What is one thing you didn't have as a kid, that you would like for your child.

[Beeblebear]

My husbands answer to this would be the name Luke Skywalker. Luckily I uaed my labour veto for this one.

Another one for a mr frosty.

To feel physically warm (I grew up in a house with no heating in the bathroom or bedrooms).
To be able to bring friends home (house was a tip).
To give them reasons to try new things (...skills, experiences) rather than huge lists of reasons why not.

A Girlsworld (head you put make up on/style hair). I bought one for my daughter but she wasn't interested.

A mum who didn't have an affair leading to a messy public divorce in the middle of my exams. I will definitely never do that to my girls.

I had a Mr Frosty and it was pretty cool.

Operation - oh if I could have two mousetrap as well. Although ds would probably want something else

I had a happy childhood really. Just hope ds has happy memories of his childhood when he's older

To feel loved.

I think people are definitely in have and have not camps when it comes to Mr Frosty. I desperately wanted one but never had one, DH did, and therefore had a much more privileged childhood than me . I got one for DS when he was about 3 and I don't think I have ever been so disappointed.

I am glad I was able to give my ds a sibling. I didn't really like being an only child.

Security and happiness. Safety. Love. No exposure to dangerous adults.

And an Etch-A-Sketch.

Agree with exoticfruits, this is such a sad thread; I can't think of anything really, I was brought up by a very loving mum and step-father (in fact they are still here - in their 80s and hope I can do my bit for them now ) - we had a very happy childhood. My mother talks about things like being really hard up financially for a while (she was a single parent before she married DSF) but I never realised that we were 'poor'. There was the odd bit of embarrassment & angst when I was a teenager and obviously they laid down a few ground rules which I thought were too strict - but now I do exactly the same with my teens .

I have learned a lot from my own parents' as a role model for parenting and looking at the comments on this thread hope DH and I are doing the right thing. The one thing we make a huge effort with is giving our children a lot of support to develop their hobbies and activities even when they bore us rigid. I genuinely hope we are doing the right thing.

What a thread. I feel like quite a brat that my answer is a Barbie Doll

Sorry, not that I want one for DD, just that if she wants one I will buy her one IYSWIM

Definitely 'Operation'.

My childhood wasn't unhappy as such, but I definitely realised how much we weren't allowed to have compared to other children. And now I see how sheltered I was, and how much of the world there is out there to see! Now I am the one trying to drag my parents to come and see the world with my DH and DCs, but they don't want to. (It's my Dad rather than my Mum.)

I want to at least take my DCs to dip their toes into the world and what life has to offer, so that they are aware of the possibilities, before they go off into the world.

I was clueless.

A stable family, not being moved from pillar to post

Or both parents around (my mum wasn't always around or reliable and DP grew up without a dad)

A sibling. I have twins, they have a bond I'll never really know.

Also a fun teenage years - I think my parents were good at the childhood bit - although it was maybe a bit too adult-centric for an only child - and lots of roaming free outdoors, craft stuff etc, but once I got to teenage years my home life just didn't fulfil my needs at all, my parents didn't really try, I spent a huge amount of time at other friends' houses. I want this home to be the place my children can invite friends to, and I want friendships and social skills and FUN to be as much of a part of their teenage years as academic pressure and exams. Because I think I went to uni brainy, well educated, but meek and unconfident, and that certainly didn't help me in the long run.

I suppose the thing I did have which I fear they won't have is a really good education though.

A perm and a shell suit.

Well probably not, but I was most upset when my mum wouldn't let me become a fizzy fire hazard. I've not yet decided whether to save my DC from inevitable fashion mistakes in the future or just be ready with the camera!

Friends

I moved aged 9 and went from having lots of friends to having none and that was the case pretty much for the rest of my childhood.

Fortunately dd aged 5 is popular and I hope that never changes. We are moving but I am adamant we will stay within her school catchment area so she stays there with her friends. Dh understands why.

Another vote for Mr Frosty here too

A spacehopper and a lightsaber

Mousetrap and a pony
a brother who didn't punch my face and mock my accent
a dad who didn't leave....

I want them to feel safe and wanted/valued for themselves. Not sure how to phrase that feeling. Secure?

Tree house would be cool too.

I just asked 3yo DD what she wants most in all the world, "a kiss" :)
Think I can manage that.

I want to make sure my children know they are loved, give loads of cuddles , read them stories, listen to them

Being able to sometimes have exactly what you want.

Both DP and I were pretty poor as kids, and our childhoods were full of really, really wanting something that other kids had, and having to make do, months later with some market-bought knock-off which didn't really work or look the same.

I don't want to spoil him, but being able to occasionally buy something he truly desires would be nice

Being supportive/interested in their potential and dreams.

I don't ever want them to experience the awful atmospheres/silences at home with things never said that I grew up with.