bad childhood experience essay

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How Traumatic Childhood Experiences Affect People in Adulthood

Imbalances in perceptions of risks and rewards..

Posted April 25, 2022 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

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• People with negative childhoods may show cognitive deficits as adults, particularly in decision-making.
• New research found that those with ACEs are less likely to take advantage of available rewards.
• A reluctance to try new things may make certain interventions harder for people with adverse childhoods.

A new study published in the journal Psychological and Cognitive Sciences explores the impact of adverse childhood experiences (i.e., extreme stressors that occur between the ages of 0 and 18 years), on the development of the brain. According to the study, people who have had negative childhood experiences are more likely to show certain cognitive deficits as adults, particularly in the area of decision-making .

Alexander Lloyd, a researcher at the University of London in England, splits adverse childhood experiences into three main categories:

• Threatening events, which include physical abuse, emotional abuse , and sexual abuse .
• Neglect, which includes physical and emotional neglect.
• Family adversity, which includes parental divorce , parental substance abuse , mental illness within the household, and/or having an incarcerated relative.

“There has been a large body of research on the links between adverse childhood experiences and the development of the brain,” says Lloyd. “However, less research has examined the impact of these experiences on how we make decisions and process rewards.”

Exploring Reward Feedback

To study this relationship, Lloyd and team used an experimental task called "patch foraging," wherein a person plays a farming video game of sorts in which they must choose between sticking with a known patch with known rewards that diminish over time or exploring a new patch with unknown rewards.

“In our task, individuals had to collect apples from trees,” explains Lloyd. “The longer they stayed with their current tree, the fewer apples would be available to collect. Alternatively, they could leave to travel to a new tree that had a fresh bunch of apples. Using this task, we were able to calculate how much weight individuals place on recent reward feedback versus more historic feedback.”

The findings demonstrated two key things:

• Adverse childhood experiences were linked to less task exploration, implying that people who had negative childhood experiences were less likely to take advantage of the full range of rewards available in their environment.
• Individuals who had been exposed to adverse childhood experiences showed less exploration overall, a sign that they were undervaluing the reward feedback they were receiving in the game.

“We think that our findings may be linked to the development of regions of the brain that are responsible for processing rewards, as previous research has found that individuals who have experienced adverse childhood experiences have less neural activation in response to rewards compared to individuals without these experiences,” says Lloyd.

Helping Those With Adverse Childhood Experiences

For clinicians and individuals helping people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, Lloyd has the following advice:

• Since individuals who have experienced adverse childhood experiences are less likely to explore new opportunities, it could be helpful for professionals working with them to understand that experiences of adversity can be associated with a reluctance to try new things, which may make certain interventions more difficult for people with these experiences.
• Individuals with adverse childhood experiences also tend to undervalue reward feedback. So, encouraging individuals with adverse childhood experiences to recognize positive reward feedback may also be helpful when supporting somebody with experiences of adversity.

The authors hope that their findings will contribute to a better understanding of the negative impacts associated with adverse childhood experiences and may inform future studies that aim to support those who have experienced adversity.

“Ultimately, I would like to see future research develop interventions to reduce the mental health impacts of adversity by identifying specific features of cognition that are impacted by these experiences,” concludes Lloyd.

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Lloyd, Alexander (Interview). How painful childhood experiences impact the way we see the world today . Therapytips.org , March 28, 2022.

Mark Travers, Ph.D., is an American psychologist with degrees from Cornell University and the University of Colorado Boulder.

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How a difficult childhood makes it more likely you’ll have mental and physical health problems as an adult

Mental Health Researcher, University of Southern Denmark

Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Northwestern University

Director, Institute of Health Equity; Professor, Dept of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL

Chair of Public Health, University of Warwick

Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen

Disclosure statement

Sarah Stewart-Brown has received funding from National Institute of Health Research, the UK governments and charitable organizations to research the effects of childhood adversity and parenting on health in adulthood. She is not currently in receipt of any such grants.

Bruce Perry, Michael Marmot, Vibeke Jenny Koushede, and Ziggi Ivan Santini do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University College London and University of Warwick provide funding as founding partners of The Conversation UK.

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Decades of research shows how negative childhood events – such as abuse or neglect – can have a detrimental impact on a person’s long-term physical and mental health. It has been linked to accelerated ageing , chronic disease and even premature death .

Stress experienced in childhood may also influence our genes and be passed on to offspring. So unless the cycle is broken, it may continue from generation to generation.

When we talk about childhood adversity, it can cover specific experiences, such as neglect, abuse, or trauma. It can also cover unfavourable socioeconomic conditions such as poverty, low education or unemployment. In a recent study , we wanted to investigate two types of adversity.

We looked at the impact of serious conflict in the home – for example, tension, verbal arguments or physical violence. We also looked at severe financial difficulties experienced during childhood. We analysed a large representative survey of European respondents and found that these two types of adversity significantly predicted various health problems in adulthood: physical, mental, and social. The impact was exacerbated if people had experienced both conflict and financial difficulties in childhood.

Financial strain

Experiencing severe financial strain in childhood can mean uncontrollable, chronic stress. This pattern of stress in a child’s body can become an obstacle to healthy development and effective learning later on . Financial strain can mean a child will lack basic necessities such as food, clothing and school books. And it means children are more likely to grow up in deprived and unsafe neighbourhoods.

Research shows this level of stress can inhibit a person’s ability to make decisions, which can have long-term implications . It also makes it less likely a person will achieve positive outcomes later in life.

Financial stress can directly affect biological and physiological systems that are important for staying healthy in adulthood. And these changes may persist even if a person escapes disadvantage later on , which in turn can compromise their health and behaviour in adulthood .

Growing up in an environment characterised by serious conflict can also have a marked affect on psychological and neurological development. One reason is that a pattern of unpredictable, uncontrollable and chronic stress creates an overactive stress-response system that readily triggers a person into alert or aggression. Altogether, it limits a person’s ability to regulate emotions and behaviour .

Such experiences predispose people to unhealthy lifestyles like substance misuse or comfort eating. It also disrupts the immune, metabolic and autonomic nervous systems, meaning it has a direct, biological and enduring effect on a person’s ability to stay healthy .

Accumulating health problems

In our study , we found that being exposed to financial strain or conflict during childhood is associated with heightened risk for a wide range of health and social problems in adulthood.

In terms of general health, we found that people who grow up in such environments are at increased risk of cancer, obesity or being hampered by physical health problems – such as cardiovascular diseases, breathing problems, physical pain, along with stomach or digestive problems.

We found that people who had difficult childhoods are more likely to binge drink, smoke, have a poor diet and tend to be less active – often engaging in sedentary behaviour.

Our results show a higher risk of depression, unhappiness, dissatisfaction with life, loneliness and feeling unsafe in one’s local area. We also found that childhood adversity puts people at increased risk of social isolation. They are less likely to interact with others and have general distrust towards other people – and those who get married are more likely to get a divorce.

Damaging effects

All these health and social problems are likely to accumulate and intensify over time, ultimately reducing people’s quality of life, while creating multiple, complex, costly care needs.

Our data revealed that 25% of the survey respondents had experienced financial strain or conflict during their childhood. This means that one in four adults in Europe could be at increased risk of developing health problems due to these types of adversity.

Apart from the damage to people’s lives, the economic burden of childhood adversity in terms of excess healthcare costs can take a huge toll on government spending . Investing appropriately to combat childhood adversity would ultimately save societal costs .

Part of the solution needs to involve working with children and families affected by adversity. But there also needs to be more awareness and understanding about the damaging effects of conflict and financial strain in the home. This is important because ultimately this will affect children who grow up in these circumstances for the rest of their lives.

The Samaritans can be contacted in the UK on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here .

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How Childhood Experiences Affect Adulthood

How do childhood experiences affect adulthood? The essay on this page discusses this question.

Introduction

Childhood experiences are the ordeals or bringing up conditions one undergoes through as a child. These experiences could be emotional, psychological, physical, cultural or even sexual. Childhood experiences play a significant role in shaping our views as adults in many ways, for instance, the way we behave, thinking, feel, act, associate and many other ways.

Psychological experiences

To begin with, a child who never had time to interact with other kids or locked up during his/her childhood will portray anti-social behaviors. Children who never experienced love from their parents and other family members will depict irresponsible behaviors in adulthood, as they are unable to express the same feelings. Contrary, a child who experienced affection from the parents will feel the need to act the same way as their parents did.

Cultural Experiences

Secondly, culture experiences also play a role in shaping a person. A cultural environment where black is a symbol of evil will affect the feeling of an adult towards black skinned people. Some cultural experiences have men as superior and women inferior. This culture, therefore, shapes a girl child to a submissive woman.

Physical and emotional experiences

Thirdly, a child who experienced physically and emotionally understanding relationship with parents and other siblings can express out his/her feelings in a relaxed and positive. On the other hand, physically and emotionally abusive and hostile family experiences shape a child to a criminal, as he will act violently to confront situations. Lastly, sexual experiences affect how adults behave, view and feel about sex. Sexually abused children view sex as evil and shy away from it in adulthood (Duck, p.46).

Conclusions

How adults feel, behave, and view this is generally out of childhood experiences.

Positive experiences bear positives traits while negative experiences comprise adult well-being. It is therefore essential for parents or guardians to provide necessary conditions for positive experiences.

Works Cited

Duck, Steve. Human Relationship . London, UK: SAGE Publication Ltd. 2007. Print.

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1. IvyPanda . "How Childhood Experiences Affect Adulthood." July 14, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effects-of-childhood-experiences-in-adulthood/.

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IvyPanda . "How Childhood Experiences Affect Adulthood." July 14, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effects-of-childhood-experiences-in-adulthood/.

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• Published: 05 April 2021

Effects of positive and negative childhood experiences on adult family health

• Chantel L. Daines 1 ,
• Dustin Hansen 1 ,
• M. Lelinneth B. Novilla 1 &
• AliceAnn Crandall 1  

BMC Public Health volume  21 , Article number:  651 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

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The objective of the study was to determine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) with family health in adulthood. Prior research indicates that ACEs and PCEs affect individual physical and mental health in adulthood. However, little is known about how ACEs and PCEs affect family health. Families develop and function through patterns and routines which are often intergenerational. Therefore, a person’s early experiences may influence their family’s health in adulthood.

A survey was administered to 1030 adults through Qualtrics, with participants recruited using quota-sampling to reflect the demographic characteristics of U.S. adults. Participants completed a survey about their childhood experiences, four domains of family health (family social and emotional health processes, family healthy lifestyle, family health resources, and family external social supports), and demographic characteristics. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

After controlling for marriage, education, gender, race and age, ACEs were negatively associated with family social and emotional health processes and family health resources when accounting for PCEs; PCEs were positively associated with all four family health domains irrespective of ACEs.

Childhood experiences affect family health in adulthood in the expected direction. Even in the presence of early adversity, positive experiences in childhood can provide a foundation for creating better family health in adulthood.

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Family health is “a resource at the level of the family unit that develops from the intersection of the health of each family member, their interactions and capacities, as well as the family’s physical, social, emotional, economic, and medical resources” [ 1 ]. Family health is shaped not only by genetics but also by family functioning and family experiences, including the ability of the family to adapt to internal and external challenges and experiences. Positive family health promotes belonging, caring, and the capacity to perform family responsibilities, which in turn, promotes the health of individual members [ 2 ].

