[quote Mamatoabeauty]@Thisneedsachange I can’t believe how many people have berated you for your post. I think people are misunderstanding where you are coming from. I grew up (in poverty at times) on a huge council estate. I had the best childhood and aside from the lack of money extremely fond memories. I can only speak for myself but I would say the main difference between myself and friends that weren’t deprived (In fact some very well off) is that I was a lot more streetwise and less naive- which I think actually goes a very long way in life! I now have a “middle class” job as does my husband. We live in a fairly affluent area and I often think to myself about what I can do to ensure my little girl doesn’t grow up naive and sheltered. Unfortunately though I’m not sure at the age of 5 and for the short period of time your daughter would attend the club that it will achieve what are aiming for.[/quote]
I grew up piss poor and lived on a rough estate and agree that what we lacked in money and anything to show we made up for street smarts and general savvy.
I was a horsemad but too poor for lessons so took the offer of helping a gypsy cob dealer to back and school horses he bought cheap, brought on as ride and drives then sold at auction.
Rode with nothing but halter and ropes for I dunno how long and was ripped to shreds by the posh pony club girls when I ended up being accepted to spend a week long riding working holiday on a huge place that was a riding school and racing yard.
They ripped the piss out of me for being crap at the basic formalities tuition affords and I was genuinely baffled by their panic and frantic efforts to find about 20 halters and ropes so a group of horses that got loose from the field could be taken back.
It honestly never occured to me at the time how it must have pissed them off but I suggested hopping up on one of the horses using a halter and two ropes clipped on the side as makeshift reins and then someone else riding another at the back to catch any stragglers and we'd move them all in one go.
To this day I still wonder what they must have thought when I clambered up on that horse, waited for the other poor lass to wave that she was ready and then just "C'mon ponies let's go LESSGO!" and they all steadily trotted along behind.
I can't say I was ever hard done by, short changed or that I've suffered for being a poor kid but I can say it gave me a distinct advantage in so many ways as I grew up.
My fellow poor friends back then were never bullies or bothered about how we each lived and what we didn't have.
The bullies and real nasty bastards were usually the posh kids, their parents and more disturbing now I think back - teachers and those in a position of trust, authority and knew better.
I never really saw myself as being poor until I'd grown up, had my first child and was fortunate to live in a nice area and have all the trappings but I'm still and will no doubt always be a council house kid at heart. It's character building and gives a lot more than people realise.
My own kids are proper country bumpkins in comparison and were horrifed first time they saw graffit on a bus stop shelter and a giant dick someone spray painted on the viaduct near ours. Just aghast that anyone would do such a thing and I'm there "They spelled "Fuck" wrong I'd be so embarrassed if my child didn't know how to spell the word "fuck" by the time they were old enough to use spray paint"