippling nostalgia started for me in my early 40s (about 10 years ago) and is even stronger now.
I miss my lovely (but modest) house, my lovely primary school and friends. Grandparents. Books, TV programmes, clothes from the 70s.
And then my teenage years and high school in the 80s!

I keep telling DC that childhoods were so much better then!

I do. Definitely.

Oh ssd you've made me cry.
With my parents it's the security of knowing I can turn up and they will just look after me. Physically, emotionally financially. I haven't needed that for decades but it's there, no questions asked (well lots but not a condition of help being given). Their worlds have always revolved around me and I'm entitled to assume they always will. Security.
And yes, to whoever said pigeon Street. I used to watch button moon at the childminders.

I get this feeling off 'hiraeth' ...a longing to go back home. Sometimes I imagine what it would like to go back in time for just one day and be sat around with family, there were six of us and to meet up childhood friends.
My dm still lives in the home I was born in so in that respect I am lucky I can return home, Obviously we have all grown up and moved away so it is not the same.
A lovely film resonates with this kind of longing is Peggy Sue Got Married,. She is at a high school reunion, bangs her head, passes out and when she wakes up she is transported back to her high school days and the story revolves around this. It is so touching the reaction she has when she suddenly finds herself back living with her parent's.

Ive been having major strong nostalgia lately from when I was 16 and leaving school.
I was so confident, the world was my oyster and my whole life ahead of me. I thought I was so grown up and had the most amazing freedom. I remember the feeling so well, I was young, pretty, had lots of boyfriends too!
I would love to go back to those carefree times, no financial worries, worries about kids, husbands and general life. I just remember this huge feeling of freedom and excited for the future.
I also miss the music, fashion and culture of the early 90s. It was all so important to me then, I rarely listen to music anymore.

My childhood and teens were not great, but I'd still like to go back, for a peek and a wander, and to see it through my older eyes.

I've had nostalgia from being very small. I remember missing nursery school when I was in the infants! Also I did afternoons only, I missed getting up when I woke up instead of having to get up early for school.

Yes and I was abused mostly emotionally and occasionally physically but the child me always saw the good And for every 100 times I was manipulated and made fun of there was 1 time where my dm was nice to me and it is those times I remember And the summers in the garden (looking back she didn’t want to look after us so left us out there unsupervised but to me it was fun)

Lately I have really been feeling it if I had a time machine to the 90s I woukd go

Definitely. And it's got worse with age 😫. My 40s have been really crap with a horrible divorce and health problems. I'd love to go back to a simpler time. By the time I'm 80 I will be living in my mum's house and have gone full on Mrs Bartholomew. I just need to save up for a grandfather clock 😂

Definitely. I'm 45 and both my parents are dead. My dad died nearly 20 years ago. My brother lives on the other side of the world so I definitely have nostalgia and wish I could go back and relive a few things knowing what I know now

I feel it most when I'm a bit worried about moving forward in some way. Comforting to look back, better to live in the moment, though, most of the time.

@HarebrightCedarmoon

I've had nostalgia from being very small. I remember missing nursery school when I was in the infants! Also I did afternoons only, I missed getting up when I woke up instead of having to get up early for school.

That is dedicated! I don't remember anyhhing like that. I had a fantastic time at university and would pay a lot of money to go back in time to a specific day. But it's not the same. Somehow the childhood thing is also about innocence, and uncomplicated thought.i vaguely remember my brain structure being a lot simpler and it was good. Maybe I need to drink more wine. :o

I'm so sorry for those of you who didn't have nice childhoods. At the time my childhood was normal and I felt hard done by as children do. It's only looking back I realise how wonderful my life was and how loved I was. And still am. If I can do that for my dc I'll count my parenting as a success.

It actually makes me cry sometimes. I'd love to go back to 1982 or so.

Ah, I can't bear nostalgia, it really makes me feel low. Although I love kiting out my home in the era of my childhood, and it just makes me happy, it's music that can really kick me. I can't bear nostalgia, would rather be depressed or incandescent with rage.

The Taylor Swift song Never Grow Up always makes me feel this way!

My parents hated me and home life was not good. But growing up in the 80s and 90s is something I could do again - the toys, the music, the long summers, the freedom. I loved school and my friends. I can smell the summer holidays.

Funny you've posted this, because this is exactly how I've been feeling all week. I nearly burst into tears over dinner earlier with sadness about it.

I was putting it down to a significant birthday coming up, but DS1 is also very low today, so I'm wondering if it's something in the air, the weather, lack of proper break from everything, last 18 months etc...

How interesting this thread is. I'm having this a lot - possibly because of reaching my 50s, probably because my DP are both frail and I know the time when I have them and am not alone in a family sense is running out. (Not that I'm alone with DP and DC, but the thought of having no-one above me seems very exposing somehow). Oddly enough the time I yearn back to is actually 5 or so years before I was born! I get pangs at every depiction of my birth town in the 60s. The PP who said that sense of having time and the opportunity to do better is exactly right. I think some if my nostalgia is regret over lost opportunity too

Heard west end girls the other day and was transported back to Christmas in the 80s. I had just started senior school, grandparents were arguing over where to put the decorations and I can remember the sounds, smells and the feelings. It felt a bit sad bit I think COVID has made us look inwards and I’m harking back to when life seemed simple.

Great thread.

Not so much my childhood (nothing terrible, happy home, parents, siblings, but it was the 80s & so boring & not much chance to be 'heard' meaningfully) but definitely other parts of my life, especially university.

I can think about specific moments from nearly 28 years ago, and recall who was there, what we said, what we were wearing ... literally put myself back in that moment. Especially this time of year, when it was exam time. There was a bit of stress, but mostly long afternoons hanging out, sitting in the sun, big gangs, just laughing & messing really. Nothing significant. I had discovered my confidence & true friendship & the world was new & bright & full of promise.

I was there pre-Internet / mobiles / social media so while I'm still friends with some, the wider group has dissipated & I come across them from time to time, in our adult guises, through work often, and it's hard to reconcile our grown up selves with those complete carefree times.

And yes, I get very painful moments of nostalgia for when my kids were little. My marriage ended when they were very small. Of course we've had fun, but there's been a lot of dark worrying moments.

My kids are now young teens / heading there. I get such painful moments when I think of them at eg 2, and wish to go back & do it again, better & appreciate the moments.

But I think that's all parents really.

Not really. I don't think I have a memory for details that much so sensory memories, like the smell or feel or particular things don’t really mean much to me. My childhood was fine, no complaints, teenage years pretty similar, university was a great time but I have no desire to go back, 20s were a bit miserable (crap relationships, friendship loss), 30s were great when I met DH and we bought our first house and had DC and my job became a real career.

I think I'm too mentally lazy to live anywhere but the present.

I'm not nostalgic for childhood or other earlier parts of my life, but I often have dreams that feature people from then. Never seem to dream about anyone I have not known for at least ten years.