Family health includes a variety of factors that transcend disciplinary boundaries, including family communication and problem-solving, family functioning and routines, emotional support, healthy behaviors, internal coping skills of the family, and access to external resources [ 1 , 3 ]. Key domains of family health include: (1) family social and emotional health processes; (2) family healthy lifestyle; (3) family health resources; and (4) family external social support [ 3 ]. Family social and emotional health processes include family relationships, communication, support, and feelings of emotional safety and belonging that promote cohesion within the family. This aspect of family health aligns most closely with traditional measures of family functioning [ 3 ]. Family healthy lifestyle comprises a family’s collective healthy choices through regular physical activity, eating fruits and vegetables, following doctor’s recommendations, and seeking health care services as needed. Family health resources refer to financial and non-material assets that allow the family to carry out their functions and their normal daily activities. These include internal and external resources such as help-seeking efficacy, the ability to effectively cope with family challenges, financial resources and other basic needs, and access to health care. Finally, family external social supports refers to the presence of a social network or social capital outside of the family that the family can count on for advice, care, or assistance, whether financial or otherwise [ 3 ]. These domains offer protection against many physical and mental issues within families by creating stronger relationships and family functioning [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ].

The measurement of family health is relatively new [ 1 , 2 , 3 ], and understanding how one’s family experiences in childhood affects family health in adulthood is not currently well understood. Therefore, in an effort to better understand the intergenerational transmissibility of family health, in this study we examine the effects of retrospectively reported adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) that occurred before age 18 years on family health in adulthood. ACEs are potentially traumatic life events that occur before the age of 18, including child abuse (physical, emotional or sexual) and neglect, mental illness of family members, parental divorce or separation, and family member substance use [ 9 ]. PCEs (also referred to as benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) or advantageous childhood experience (counter-ACEs) in other studies [ 10 , 11 ]), are experiences before age 18 that are thought to be beneficial, such as positive relationships with parents and other adults, household routines, beliefs that provide comfort, and having good neighbors.

Childhood experiences and later health: resiliency and life course theories

Resiliency Theory and the Life Course Theory provide the theoretical framework for this study. Resiliency Theory focuses on promotive factors that independently lead to better health and may attenuate the effects of risk factors on developmental trajectories and outcomes [ 12 ]. Promotive factors allow for post-traumatic cognitive and social growth [ 13 ], which can equip individuals with coping skills, self-worth, self-efficacy, and optimism [ 14 ]. By applying Resiliency Theory to the current study, PCEs can be viewed as promotive factors that include healthy interactions with mentors, role models, and positive influences. In addition to internal skills, PCEs enable the individual to develop resilient functioning and continued growth even when traumatic events occur [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. This resiliency and growth my help to promote better family health in adulthood.

Life Course Theory [ 17 ] offers a comprehensive intergenerational approach for understanding how the timing of life events, especially during sensitive developmental periods, have biopsychosocial consequences that could alter health trajectories [ 17 , 18 , 19 ], including family health. Human development, as viewed through the Life Course Theory, is comprised of interconnected biological changes at various life stages that interact with psychosocial factors over time. Thus, early experiences such as separation, family dysfunction, neglect, abuse, violence, and resource restrictions generate delayed pathology that influence subsequent health, including access to care and parental resilience [ 9 , 18 ]. Where early adversity produces “distinct patterns of disadvantage or privilege” over time [ 18 ], having more positive childhood experiences allows for improved wellbeing in adulthood [ 14 ]. Forrest & Riley [ 20 ] attribute such effects on biopsychosocial processes that permit successful adaptation despite negative stressors.

Three key principles of the Life Course Theory provide a framework for understanding how childhood experiences can affect family health in adulthood: linked lives, human agency, and lifelong development and aging [ 17 ]. “Linked lives” is the interdependence of shared relationships and experiences that are most apparent in the family setting. For instance, ACEs and PCEs are strongly influenced by the circumstances in the family. Families that communicate well and do things together often facilitate healthy relationships for children, leading to more PCEs. On the other hand, families with fewer resources may have more difficulty in building healthy relationships and may have fewer coping resources. Thus, when stressors arise, family abuse and dysfunctionality may arise leading to more ACEs. ACEs and PCEs trigger a series of biopsychosocial mechanisms. ACEs can result in HPA axis dysfunction and chronic inflammation [ 21 ], with the effects of the initial trauma manifesting in adulthood in a variety of disorders and poor health outcomes, whereas PCEs can lead to adaptation and resilience [ 16 , 22 ]. These early life events may work independently or together in affecting the quality of family health an individual is able to create in adulthood. On the other hand, “human agency” emphasizes how individuals and families can make choices in the presence of opportunities, constraints, and/or adversity. For example, even when families experience stress and trauma, they can still create safe, trusting relationships and stable routines for their children. Finally, “lifelong development and aging” is examining individual human development in terms of interconnected stages of physical, mental, social, and spiritual changes throughout the life span. For instance, the consequences of ACES that are transmitted across generations may be tempered by various factors over time such as the presence of PCEs.

Childhood experiences and family health in adulthood

Prior research has demonstrated that childhood experiences affect individual health in adulthood. For example, individuals who experience numerous ACEs early in their childhood are at risk for developing depression, anxiety, substance abuse habits, and detrimental health behaviors as they mature into adulthood [ 23 ]. Conversely, PCEs independently lead to better health and may offset the effects of ACEs on adult health [ 10 , 11 , 24 , 25 ].

Although research on childhood experiences indicates their influence on adult health, little is known about how ACEs and PCEs affect family life. Research has demonstrated that parenting styles are often passed down to children who then parent their children using similar methods and traditions [ 26 , 27 ]. Families develop through family patterns and life cycle events and processes [ 28 ]. For example, research indicates that individuals who were abused as children are more likely to abuse their own children [ 27 ], and parents who have unresolved emotional issues from childhood are more disorganized in their parent child attachments and exhibit more frightening parenting behaviors [ 8 , 29 ]. On the other hand, parents that were raised in a home that had more positive coping strategies and parenting efficacy were more likely to perpetuate these positive coping strategies in their own families [ 26 ]. Other studies have shown that parents who have experienced more PCEs in their childhood are better able to provide a positive home life for their children [ 26 ] and have improved family function, family cohesion and overall health [ 5 , 30 , 31 ].

Aims and hypotheses

In this study, we examined the effects of ACEs and PCEs on a comprehensive measure of adult-reported family health. The aim of the study was to determine the association between childhood experiences, both adverse and advantageous, and family health in adulthood. We hypothesized that (1) ACEs would lead to worse family health outcomes across all four domains of family health; and (2) PCEs would improve family health across all domains. (3) Given that prior research has shown that PCEs have a direct positive effect on individual health irrespective of ACE score, and that the effects of ACEs on health is attenuated when PCEs are included in models [ 10 ], we also hypothesized that PCEs would have a stronger association with family health than ACEs.

Participants and procedures

A cross-sectional sample of 1030 individuals, ages 18 years or older, was recruited from a Qualtrics panel. Qualtrics manages a proprietary panel of members who are available for research. In addition to age, participants were recruited using demographic quotas for low education, minority race, being born outside of the U.S., and family structure (e.g. married, single, households with children, empty nesters, etc.). The quotas were based on estimates from the U.S. Census to ensure a sample that was varied based on family structure and demographically representative of the U.S. population. Each participant was asked to answer a 115-item survey about ACEs, PCEs, and family health. The survey took approximately 10–15 min to complete. The study was approved by the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).

• Family health

Family health was measured using the 32-item Family Health Scale (FHS) [ 3 ]. The FHS is a holistic measure of family health that was developed based on two theoretical frameworks: the Denham Family Health Framework [ 4 ] and the Family Health Measurement Resource Network Model [ 1 ]. Based on these frameworks, the FHS includes the following four subscales: family emotional and social health processes (α = .92), family healthy lifestyle (α = .87), family health resources (α = .82), and family external social supports (α = .85). Response options were on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Higher scores indicated better family health. Participants were asked to answer each question based on who they considered to be their family. Sample items from each of the four family health domains included: “In my family, I feel safe in my family relationships” (family social and emotional health processes), “In my family, we help each other avoid unhealthy habits” (family healthy lifestyle), “In my family, we have people outside of our family we can turn to when we have problems at school or work” (family external social supports), and “In my family, a lack of health insurance would prevent us from asking for medical help” (family health resources).

Childhood experiences

Adverse childhood experiences were measured using the 11-item ACE module from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey [ 32 ]. Responses were dichotomized (0 = ACE did not occur; 1 = ACE was experienced). Three ACEs were related to sexual abuse and those items were combined into one ACE item, with a yes on any of the three items leading to a confirmative ACEs. The ACE items were summed for a final ACEs score ranging from 0 to 9. Each question included the following stem “When you were growing up, during your first 18 years of life …” Sample items included: “Did a parent or other adult in the household often swear at you, insult you, put you down, or humiliate you?” “Did you live with anyone who was a problematic drinker or alcoholic or who used street drugs?” and “Were your parents ever separated or divorced?”

Positive childhood experiences were measured using the 10-item Benevolent Childhood Experiences scale [ 11 ]. For each question, respondents reported whether the event occurred before age 18 years. The total number of “yes” responses were summed, for a final PCE score ranging from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicated more PCEs. Sample items included: “Did you have a predictable home routine, like regular meals and a regular bedtime?” “Did you have beliefs that gave you comfort?” and “Was there an adult who could provide you with support or advice?”

Given that one’s experience of family life may vary based on their marital status (married = 1; non-married = 0), age (in years), and gender (female = 1; male = 0), we included those variables as covariates in the model. For example, participants who were married may have viewed their family as their spouse and children while an unmarried participant may have been more likely to consider family members outside of their nuclear family. Likewise, expectations about family roles and life may vary based on participant generational effects (e.g., boomers vs millennials) or gender [ 33 ]. Prior research indicates that minority races and those with lower SES have higher risk for ACEs [ 34 , 35 ]. To account for this in our models, we also controlled for participant race (white = 1; non-white = 0) and education (bachelor’s degree = 1; less than bachelor’s degree = 0).

Analytic methods

Data were cleaned in Stata 16. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to estimate model paths using Mplus version 7. SEM is a valuable analytic tool because it allows one to control for measurement error and to examine multiple pathways simultaneously. Given that prior research has shown that the four family health outcomes are correlated [ 3 ], examining multiple pathways simultaneously was important for this analysis so that we could assess all of family health together rather than separately. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to establish the measurement model. The four family health subscales were included as latent variables. Next, a structural model was fit by regressing the four family health latent variables on PCEs and ACEs. Controls were included in the model by regressing the independent and dependent variables on gender, age, education, marital status, and race. Model fit for the measurement and structural models was estimated using the following model fit indices and cutoffs: Root Mean Square of Approximation (RMSEA) < .06 and Comparative Fit Index (CFI) > .90 (30). Robust weighted least squares maximum likelihood, appropriate for categorical data, was used to estimate the final model. Missing data were minimal (no more than 0.49% on any variable) and handled using full information maximum likelihood.

Participants had 2.6 ACEs on average; the average PCEs score was 8.2. Most of the sample, 60.8%, were non-Hispanic white, and the average age was 40.4 years; 53.4% percent of participants were female and 46.2% were married; 35.3% had a bachelor’s degree and 11.9% had less than a high school diploma. Table  1 includes the descriptive statistics for the sample.

Confirmatory factor analysis using the data from this sample was conducted in a prior study [ 3 ] and demonstrated adequate model fit of the measurement model (RMSEA = .059; CFI = .958). Factor loadings ranged from .52 to .90 across the four FHS subscales.

Table  2 contains the results of the structural equation models examining ACEs and covariates only, PCEs and covariates only, and fully adjusted models with ACEs and PCEs included. In models without PCEs, ACEs were negatively associated with all four family health domains (family social and emotional health processes: −.17, p  < .001; family healthy lifestyle: −.12, p  < .001; family health resources: −.28, p  < .001; family external social supports: −.07, p  < .05). After accounting for PCEs, ACEs were negatively associated with family social and emotional health processes (−.09, p  < .01) and family health resources (−.20, p  < .001), but were not associated with family healthy lifestyle nor family external social supports. PCEs were positively associated with each family health domain, irrespective of ACEs score (family social and emotional health processes: .24, p  < .001; family healthy lifestyle: .26, p  < .001; family health resources: .25, p  < .001; family external social supports: .31, p  < .001). The final structural model, with four latent variables, demonstrated adequate fit (RMSEA = .05; CFI = .95; see Table 2 ). ACEs and PCEs were negative correlated (−.30, p  < .001).

Sensitivity analyses

Participants answered family health questions based on who they considered as their family. Participants were asked to define whether they answered questions about family health based on only people who lived in their household, only people who lived outside of their household, or a combination of both. We conducted a sensitivity analysis controlling for who participants considered to be their family when answering the FHS questions (1 = participant considered only family members who lived in their household; 0 = participant considered family members who lived outside of household). Additionally, given the salience of income to childhood experiences [ 34 , 35 ], we added income as a control variable. Results did not vary substantively when adding these controls. Next, given that research shows that having four or more ACEs is particularly harmful to adult health [ 9 ], we used a dichotomous version of the ACEs score (1 = four or more ACEs; 0 = fewer than four ACEs). Results did not vary substantively from the results of the main model. Finally, given that some research has demonstrated meaningful results when examining family dysfunction ACEs separately from abuse and maltreatment ACEs [ 36 ], we created two separate ACE variables. In models including PCEs, family dysfunction ACEs, and child abuse/maltreatment ACEs, PCEs were similarly associated with all four family health domains as with the main model shown in Table 2 . Family dysfunction and abuse/maltreatment ACEs were not associated with any domains of family health except for family health resources (family dysfunction ACEs: −.10, p  < .01; abuse/maltreatment ACEs: −.13, p  < .001). PCEs were more strongly correlated with abuse/maltreatment ACEs (−.31, p  < .001) than with family dysfunction ACEs (−.16, p  < .001).

The purpose of this study was to measure the association between childhood experiences with adult family health. Results indicated that childhood experiences, particularly PCEs, were predictive of family health in adulthood. Specifically, consistent with Hypothesis 1, ACEs were negatively associated with family social and emotional health processes and family health resources, irrespective of PCE score. However, when accounting for PCEs, ACEs were not associated with family healthy lifestyle nor with family external social supports. Conversely, regardless of ACE score, PCEs were positively associated with all four family health domains (Hypothesis 2). The absolute value of the standardized betas portraying the relationship between childhood experiences and family health was larger for PCEs as compared to ACEs across all four domains of family health (Hypotheses 3).

Given the known long-term effects of ACEs on individual health [ 9 ], the negative relationship between ACEs and family health is not surprising. Individuals with high ACE scores often struggle with the mental health issues of anxiety and depression [ 23 , 37 ], which influence how an individual is able to process emotions, support others, respond to stressors, communicate, and make emotional connections [ 6 ]. These emotional and social skills affect the family, including social and emotional health processes that are so important to relationship development and accrual of resources. The inverse relationship between ACEs and family social and emotional health process may be explained by existing research showing that negative experiences in childhood adversely affect interpersonal relationships and may cause adult relationship difficulties including to existing family relationships dynamics and that of new family relationships (e.g., marriage and parenting) [ 8 ]. The current study showed that ACEs had the strongest negative association with the family health resources domain. This relationship may be explained by the fact that childhood trauma can affect an individual’s ability to maintain stable employment [ 38 ]. Unstable employment often leads to chronic financial hardships, which can translate into inadequate food, poor housing conditions, lack of transportation and no medical insurance for the family. Other possible explanations for the relationship of ACEs with worse family health in adulthood may include the endurance of unhealthy family relationships between childhood and adulthood, modeling of parenting and marriage relationships from the participant’s own childhood, and other factors associated with the intergenerational transmission of family health. Further research, using longitudinal data with diverse samples, is needed to better determine and understand the relationships between childhood experiences and later family health.

Irrespective of ACEs score, PCEs were associated with better family health. The strength of association was consistent across all of the family health domains. These findings indicate that PCEs set a positive trajectory for lifelong family health. PCEs include positive role models, emotional support, and family stability in childhood. Children that experience more emotional support from family or social networks may have better long-term mental health outcomes and less chronic health issues as they age, which are important family health resources [ 39 ]. Furthermore, individuals with high PCEs tend to have more self-confidence which provides a foundation for healthy relationships in adulthood [ 8 , 40 ] and serves to buffer against mental health issues [ 19 , 20 , 25 , 41 ]. All of these effects are resources that adults can draw upon to foster healthy routines, affection, respect, communication, trust, and support in their families and also engender healthy social support networks that the family can draw on when additional help is needed. Furthermore, the same healthy family that helped to foster PCEs during childhood likely continues to be a supportive family system in adulthood, even as family membership and structure may change through births, marriage, death, and variation in relationships through life stages.

Family health is comprised of many different aspects of health processes at the family level. This study demonstrates that family health can be influenced by an adult’s childhood experiences. As an adult, they now have responsibilities to provide, guide, and nurture the next generation while also continuing to support their family of origin. Childhood abuse and trauma may lead to weaker family social and emotional health processes and fewer family health resources in adulthood, either due to ongoing dysfunctional family relationships that have continued since childhood or due to their inability to foster new healthy family relationships and resources in adulthood as a result of earlier adversity. However, whether or not an adult experienced childhood trauma, if they had a high number of PCEs they are more likely to have healthier and more stable relationships in adulthood, greater self-confidence, and better stress management skills that help to foster healthy families [ 42 ].

The findings of the current study highlight the importance for public health professionals to consider the health of current and future families through the prevention of ACEs and promotion of PCEs. Several upstream and midstream efforts may serve as effective intervention strategies [ 43 ]. Healthcare professionals may consider implementing evidence-based home visiting (e.g., Nurse Family Partnership and SafeCare) and parenting (e.g., Triple P) programs and other family-based frameworks such as Family-Checkup and Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) [ 44 , 45 ] that have been successful across a variety of contexts. Additionally, ACE and PCE questionnaires may be important standard screening in healthcare and social service settings. Such screening will allow healthcare professionals and service providers to actively work to connect children and families with services and resources that will help curtail family dysfunction or abuse. We caution that when using PCE and ACE measures as screening tools, that ACEs and PCEs measures do not examine the severity or frequency of each experience [ 46 ]. Rather, each experience is weighted equally in both PCE and ACE instruments. The value of using PCE and ACE questionnaires as screeners comes at being able to assess whether a child and their family may be experiencing a variety of positive or adverse events rather than pinpointing key individual events that may be hindering or promoting child wellbeing. Another potential screener of childhood family health may be using the FHS short-form, which includes a 10-item screener of overall family health [ 3 ]. However, despite preliminary encouraging results, the FHS requires further testing and validation of the screener in a variety of populations to more fully determine its efficacy as a screening tool.

This study includes limitations that are important to note. Participants reported on their childhood experiences at the same time that they reported on their adult family health, and they may not have accurately recalled childhood experiences. Additionally, this simultaneous reporting may have led to bias on how participants reported their childhood experiences based on their satisfaction with their current family life. Longitudinal research would be invaluable to more fully understand intergenerational trends in family health. However, it is important to note that despite concerns in recall bias, average ACE and PCE scores in the current study were similar to prior studies [ 10 ]. Another limitation is that only one family member reported on their family’s health. Thus, the family health measure was based on one individual experience with family health rather than the perspective of the whole family. Given that the responses were based on self-report, there may have been a degree of social desirability bias. Future research should include multiple respondents from the same family to gauge family health from the perspective of different family members. Although we used quota sampling techniques to represent a variety of family types and socioeconomic statuses, the data was not from a nationally representative sample and Qualtrics panels are convenience samples. Past research has shown that Qualtrics online panels provide reliable samples and do a good job of reaching participants in hard-to-reach areas [ 47 , 48 ]. We included attention filters in the survey to help ensure response validity. Future research should examine the study relationships in nationally representative samples.

This study provides preliminary data that increases understanding about how childhood experiences affect their later family health. Integrating resilience theory with the life course theory, this study indicates that both ACEs and PCEs affect family health in adulthood, though PCEs appear to be particularly salient to future family health. A breadth of positive childhood experiences in the home, community, and school may have a significant impact on future family life, even in the presence of adversity. Further research is needed to better understand the intergenerational transmission of family health using longitudinal and diverse samples. Public health professionals can apply upstream and mid-stream intervention efforts to promote PCEs and prevent ACEs in an effort to promote family health across generations.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to IRB requirements but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

• Adverse childhood experiences

Confirmatory Factor Analysis

• Positive childhood experiences

Structural Equation Modeling

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Funding for this project was provided in part through a Brigham Young University College of Life Sciences College Undergraduate Research Award (CURA) to Dustin Hansen.

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Chantel L. Daines, Dustin Hansen, M. Lelinneth B. Novilla & AliceAnn Crandall

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The study was conceptualized by DH, MLBN, and AC. CD helped interpret the data and wrote most sections of the manuscript. DH contributed to the writing of the Background and Methods section. MLBN wrote parts of the Background section. AC oversaw data collection, analyzed the data, wrote parts of the Methods section, and edited the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to AliceAnn Crandall .

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Daines, C.L., Hansen, D., Novilla, M.L.B. et al. Effects of positive and negative childhood experiences on adult family health. BMC Public Health 21 , 651 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10732-w

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Adversity in childhood is linked to mental and physical health throughout life

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• Charles A Nelson , Richard David Scott chair in pediatric developmental medicine 1 ,
• Zulfiqar A Bhutta , co-director, director of research 2 3 ,
• Nadine Burke Harris , surgeon general 4 ,
• Andrea Danese , professor of child and adolescent psychiatry 5 ,
• Muthanna Samara , professor of psychology 6
• 1 Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Boston, MA, USA
• 2 Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
• 3 Institute for Global Health and Development, Aga Khan University, South Central Asia, East Africa and UK
• 4 State of California, CA, USA
• 5 Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London and the National and Specialist CAMHS Clinic for Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
• 6 Department of Psychology, Kingston University London, London, UK
• Correspondence to: C Nelson charles_nelson{at}harvard.edu

The prevalence of “toxic stress” and huge downstream consequences in disease, suffering, and financial costs make prevention and early intervention crucial, say Charles A Nelson and colleagues

Today’s children face enormous challenges, some unforeseen in previous generations, and the biological and psychological toll is yet to be fully quantified. Climate change, terrorism, and war are associated with displacement and trauma. Economic disparities cleave a chasm between the haves and have nots, and, in the US at least, gun violence has reached epidemic proportions. Children may grow up with a parent with untreated mental illness. Not least, a family member could contract covid-19 or experience financial or psychological hardship associated with the pandemic.

The short and long term consequences of exposure to adversity in childhood are of great public health importance. Children are at heightened risk for stress related health disorders, which in turn may affect adult physical and psychological health and ultimately exert a great financial toll on our healthcare systems.

Growing evidence indicates that in the first three years of life, a host of biological (eg, malnutrition, infectious disease) and psychosocial (eg, maltreatment, witnessing violence, extreme poverty) hazards can affect a child’s developmental trajectory and lead to increased risk of adverse physical and psychological health conditions. Such impacts can be observed across multiple systems, affecting cardiovascular, immune, metabolic, and brain health, and may extend far beyond childhood, affecting life course health. 1 2 3 These effects may be mediated in various direct and indirect ways, presenting opportunities for mitigation and intervention strategies.

Defining toxic stress

It is important to distinguish between adverse events that happen to a child, “stressors,” and the child’s response to these events, the “toxic stress response.” 4 A consensus report published by the US National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2019) defined the toxic stress response as:

Prolonged activation of the stress response systems that can disrupt the development of brain architecture and other organ systems and increase the risk for stress related disease and cognitive impairment, well into the adult years. The toxic stress response can occur when a child experiences strong, frequent, and/or prolonged adversity—such as physical or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, caregiver substance abuse or mental illness, exposure to violence, and/or the accumulated burdens of family economic hardship—without adequate adult support. Toxic stress is the maladaptive and chronically dysregulated stress response that occurs in relation to prolonged or severe early life adversity. For children, the result is disruption of the development of brain architecture and other organ systems and an increase in lifelong risk for physical and mental disorders.

What is childhood adversity?

A large number of adverse experiences (ie, toxic stressors) in childhood can trigger a toxic stress response. 4 5 6 These range from the commonplace (eg, parental divorce) to the horrific (eg, the 6 year old “soldier” ordered to shoot and kill his mother 7 ).

Adversity can affect development in myriad ways, at different points in time, although early exposures that persist over time likely lead to more lasting impacts. Moreover, adversity can become biologically embedded, increasing the likelihood of long term change. Contextual factors are important.

Type of adversity— Not all adversities exert the same impact or trigger the same response; for example, being physically or sexually abused may have more serious consequences for child development than does parental divorce. 8 9

Duration of adversity— How long the adversity lasts can have an impact on development. However, it is often difficult to disentangle duration of adversity from the type of adversity (eg, children are often born into poverty, whereas maltreatment might begin later in a child’s life).

Developmental status and critical period timing— The child’s developmental status at the time he or she is exposed to adversity will influence the child’s response, as will the timing of when these adversities occur. 10

Number of adversities and the interaction among them—— The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study 11 12 and subsequent body of ACE research provide compelling evidence that the risk of adverse health consequences increases as a function of the number of categories of adversities adults were exposed to in childhood. Although this seems intuitive, it belies the fact that, when it comes to severe adversity (eg, maltreatment), few children are exposed to only a single form of adversity at a single point in time. In addition, the effects of exposure to multiple adversities is likely more than additive. Thus, multiple forms of adversity may act in complex and synergistic ways over time to affect development.

Exacerbating factors— Children with recurrent morbidities, concurrent malnutrition, key micronutrient deficiencies, or exposure to environmental toxicants may be more sensitive to the adverse effects of other forms of toxic exposures. 13

Supportive family environments— Children develop in an environment of relationships, 14 15 16 and supportive relationships can buffer the response to toxic stress. Safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments are associated with reduced neuroendocrine, immunologic, metabolic, and genetic regulatory markers of toxic stress, as well as improved clinical outcomes of physical and mental health. 17 18

Pre-existing characteristics —Many of the adversities being considered are not distributed at random in the population. They may occur more commonly in children and families with pre-existing vulnerabilities linked to genetic or fetal influences that lead to cognitive deficits. 19 20 21 Infants who are more vulnerable to adverse life events (eg, stigma) include those born very early (eg, at 25 weeks’ gestation) or very small (eg, <1500 g), those born with substantial perinatal complications (eg, hypoxic-ischaemic injury), infants exposed prenatally to high levels of alcohol, or those born with greater genetic liability to develop an intellectual or developmental disability (eg, fragile X syndrome) or impairments in social communication (eg, autism).

Individual variation— Finally, children may have different physiological reactions to the same stressor. For example, Boyce, 22 has proposed that by virtue of temperament, some children (such as those who are particularly shy and behaviourally inhibited) are highly sensitive to their environments and unless the environment accommodates such children, the risk of developing serious lifelong psychopathology is greatly increased; conversely, some children thrive under almost any conditions.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate how duration and type of adversity interact with family environments and pre-existing characteristics to affect development ( fig 1 ), and how early adversity may become biologically embedded ( fig 2 ).

The interplay of adversities, context, and human development

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Some of the pathways that mediate exposure to early adversity and adult outcomes. Exposure to adversity early in life interacts with a child’s genetic endowment (eg variations in genetic polymorphisms), which in turn leads to a host of biological changes across multiple levels. These changes, in turn, influence adult outcomes (adapted from Berens et al 23 ). HPA axis (SHRP)=hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (stress hyporesponsive period)

Consequences of exposure to adversity

Behavioral consequences —Childhood exposure to adversity may result in a variety of behavioral and emotional problems 7 —for example, increased risk taking, aggressive behaviour, involvement in violence (home, school, and neighbourhood), and difficulties in relationships with others. 24 25 Of great concern is the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 9 26

Children experiencing trauma (eg, witnessing the murder of a family member; sexual assault) are also at elevated risk of several other psychiatric disorders, including depression, PTSD, conduct problems, substance abuse, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts and attempts. 8 25 Some forms of physical and psychological abuse in early childhood can be associated with eating disorders and mental health issues affecting typical development and education.

Neurobiological consequences —Many studies have identified structural and functional differences in brain development associated with environmental stressors, such as low socioeconomic status, 27 28 29 30 31 physical abuse, 32 and care giving neglect. 33 34 For example, exposure to maternal stress in infancy has been associated with reduced brain activity, as inferred from electroencephalogram testing 35 , and profound psychosocial deprivation has been associated with differences in overall brain volume along with reductions in white and grey matter volume in several brain areas 36 37 and reduced brain electrical activity. 38 39 Differences in brain development have also been associated with decreases in several cognitive functions, 40 and particularly executive functions, 41 and distally, in educational achievement. 42

Physical consequences —Early exposure to adversities, especially poverty, is associated with linear growth failure and wasting, and has recently been shown to be associated with reduced brain volume 43 and altered functional connectivity. 44 Children exposed to higher psychological stress have been shown to have higher cortisol levels and greater risk of common diseases of childhood, including otitis media, viral infections, asthma, dermatitis, urticaria, intestinal infectious diseases, and urinary tract infections. 45

Childhood adversities have also been associated with greater risk of adult chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer (excluding skin cancer), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease, diabetes, overweight or obesity, and depression, as well as increased health risk behaviours. 46 47

Tables 1 and 2 show many of the physical and psychological harms observed among children and adults exposed to adversity early in life.

Health conditions in children associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACE)

• View inline

ACE-associated health conditions in adults associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACE)

What mediates the effects of adversity?

The link between exposure to adversity early in life and physical and psychological development are thought to be mediated through several direct and indirect pathways. We first talk about the effects on physical development, then turn our attention to psychological development.

Effects mediated directly may include altering the regulation of stress-signalling pathways and immune system function 48 ; changing brain structure and function 49 ; and changing the expression of DNA and by accelerating cellular ageing. 50 51 For example, abuse or neglect might directly lead to physical injury or undernutrition or malnutrition. Similarly, stress can directly lead to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and associated neuro-endocrine-immune 19 as well as epigenetic effects. 52

Effects mediated indirectly might include changing the quality of the care giving environment (eg, less responsive care 3 ) or the surrounding distal environment (eg, neighbourhood violence, which in turn will affect child development across several levels 53 ); or building dysfunctional cognitions about the self and the world. 25 54 55 The effects of food insecurity (leading to undernutrition or malnutrition) and unsafe or substandard housing (resulting in exposure to asthmagens or environmental toxicants such as lead) can lead to social disparities in health. 4 Distal effects of adversity include the early adoption of health damaging behaviors (eg, smoking, poor food choices) that later in life lead to diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. 47

On the psychological side, early adversity can lead to the development of psychopathology early in life (eg, disruptive behavior) that later in life manifests in more severe forms (eg, antisocial personality). Furthermore, it can lead to the development of dysfunctional cognition about self and others. 54 The interplay of these different mediation mechanisms remains largely unclear.

Modelling the effects of adversity must take into consideration the type of adversity, the duration and timing of the adversity, the synergistic effects of multiple forms of adversity with the child’s genetic endowment ( fig 2 ), and the social supports and interventions on which the child can depend (such as caregivers to whom the child is attached).

What can we do now?

If we wish for today’s youth to inherit a world that is safe and conducive to healthy development, we must do all we can to create such a world, by preventing disorders from developing and intervening once they are apparent.

Even for children living in adverse circumstances, much can be done now to make a difference by preventing such disorders from developing and intervening once they have surfaced. For example, we can screen children experiencing adverse life events, and once screened refer such children to early intervention services, as California is doing (see elsewhere in this collection).

Intervention strategies have been developed to help children manage their toxic stress response 7 56 and to help families cope with adversity. Many children are resilient, and physician-community partnerships can help foster resilience. 26

Recommendations for research

Much of the evidence has depended on the use of self- or parent-report measures, which are relatively easy to score, can be scaled at population level, and can be used (with modification) across cultures. However, such measures are inherently subjective and prone to biases (eg, recall bias). Other measures, such as official court or child protection records, provide a more objective assessment but often underestimate the prevalence of adversity.

Objective and subjective measures of childhood adversity identify largely non-overlapping groups of individuals 57 and, thus, may be associated with health outcomes through different pathways. Subjective experience is particularly important for psychopathology, over and above objective experience. 54

A challenge in examining the effects of adversity on development is how to compare children growing up in different cultures. For example, one study 58 reported that a questionnaire on bullying used in different cultures and countries did not generalize well (eg, how one culture interpreted bullying differed from another). Adversity and trauma should be considered in context, and investigators in different cultures may need to develop different assessments.

To move away from subjective evaluations of toxic stress (eg, self- or other-report), and to gain insight into the neural and biological mechanisms that mediate the toxic stress response, several investigators have started to develop more objective biomarker panels for screening for toxic stress that use markers of neurological, immunological, metabolic, and genetic regulatory derangements. 59 60 61 As this work continues, issues to consider include how much better (eg, as predictors) such measures are than behavior, how early in life they can be used, and whether they are scalable.

The study of toxic stress and the toxic stress response needs to move away from correlational and cross-sectional studies and deploy designs that are amenable to drawing causal inference. This would include longitudinal studies and ideally studies that involve interventions. An advantage of the latter includes the ability to shed light on mechanism.

More attention also needs to be paid to individual differences. Different people respond differently to the same stressors. For example, only a minority of children who experience trauma or maltreatment go on to develop enduring psychiatric disorders; and some children develop physical health disorders such as asthma whereas others will not. 62 In addition, individual differences exist in biological sensitivity to stressors: for example, children identified as shy or inhibited early in life may be more vulnerable to stressors than children with more robust temperaments and who are less fearful of novelty 63 64 65 and are more predisposed to anxiety as adults. 66

Recommendations for policy

Policy is only as good as the underpinning evidence, and these recommendations have sufficient evidence to support them.

Careful consideration should be given to implementing evidence-informed policies for optimizing health, nutrition, and early child development, 67 which in turn can be expanded to include older children and adolescents. Although the first three years of life are generally emphasized, older children exhibit remarkable plasticity in molding their personalities and behaviors. 27 68 Effective interventions exist to treat and possibly prevent psychopathology emerging after childhood trauma, but implementation needs to be scaled up. 7

Linking and optimizing preventive child health and education initiatives early in life are key to successful intervention 69 and need to be done at the appropriate level in the health and education systems. The development of the nurturing care framework 70 has been a welcome step in this direction, engaging platforms such as community health workers and pre-schools . 71

Community, school, and after-school based interventions can reduce the effects of traumatic events among children and adolescents living in adverse circumstances. 25 72

Public health strategies for primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of childhood maltreatment and adversity include both universal and targeted interventions, ranging from home visiting programs to parent training programs, routine screening for adversity, and cognitive behavioral therapy. 73 74

Key recommendations

Researchers should consider both objective and subjective measures of childhood adversity

Researchers should broaden assessment of interventions beyond mental health measures to more regularly include health outcomes such as asthma, infection, inflammation, and insulin resistance

Adversity and trauma should be considered in context, and investigators in different cultures may need to develop different assessments

Researchers should consider how much better (eg, as predictors) objective biomarker panels are than behavior, how early in life they can be used, and whether they are scalable

Researchers should move towards longitudinal studies and ideally studies that involve interventions

Researchers should pay more attention to individual differences

Governments should implement evidence-informed policies for optimizing health, nutrition, and early child development

Health and education systems should link and optimize preventive child health and education initiatives early in life at the appropriate level

Use community, school, and after-school based interventions

Consider public health strategies for primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of childhood maltreatment and adversity

Acknowledgments

We thank Lee Anglin and Lily Breen for proofing the manuscript.

Competing interests: We have read and understood BMJ policy on declaration of interests and have no relevant interests to declare.

Provenance and peer review: Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

This article is part of a series commissioned by The BMJ for the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) 2020. The BMJ peer reviewed, edited, and made the decisions to publish. The series, including open access fees, is funded by WISH.

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ .

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Life Experiences — Childhood Memories

Childhood Memories Essay Examples

1. childhood memories essay prompt samples.

Before we embark on this journey down memory lane, let's first understand what a childhood memories essay entails. An essay prompt typically serves as your guiding star in crafting your piece. Here are a few samples to give you an idea of what to expect:

... Read More 1. Childhood Memories Essay Prompt Samples Before we embark on this journey down memory lane, let's first understand what a childhood memories essay entails. An essay prompt typically serves as your guiding star in crafting your piece. Here are a few samples to give you an idea of what to expect: "Write an essay about a significant childhood memory that shaped your character." "Describe a vivid childhood experience that left a lasting impact on your life." "Reflect on a cherished memory from your early years and discuss its significance."

These prompts serve as the foundation for your essay. They help you identify the core theme and purpose of your narrative.

2. Brainstorming the Perfect Childhood Memories Essay Topic

Now that you have a grasp of the prompts, it's time to brainstorm and select the most fitting topic for your childhood memories essay. Consider the following points:

• Emotional Impact: Think about memories that evoke strong emotions. These are often the most compelling stories.
• Life Lessons: Reflect on memories that taught you valuable life lessons or shaped your perspective.
• Vividness: Choose memories with vivid details and sensory experiences; they make your essay come alive.
• Uniqueness: Opt for memories that stand out or have a unique twist, avoiding overly common topics.

By considering these points, you can pinpoint a memory that not only resonates with you but also captivates your readers.

3. Examples of Unique Essay Topics

Now, let's explore some unique and captivating essay topics that revolve around childhood memories. These topics are sure to stand out from the crowd:

• "The Day I Discovered a Hidden Treasure in Grandma's Attic."
• "A Magical Encounter with a Friendly Stray Cat: My Childhood Confidant."
• "The Great Lemonade Stand Adventure: Lessons in Entrepreneurship."
• "An Unexpected Journey: Getting Lost and Finding My Way Home."
• "The Night Our Backyard Turned into an Enchanted Forest."

These topics offer a fresh perspective on childhood memories, ensuring your essay engages your audience from start to finish.

4. Crafting Inspiring Paragraphs and Phrases

To bring your childhood memories essay to life, you need to infuse it with captivating paragraphs and phrases. Here are some samples to inspire your writing:

"As I climbed up the creaky attic stairs, the dust danced in the sunlight streaming through the cracks. There, amidst forgotten relics of the past, I stumbled upon a weathered, leather-bound journal that held secrets from generations long gone." "The stray cat, with its fur as soft as memories themselves, became my confidant. We'd spend endless afternoons together, sharing secrets only a child and a feline friend could understand." "With a cardboard sign in hand and a heart full of dreams, I set up my first lemonade stand on that scorching summer day. The taste of success was as sweet as the lemonade itself." "As twilight descended, the stars emerged in our enchanted backyard. Fireflies danced, and the trees whispered secrets to my young ears, painting a canvas of wonder and magic."

Feel free to use these samples as a starting point for your own narrative. Remember, the key is to paint a vivid and emotional picture with your words.

With these insights, you're well on your way to crafting an outstanding childhood memories essay that will leave a lasting impression. Embrace the nostalgia, choose a unique topic, and let your words transport your readers back to your cherished moments of the past.

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Essays About Childhood Memories: Top 5 Examples

Our childhood memories are often some of the most cherished experiences of our lives, so if you are writing essays about childhood memories, you can start by reading our essay examples and writing prompts.  

Childhood is the period in our lives when we learn about our feelings, social skills, and the world around us. When we think of our childhood, we remember the years when we learn the most basic life skills, from being able to talk to the difference between “good” and “bad.”

Many fondly look back on their childhood memories, recalling when life was much more straightforward. They remember their parents, grandparents, favorite foods, friends, and essential experiences, among many other things. It is easy to imagine the idyllic, innocent life most of us had before, especially in our challenging times. 

If you want to write essays about your childhood memories, go over the essay examples, and writing prompts featured below. 

1. Happy childhood memories – and an old mix-tape by Séamas O’Reilly

2. favorite childhood memory by david dziegielewski, 3. a reflection of my childhood by shivani bajaj.

• 4.  I Would Have Liked Childhood More Without the Pressure to Grow Up by Jane Coaston

5. Lessons from my mother: A reflection on motherhood by GraceAnna Castleberry

1. your favourite childhood memory, 2. the importance of positive memories from childhood, 3. memories of your childhood home, 4. important figures from childhood, 5. the value of childhood memories, 6. childhood vs. adulthood, 7. childhood food memories.

“For the last few years I lived here, I was the same height as I am now, so why am I astonished at the low hang of countertops, or that I can catch my reflection in the mirror that hangs high on the wall? Sometimes peering at that tired, but devilishly handsome, man in the mirror evokes the same, bittersweet feeling of vertigo you get from visiting your old primary school, as you stand 3ft higher than you’re supposed to, like some befuddled Lemuel Gulliver.”

In his essay, O’Reilly reflects on his time visiting his father in his childhood house. He recalls his memories inside the house alongside his son’s experiences today and how they are similar. He also explains how pleasant it is to be in the house again, as it evokes warm, cozy memories of his upbringing. While much has changed about the house, every visit remains as nostalgic as ever.

You might also find these essays about camping trips helpful.  

“I always smile when I remember fishing with my Father. Many years have now since passed since those Saturday morning fishing trips. Time has taught me that the bond between Father and Son is what made those memories special to me. Now when I close my eyes I can remember those days since passed with joy and with a remembrance of the love I have for my Father.”

In this short essay, Dziegielewski describes memories of fishing with his father. He recalls every detail, from the fresh smell of the lake to the sound of a fishing bobber. Most importantly, however, he remembers how his father taught him the skill of fishing. This made him love his father, even more, allowing him to look back on these memories fondly.  You can also check out these essays about development .

“Water also drives many of our decisions — from the seafood we eat to our most romantic moments, and from where we live, to the sports we enjoy, and the ways we vacation and relax. We know instinctively that being by water makes us healthier, happier, reduces stress, and brings us peace.”

Bajaj recalls a memorable experience in which she dove into a deep pool after her mother had told her not to. She remembers the feelings of curiosity and excitement she felt and how despite her nearly drowning, she remembers that time happily. Reflecting on the memory, she also explains how water has helped her become more satisfied, peaceful, and happy. Our childhood memories shape us and provide us with the basis for the rest of our lives.

4.   I Would Have Liked Childhood More Without the Pressure to Grow Up by Jane Coaston

“I felt like I was given no time for trial and error. My choices were either to make the very selective local club soccer team or never play the sport again, be a genius or give up. Because being bad at anything was the worst possible sin I could imagine committing.”

Coaston writes about a more negative aspect of her childhood: the constant pressure to “not be a kid anymore.” She recalls several things expected of her, including having exceptional grades while being athletically gifted at the same time, with “no time for trial and error.” She feels everything was expected of her, and she did not have time to discover herself by making mistakes. She wishes parents would not rush their children along and let kids be kids for a while.  Check out these essays about growing up .

“I remember calling home once when I was spending the night at a friend’s house. I was homesick and just wanted to come back home. It was near midnight, but my mom drove over and picked me up. It was in these little moments that I especially felt loved. These were moments when I really needed my mom, and she was there for me. As a mother of a one-year-old now, I treasure these moments too.”

In her essay, Castleberry recalls her childhood memories involving her mother, including ones in which her mother entertained her and her friends and picked her up from a late night at a friend’s house. She remembers the small things her mother would do for her and how she was always there when she needed her. In raising her daughter, Castleberry strives to be the same mother that her mother was for her. 

7 Writing Prompts On Essays About Childhood Memories

Think back to one beloved childhood memory and retell the story in your essay. Then, describe all of the details you can recall, such as; who was involved, where the memory took place, what events transpired, and why it is such an important memory. Next, provide context by explaining the circumstances behind the memory, and most important of all, be sure to explain how this memory made you feel. Finally, use descriptive language to convey why this memory is your favorite.

Whether good or bad, people say childhood memories are crucial to who you are today. Why is this the case? In your essay, write about the value of keeping your childhood memories close. Then, write about any lessons you learned from them, and include a mix of supporting details from research and your opinions. 

Describe the home you lived in as a child- the layout, the neighborhood, the living conditions, and whatever else you can think of. Did you like it? Write about how it compares to your current home, and if you still live in the same place today, describe how it has changed from before and how it is similar. 

You can also write about a childhood figure who impacted you, such as one of your parents, grandparents, uncles, or aunts. Explain why you remember this person so well and the impact they have had on your life. For inspiration, you can look through an old photo album with photos of that person. 

Recall your childhood and think about this: overall, is it a childhood others would enjoy? Did you have a “good” childhood, or If there is anything, you can also include things you would change about your childhood you could. In this essay, delve into the value of your childhood memories and write about any that impacted your life for the better.

Compare yourself now to how you were back then. In most cases, much has changed; however, what similarities do you see between you now and in your childhood memories? If you wish to be more like “childhood you” in some ways, explain these as well. 

For a fun essay, write about your favorite food growing up. Include a brief description of how to prepare it and perhaps some of its history. What significance does this food have to you? You can also write about any memories you associate the dish with, as these might explain why you enjoyed that food so much. 

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The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Health and Development in Young Children

Erica m. webster.

1 SUNY Cortland, Cortland, NY, USA

In recent years, there have been advances in research regarding the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and resulting poor outcomes for children who have experiences ACES. ACE exposure has been connected with poor academic performance, poor health outcomes, and certain diseases. However, there is still relatively little known about the prevalence and impact of ACE exposure in early childhood. Using the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, this study assessed the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences for children under the age of six years. This research measured the impact of individual ACEs on health and developmental outcomes and found that financial hardship and parental mental illness both had increased odds of having health and developmental difficulties. Furthermore, this work finds that there is a dose-response relationship between ACE count and increased risk of health and developmental difficulties. Conversely, children who were reported as affectionate with their parent had decreased risk for health and developmental problems. Programs supporting families with young children should focus efforts on enhancing quality of attachment, especially for children experiencing ACEs.

The study of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is helpful in demonstrating how adversity is often associated with negative outcomes. The ACE questionnaire measures traumatic events in childhood, like abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction, that present a risk for future medical, academic, and social problems. High ACE scores have been determined to predict adult risky behavior and are associated with health and disability in childhood. 1 - 4 Studying the impact of ACEs in childhood is important for developing interventions to help mitigate additional risks associated with ACE exposure. 5

This study aims to add to the existing literature on ACEs by examining the impact of ACEs on development in early childhood. Due to the rapid brain development in young children, ACE exposure early in childhood may impact children’s health, learning, and behavior. 6 Using a developmental cascade framework to examine risk in early childhood, this study aims to examine developmental risk factors associated with individual and cumulative ACEs. 7 This research will supplement the body of literature on the achievement gap by including an in-depth analysis of multiple adversities, in addition to income, and examine the odds of additional associated medical and developmental risks. Understanding the prevalence of ACEs and the risks associated with ACEs in early childhood is critical for creating interventions that promote positive development for youth and inform parental education to minimize future ACE exposure.

Specifically, this study aims to examine the relationship of each individual ACE and the number of special health needs that represent chronic health conditions and developmental risk factors in young children (such as having emotional or behavioral problems). Furthermore, this study examines the likelihood of developmental risk factors with the increase in cumulative ACE score, examining a dose-response relationship to multiple developmental adversities. I hypothesized that children with higher ACE scores will have more health and developmental difficulties. Zero-inflated negative binominal regression was used to determine the likelihood of health and developmental problems in relation to the number of ACEs a child has experienced. Additionally, this relationship was examined for differences between children who demonstrate affection to their caregiver and those who rarely or never do.

Prior Literature

The ACE study measures traumatic events in childhood, like abuse, neglect and family dysfunction, that present a risk for future problems. The original 10 item ACE questionnaire includes questions regarding household dysfunction: parental separation, incidents of domestic violence, substance abuse, mental illness, and criminal behavior; abuse: psychological, physical, and emotional; and neglect: physical and emotional. 4

The initial ACE study found a strong relationship between exposure to abuse or household dysfunction during childhood and multiple health risk factors for the leading causes of death in adulthood. In their research Felitti et al 4 found that adults who had experienced 4 or more ACEs showed a 12 times higher prevalence of health risks such as alcoholism, drug use, depression, and suicide attempts. These findings raised awareness about the connection between childhood experiences and outcomes as an adult.

The study of ACEs demonstrates the many interconnected implications of risk. Traumatic events that occur within a child’s immediate environment impact the child’s development. Recent studies on ACEs have shown an increase in health and disability diagnosis associated with higher ACE scores. 2 , 3 Due to this field of research, adversity is no longer perceived as solely a social issue, as it effects health and development also. Interventions such as the Center for Youth Wellness, 5 are targeting the medical, social, and psychological effects of adversities through a multidisciplinary approach. Supporting this complex relationship between ACEs and health other research found that children with special health care needs were more likely to have been reported as having experienced each individual ACE and had a higher average ACE score. 8

The study of adverse experiences focuses on the objective events but is not fully able to include the subjective interpretation of life events. Resilience, or positive adaptation, is evident from participants with high ACE scores in the initial ACE study given that the population examined was adults who were employed and insured, this signifies that even those adults who experienced significant adversity as a child were able to successfully meet social standards by obtaining employment. 4 This study represents the complex nature of risk and resilience since the participants were engaging in some maladaptive behaviors, while showing competence in other areas. While there was a strong correlation between ACEs and risky behavior such as addiction and obesity there is still variation in social outcomes.

A more recent study examined over 700 medical records of youth receiving medical services at an inner-city pediatric clinic. Researchers found a 30-fold increase in learning or behavior problems (as reported by parents) between children with high ACE scores (4 or more) compared to children with no ACEs. This work helps to connect the dots between social risk factors and educational outcomes.

Bower and Baldwin 2 studied the prevalence of ACEs among high school aged children in an urban school district. They found that the prevalence and specific type of adversities varied from different socioeconomic groups. Parental put downs were more common among children from higher socio-economic status (SES) and neighborhood violence was more common in children from lower SES backgrounds. The authors used multiple regression models to control for poverty when measuring the impact of ACEs on individual and school performance. Overall, higher ACE scores were significant in predicting grades, school achievement, and drug abuse. Average ACE scores for schools were associated with state test scores, graduation rates, and college attendance rates.

In a nationally representative study, children with higher ACE exposure were less likely to be engaged in school and more likely to repeat a grade. Furthermore, children with more than 2 aces were more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), behavior problems, and to bully others. 1 The ACE studies have been helpful in connecting cumulative risks with academic, health, and social outcomes.

Additional research shows that having a trusting adult present in childhood can serve as a buffer for the negative impact of ACEs. A study in the United Kingdom studied the impact of ACEs on health harming behaviors in adulthood and the mitigating effect of having an always available adult present in childhood. The increase of ACEs without the support of a trusted adult was associated with a higher ratio of harmful health behaviors. Even in participants with zero ACEs there were higher rates of smoking and poor diet in those without a trusting adult available during childhood. 9 This research signifies the importance of having available adults as a mitigating factor for adversities including economic deprivation as well as other ACEs. This study is significant in that is suggests that even while many of the ACE questions are directly related to parental stressors, there is still variation in adult outcomes based on having the support of a trusting adult in childhood. This could help inform perspective interventions aimed at mitigating the impact of ACEs in early childhood.

Furthermore, the role of attachment has previously been established as critical during the early childhood years. Masten, 10 states:

“The attachment relationship, in the elaborated theory, serves as a template for future relationships. A secure early attachment bond cascades to foster close relationships in subsequent years with friends, mentors, and romantic partners, serving protective functions for human adaptation over the life course. Research has demonstrated that sensitive, consistent caregiving enhances the quality of the attachment relationships, forecasting better social and emotional development.” (p. 20)

Thus, in early childhood, secure attachment can be preventative in nature, promote positive relational development, or protective in nature, depending on the context.

Developmental Opportunities

Furthermore, there are 3 natural periods in development where youth are especially susceptible to change. The first critical period of development is in early childhood years where brain development is rapidly occurring, and children are in a state of neural plasticity. Any exposure to adversity, or ACEs, during this period of development may hinder healthy development. 6 Prior research on early exposure of abuse and neglect has established the consequences on the developing brain altering normative development. 11 Additionally, another critical period of development occurs in adolescents, where the brain is experiencing neural pruning and individuals are seeking a sense of identity. And finally, the transition into adulthood is a crucial period for developing self-efficacy, pursuing meaning, and exposure to opportunities for success. 12 These developmental transitions are periods of vulnerability and opportunity. Research measures for resilience in youth need to consider developmental timing for determining potential risks, protective factors, and outcome measures. Parents are particularly important in raising young children as they pass along genes, impact the environment and provide experiences; all of which has the potential for both positive and negative impact on development. 13 Prior research associated exposure to ACEs in early childhood with academic and behavioral difficulties in kindergarten. 14 This study considers the role of parental stressors and other ACEs, in early childhood when children are especially reliant on their parents in connection to the child’s developmental outcomes.

Developmental Cascades

This study of risk and development is fitting with the framework of developmental cascades. Masten and Cicchetti 7 define developmental cascades as “the cumulative consequences for development of the many interactions and transactions occurring in developing systems that result in spreading effects across levels, among domains at the same level, and across different systems or generations.” (p. 491). This framework can be used to explain the impact of family systems on individual child development and the relationship between one area of development on another. The study of developmental cascades encompasses the impact of one system on another area of development, such as the connection between ACE exposure in childhood and health outcomes in adulthood. 4 This negative type of developmental cascade is also referred to as a risk cascade. 12 Conversely, a positive developmental cascade may be triggered by the impact of an intervention that promotes a healthy developmental trajectory that has lasting effects. This type of cascade is evident in the research on the effectiveness of interventions in early childhood that promote skills for school readiness and parental education that alter the predicted course of development and have a lasting impact. 15 Likewise, Masten and Cicchetti, 7 state:

“Well-times and targeted interventions could interrupt negative or promote positive cascades; these efforts may work by counteracting negative cascades, by targeting the reduction of problems, or by targeting improvements in competence in domains that increase the probability of better function in other domains.” (p. 491)

Understanding the impact of developmental risk cascades in early childhood is especially important for tailoring interventions that can promote a positive developmental trajectory given that the return on investment is greater during early childhood. 16 Therefore, the study of ACEs on the developing child could provide information for interventions to prevent future ACEs and reduce the negative impact of ACEs on development.

Research Questions:

• (1) Is there a difference between individual ACEs in predicting the increased likelihood for health and developmental problems?
• (2) What predictive power does ACE count have in determining the likelihood of cumulative health and developmental problems in early childhood?
• (3) Does the relative risk of ACE score on health and developmental outcomes differ for children who are affectionate with their parent?

For this study data from the 2016 National Survey for Children’s Health (NSCH) will be used. This dataset, developed by the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) and Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), provides data on multiple aspects of children’s health and development. The participant sample includes a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized children between the ages of newborn and 17 years. Initially, 139 923 households were screened for age eligible children and then one child was selected at random for an interview regarding health and wellbeing. Surveys were administered both by mail and via the internet. A total of 50 212 surveys were completed by parents or guardians. 17 The 2016 NSCH data also includes information on children with special health care needs. Data collection instruments can be found at https://www.childhealthdata.org/learn-about-the-nsch/survey-instruments .

Participants

For this analysis only information using the topical questionnaire for children who were 5 years old or younger are included. Data are weighted to represent the population of noninstitutionalized children nationally and in each state. This analysis includes a subpopulation of children under the age of 6—the age most heavily relying on parents for protection and educational opportunities. There is a total of 14 494 survey responses for children under the age of 6 (29% of the total surveyed sample).

Demographic characteristics. For this analysis, I have included age (in years), gender, and race/ethnicity (Hispanic, white, Black, other/multi-racial) as control variables. Additionally, a ratio of the household poverty provided by NSCH is included in the descriptive demographic table, but not controlled for in the analysis due to the overlap with the ACE question “How often has it been hard to get by on your family’s income—hard to cover basics like food or housing?”

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

The NSCH measure for ACEs is based on parent report and are measured as being either present or absent. The wording of the NSCH ACE questionnaire was modified from the original screener used by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to minimize under-reporting. 18 The 9 ACE questions were included based on the observable nature of items on which parents can report. The ACE scale included one question for each of the following: economic hardship, parental divorce, death of a parent, parental incarceration, mental illness of a family member, drug/alcohol abuse of family member, domestic violence, neighborhood violence, and racial discrimination. The 9 questions used to measure ACEs are listed in Table 4 . The low non-response rate (1.4%) for the ACE questions signifies that the measures were acceptable for respondents. The NSCH-ACE measure is determined to collectively measure overall adversity (Cronbach’s alpha = .66). This is consistent with the findings of Bethell et al 19 confirmatory factor analysis and latent class analysis supporting the usage of the NSCH-ACE measure for assessing cumulative risk.

Survey Question and Prevalence of Each NSCH-ACEs.

Special health care needs

Five questions were asked in the initial screener regarding special health care needs of children, representing overall problems with health and development. In determining the special health care needs (SHCN) status, NSCH combined several health risks including (1) taking prescription medication, (2) requiring more medical/mental health/educational services than usual for the child’s age, (3) having a condition that limits ability to do age-appropriate tasks, (4) needing special therapies (physical, occupational, or speech), or (5) having ongoing emotional, developmental, or behavioral concerns. If respondents answered yes to any condition a follow up question was asked regarding if the condition is expected to last 12 months or longer. SHCN status is determined based on the presence of a qualifying factor and the anticipated duration of more than 12 months. NSCH also included a total count of qualifying factors that determine whether a child is considered to have special health care needs. 18 An additional variable is available for children who have 2 or more qualifying factors signifying a greater developmental impact of one condition or the presence of multiple comorbid conditions. This analysis includes the total count of all qualifying factors.

To investigate the impact of individual ACE predictive power and cumulative ACE count on children’s overall health and development, 2 separate zero inflated negative binomial regression models were used. One model was used measuring the individual impact of each ACE ( Figure 1 ). This model will be helpful to measure the direct impact of specific adversities in order to plan targeted interventions. A second model was measured to examine the cumulative impact of ACE count on health and developmental outcomes ( Figure 2 ). This model examines the total cumulative impact of adversities in early childhood.

Relationship of individual ACEs to the relative risk of cumulative health and developmental impairments.

Abbreviations: ACEs, Adverse Childhood Experiences; CSHCN, Child with Special Health Care Needs.

Relationship of total ACE score to the relative risk of total health and developmental impairments.

In preparation for data analysis, I examined all variable distribution for normality. Distribution of the continuous independent variable and missing data patterns were assessed. Regarding the ACE count, the skew (3.07) and kurtosis (15.26) fell outside the acceptable range (<3), for this reason and to enhance readability, ACE score will be categorized as (1) 0 ACEs, (2) 1 ACE, (3) 2 or 3 ACEs, or (4) 4 or more ACEs. These categories are consistent with previous research on ACEs. 2 , 4 , 9

There is no missing data for factors considered as special health needs as these questions were asked in the screener administered before the full questionnaire was completed. As seen in Table 4 , missing data for the ACE questions are relatively low (less than 5% for all measures). I found no significant predictors of missingness relative to the variables in my dataset. Therefore, complete case analysis will be used. This decision is supported by the notion that it would be inappropriate to impute sensitive information such as ACE scores or diagnosis.

Variance inflation factors for all variables were <3.0, suggesting no multicollinearity of the data. 20 To determine the best fitting model Poisson regression model (PRM), negative binomial regression model (NBRM), zero inflated Poisson (ZIP), and zero inflated negative binomial (ZINB) models were compared. Zero inflated negative binomial model was preferred over other models based on the AIC and BIC (shown in Table 1 ). The α (IRR = 0.64, se = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.4, 1.03) is not equal to zero signifying over dispersion of the data, justifying the appropriate use of the zero inflated negative binomial model. In this data having zero qualifying health care needs could be due to lack of qualifying factors or could be lack of health care access to evaluate special health needs. In this data there were a significant percent of children without health care needs. Having no qualifying health needs was associated with younger children, with 95% of children under the age of 1 having zero special health care factors, whereas 84% of children 5 years old had zero qualifying special health care needs (shown in Table 2 ).

Model Fit Comparisons.

Percent of Special Health Care Needs by Age.

Descriptive statistics for the early childhood population are shown in Table 3 . The greatest proportion of sample participants were white (70%), followed by other or mixed-racial (14%). The population of this study had slightly more males (51.8%) than females. Children’s age ranged between 1 month and 5 years old with the mean age of 2.6 years old (SD = 1.64). The majority of respondents reported their family income to be above 400% of the federal poverty level with about 10% falling at or below the poverty level.

Sample Characteristics and Prevalence of Special Health Care Needs by ACE count category: Children Ages 0-5 National Survey for Children’s Health 2016.

This table also includes the percent of children with each qualifying special health need for children with 2 or more ACEs in comparison with those with less than 2 ACEs. A higher proportion of children with 2 or more ACEs experience each of the individual health and developmental conditions. This cut off was used because the overall prevalence of ACEs was fairly low for the early childhood population and this gives an idea of differences on health factors between the group with low adversity and those with moderate or high levels of adversity. Children with special health care needs comprised 11.6% of the sample (shown in Table 3 ). Taking prescription medication was the most common qualifying factor (7.2%), followed by elevated use of medical or educational services (6.1%), and the fewest number of children (3.3%) qualified based on emotional, behavioral, or developmental needs.

Special health care needs were considered for children with less than 2 ACEs and for children with 2 or more ACEs, this showed differences in the proportion of children within each group who had qualifying special health care needs. 24.1% of children with 2 or more ACEs qualified as having special health care needs, whereas only 10.4% of children with less than 2 ACEs qualified. A greater proportion of children with 2 or more ACEs was found for each of the qualifying factors when compared to children with less ACEs. Additionally, 15% of children with 2 or more ACES also had 2 or more special health care needs, whereas only 5% of children with less than 2 ACEs had multiple health needs. This signifies a difference in the prevalence of special health care needs for young children with ACEs.

Table 4 shows the prevalence of the sample having experienced each individual ACE and broken down by ACE count categories. Of the children in this sample 70.9% had experienced zero ACEs with the average ACE score of 0.44 (SD = 0.92). As represented in Table 4 the prevalence of each individual adversity is low with the most common adversities being financial hardship (18.6%) and parental separation (9.4%).

In the first model, the relative risk of special health needs was determined for each of the ACE questions individually. The model controls for race and sex. Significant findings showed the expected special health needs count increase by 84% for children whose families reported financial hardship (IRR = 1.84, se = 0.12, z = 9.30, P < .001, 95% CI = 1.62, 2.10) and increased by 42% for children who lived with someone who had a mental illness (IRR = 1.42, se = 0.16, z = 3.18, P < .001, 95% CI = 1.14, 1.76). Model results are displayed in Table 5 .

Incidence-Rate Ratio for Increased Health and Developmental Difficulties by Individual ACE Exposure and by Cumulative ACE Score.

Models controls for age, sex, and race.

*** P < .001. ** P < .01. * P < .05.

A zero inflated negative binominal model was used to determine the predictive power of ACE count on cumulative health care needs. In the second model, after controlling for race and sex, the relative risk of special health care needs was determined based on the cumulative ACE count category and by attachment to caregiver. Overall, there was a strong positive relationship between the number of ACEs a child had experienced and the count of special health care needs (displayed in Table 5 ). Compared to those with zero ACEs, children with one ACE have 68% higher odds of having special health care needs (IRR = 1.68, se = 0.11, z = 7.69, P < .001, 95% CI = 1.48, 1.91). Children with 2 or 3 ACEs have 83% higher odds of having special health care needs relative to those with no ACEs (IRR = 1.83, se = 0.16, z = 6.98, P < .001, 95% CI = 1.55, 2.18). Lastly, children who experienced 4 or more ACEs had 137% increase odds when compared to those with no ACEs (IRR = 2.37, se = 0.30, z = 6.87, P < .001, 95% CI = 1.85, 3.03).

Alternatively, there was a 33% decrease in odds of special health care needs for children who were reported as being affectionate with their caregiver relative to those who were not (IRR = 0.67, se = 0.06, z = −4.57, P < .001, 95% CI = 1.77, 3.08). This relationship is depicted in Figure 3 . An ANOVA was used to test the significance of the difference in mean qualifying factors by affection at each ACE count category. Findings indicated a statistically significant ( P < .001) difference for children with less than 4 ACEs (results not shown). For children with 4 or more ACEs, being affectionate with a parent was not significant in predicting mean number of special health care factors.

Predictive margins by ACE score for increased health and developmental difficulties sorted by affectionate children.

During the period of early childhood, children are rapidly developing neurological connections; thus, development during these crucial years is also associated with success in later years. 6 In this nationally representative sample of young children, experiencing ACEs was associated with poor health and developmental outcomes. Similar to prior ACE research, this study finds significant predictive power in cumulative ACE count and increased odds for worse overall outcomes with high ACE scores. 1 - 4 This phenomenon of ACE count predicting poor health and developmental outcomes, which is in turn predictive of difficulties later in life, is considered a risk cascade 7 . Conversely, children with no or low ACEs were less likely to experience health and developmental difficulties, and are therefore, likely to continue experiencing success on age salient tasks, this represents a positive developmental trajectory or success cascade. The desired outcome of interventions would be to alter the developmental trajectory for those youth who have experienced adversity and put into place factors which will promote future successes.

In this study individual ACEs were measured for predictive power and it was found that many of the ACEs when measured individually did not have significant predictive power in determining the odds for increase health and developmental difficulties. The 2 ACEs that were statistically significant (financial hardship and living with someone with a mental illness) both had slightly larger confidence intervals indicating that there is variance in outcome for children who have experienced those ACEs. Financial hardship has been determined to be associated with many additional risk factors, such as poor health and development, so this finding aligns with prior research on the impacts of poverty. 21 Prior research on parental depression and mental illness has noted the impact of depression on the social-emotional development of children. Furthermore, there is notable differences in the parent-child attachment for children whose parent has a mental illness. 22 Additionally, parental mental illness may be associated with increased odds for special health needs based on the genetic risk of passing down emotional difficulties to the child.

The second model used in this study confirmed that higher ACE scores are associated with increased risk for health and developmental factors. These findings confirm the suggestions from Bethell et al 19 to use an ACE score to measure cumulative risk. Relative to children with no ACEs, children who have experienced ACEs had an increased risk for taking prescription medication, requiring more medical/educational services than typical for their age, have limitations that impact their daily functioning, receiving special services, or having emotional, behavioral, or developmental difficulties. This study adds to the growing body of literature around ACEs in that it links adversity to health and developmental difficulties in childhood. 1 - 3 These special health and developmental needs in early childhood have implications for future developmental trajectories. 6

These findings also add to the literature connecting childhood adversity to adult health outcomes. Comple-menting prior work focusing on adult health behaviors, this study provides information connecting ACE exposure to health and developmental outcomes during childhood that may influence the health disparities observed in adulthood. 4 Recent research predicts that prevention of ACEs would lead to a significant decrease in depression, kidney disease, stroke, coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity in America. 23 Furthermore, ACE prevention was associated with predictive decreases in health risk behaviors (smoking and drinking) in adulthood and in socioeconomic challenges such as unemployment.

This study highlights the risk cascade associated with early childhood exposure to ACEs and health and developmental outcomes. Given the connection between health and development for young children, this work has implications for both pediatricians and early childhood educators. Given the frequent contact with families and length of time working with a family, these professionals are uniquely positioned to identify ACEs and developmental outcomes. Additionally, they can provide resources or referrals for families in order to promote positive developmental trajectories. Programs such as Head Start, Nurse Home Visiting, Universal Pre-Kindergarten and other preventative programs may help reduce the achievement gap and health disparities noted in other studies. 2 , 3 , 24 Guidance from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control echoes this need in emphasizing the role of quality care and education in early childhood in preventing future ACE exposure. 25

Lastly, this study contributes to the growing body of literature around resilience in examining the role of secure attachment in altering the impact of ACEs on health and development. Children who were reported showing affection to their parent had a decreased risk for health and developmental difficulties when compared to children with the same number of ACEs who did not frequently show affection toward their parent. This finding contributes to the work of Bellis et al 9 in confirming the role of a secure attachment in undermining the negative impact of ACEs. This confirms the notion that parents can serve as protective factors in mitigating the impact of risks and promoting resilience in youth. 12

Limitations and Recommendations

While this study adds to the growing body of literature regarding ACEs and ACE resilience, it is not without limitations. The dataset used for this analysis was a convenient nationally representative sample, yet the NSCH data may not be fully representative of children experiencing ACEs since the majority of the sample had experienced none. Additionally, the sample was composed of majority white and affluent respondents. Furthermore, the nature of the NSCH questionnaire was self-report which may have been biased by social desirability. 26

One limitation in measuring developmental cascades is that it does not measure developmental changes over time. The data being used takes into consideration the parents’ perspective in health conditions expected to last at least 12 months, but this does not give a complete picture of the relationship between ACEs and children’s developmental trajectories. The nature of the NSCH data provides rich data from a single time point, but there is currently no publicly available longitudinal data measuring ACEs in childhood.

While the difference in predictive power of ACEs on cumulative health outcomes were examined both for children with and without an affectionate relationship with their parent, the analysis used does not measure a moderating effect. Additionally, research on resilience includes many parental characteristics that serve as protective factors. 12 In this analysis the only parent level measures were the ACEs. It is recommended that further research be conducted to look at the positive impact that families can have in lessening the impact of ACEs.

This study enriches the rapidly expanding literature on adverse childhood experiences and developmental implications, by narrowing the focus to early childhood where children are most reliant on their families and therefore may be most susceptible to family dysfunction and other ACEs. This study uses a nationally representative sample to confirm the risk cascade relationship between increased ACEs and risk for health and developmental difficulties. Furthermore, this study begins to examine the role parent-child attachment can play in promoting resilience in the face of adversity. The findings from this study underscore the importance of tailored interventions to prevent further risks and promote positive developmental trajectories during early childhood.

Author Contributions: The author confirm contribution to the paper as follows: study conception and design; analysis and interpretation of results; draft manuscript preparation and review.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding: The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

InBrief: The Impact of Early Adversity on Children’s Development

This brief is part of a series that summarizes essential scientific findings from Center publications.

What happens in early childhood can matter for a lifetime. To successfully manage our society’s future, we must recognize problems and address them before they get worse. In early childhood, research on the biology of stress shows how major adversity, such as extreme poverty, abuse, or neglect can weaken developing brain architecture and permanently set the body’s stress response system on high alert. Science also shows that providing stable, responsive, nurturing relationships in the earliest years of life can prevent or even reverse the damaging effects of early life stress, with lifelong benefits for learning, behavior, and health .

Early experiences influence the developing brain.

From the prenatal period through the first years of life, the brain undergoes its most rapid development, and early experiences determine whether its architecture is sturdy or fragile. During early sensitive periods of development, the brain’s circuitry is most open to the influence of external experiences, for better or for worse. During these sensitive periods, healthy emotional and cognitive development is shaped by responsive, dependable interaction with adults , while chronic or extreme adversity can interrupt normal brain development. For example, children who were placed shortly after birth into orphanages with conditions of severe neglect show dramatically decreased brain activity compared to children who were never institutionalized.

Chronic stress can be toxic to developing brains.

Learning how to cope with adversity is an important part of healthy child development. When we are threatened, our bodies activate a variety of physiological responses, including increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones such as cortisol. When a young child is protected by supportive relationships with adults, he learns to cope with everyday challenges and his stress response system returns to baseline. Scientists call this positive stress. Tolerable stress occurs when more serious difficulties, such as the loss of a loved one, a natural disaster, or a frightening injury, are buffered by caring adults who help the child adapt, which mitigates the potentially damaging effects of abnormal levels of stress hormones. When strong, frequent, or prolonged adverse experiences such as extreme poverty or repeated abuse are experienced without adult support, stress becomes toxic, as excessive cortisol disrupts developing brain circuits.

Significant early adversity can lead to lifelong problems.

Toxic stress experienced early in life and common precipitants of toxic stress—such as poverty, abuse or neglect, parental substance abuse or mental illness, and exposure to violence—can have a cumulative toll on an individual’s physical and mental health. The more adverse experiences in childhood, the greater the likelihood of developmental delays and other problems. Adults with more adverse experiences in early childhood are also more likely to have health problems, including alcoholism, depression, heart disease, and diabetes.

Early intervention can prevent the consequences of early adversity.

Research shows that later interventions are likely to be less successful—and in some cases are ineffective. For example, when the same children who experienced extreme neglect were placed in responsive foster care families before age two, their IQs increased more substantially and their brain activity and attachment relationships were more likely to become normal than if they were placed after the age of two. While there is no “magic age” for intervention, it is clear that, in most cases, intervening as early as possible is significantly more effective than waiting.

Stable, caring relationships are essential for healthy development.

Children develop in an environment of relationships that begin in the home and include extended family members, early care and education providers, and members of the community. Studies show that toddlers who have secure, trusting relationships with parents or non-parent caregivers experience minimal stress hormone activation when frightened by a strange event, and those who have insecure relationships experience a significant activation of the stress response system. Numerous scientific studies support these conclusions: providing supportive, responsive relationships as early in life as possible can prevent or reverse the damaging effects of toxic stress.

Policy Implications

• The basic principles of neuroscience indicate that providing supportive and positive conditions for early childhood development is more effective and less costly than attempting to address the consequences of early adversity later. Policies and programs that identify and support children and families who are most at risk for experiencing toxic stress as early as possible will reduce or avoid the need for more costly and less effective remediation and support programs down the road.
• From pregnancy through early childhood, all of the environments in which children live and learn, and the quality of their relationships with adults and caregivers, have a significant impact on their cognitive, emotional, and social development. A wide range of policies, including those directed toward early care and education, child protective services, adult mental health, family economic supports, and many other areas, can promote the safe, supportive environments and stable, caring relationships that children need.

Suggested citation: Center on the Developing Child (2007). The Impact of Early Adversity on Child Development (InBrief). Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu .

Related Topics: toxic stress , brain architecture , neglect

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Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Five Childhood Experiences That Lead to a More Purposeful Life

According to a new Gallup survey of over 2,000 college graduates, 80 percent believe it’s very or extremely important to have a sense of purpose in their work. Yet fewer than half of them actually succeed in having this experience.

It’s not surprising that young people are seeking purpose—adolescents with greater purpose experience greater well-being and hope. Purpose is an abiding aim that directs your behavior, provides a sense of meaning in life, and (under some researchers’ definitions) matters to the world beyond the self.

Generally, we think of purpose as something young adults discover in life by exploring their own interests and values and the different ways they can contribute to the world. But research suggests that some of the foundations of purpose may be built in early childhood. The positive or negative experiences children have may play an important role in whether they grow up to have a sense of purpose at all.

Some research suggests that negative experiences early in life can hinder our development of purpose, even decades later.

Psychologist Patrick Hill and his colleagues studied over 3,800 primarily white adults ages 20 to 75. They reported on any early childhood adversity they had experienced—including experiences of emotional abuse, physical abuse, socioeconomic disadvantage, family structure disadvantage (for example, parents divorcing or dying), and health disadvantage (for example, poor early physical or emotional health)—as well as their sense of purpose as adults.

Hill and his colleagues found that people who recalled greater adversity in childhood—in particular, greater health disadvantage—had a decreased sense of purpose.

“Individuals who experience early adversity are not ‘doomed’ to a lower sense of purpose later in life,” the researchers write. “Instead, early adversity may be better viewed as a potential risk factor.”

For some people, though, hard times in childhood end up inspiring them to pursue a particular calling, like caring for kids or eliminating poverty. “Some individuals may gain greater clarity on their life direction upon reflection on these adverse events,” Hill and his colleagues explain.

Even conflict in relationships between parents and children could affect their sense of purpose as they grow older.

Another recent study by Hill and his colleagues involved over one thousand children between six and twelve years old, and their mothers and fathers. The researchers followed the families until the children reached their twenties. They were primarily white, working-class families who lived in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

When they were in elementary school, the children—as well as their mothers and fathers—completed questionnaires about how much conflict, anger, and fun they had in their parent-child relationship. As early adults, the children also completed questionnaires to measure their purpose, life satisfaction, and stress.

The results? Children who had more early conflict with their mothers—based on their own opinions, not their parents’—had a decreased sense of purpose in early adulthood regardless of how stressed and satisfied with life they were.

“Frequent conflict saps the child’s energy and enthusiasm, and in turn likelihood to live an active, engaged lifestyle, which has been suggested as a primary pathway by which individuals find what makes their lives purposeful,” explain Hill and his colleagues.

Attachment and separation-individuation

An earlier study by Hill and his colleagues explored how a different aspect of the parent-child relationship could be important to purpose.

They measured two qualities: parental attachment and separation-individuation. Parental attachment refers to the bond between a child and their primary caregivers that depends on their warmth and responsiveness, and it was measured with statements like “I usually discuss my problems and concerns with [my mother or father].” Separation-individuation is an identity development process in which an independent, mature sense of self emerges during adolescence and young adulthood. Problems with the separation-individuation process were measured with statements like “I need other people around me to not feel empty.”

Over 500 primarily white undergraduate students at a Canadian university, ages 17-30, filled out online surveys about their relationship with their parents, as well as their sense of purpose.

“I got into music when I was nine because my next-door neighbor had a piano and he taught me how to play 'Pink Panther' and 'Greensleeves'”

Overall, the study found that students who had a higher sense of purpose tended to have more secure attachments to their parents and fewer problems with the separation-individuation process. In turn, they also had a greater sense of mastery and control—they thought they were the authors of their own future.

These findings are consistent with another study , where more purposeful men tended to remember living in more positive childhood environments—ones that included caring relationships and helped them develop trust, autonomy, and initiative.

According to Hill and his colleagues, “Having a sense of purpose could assist emerging adults with the process of defining themselves while maintaining adaptive relationships with their parental figures.”

Other positive experiences in childhood may set up children for purpose later in life—including early memories of nature’s beauty.

Researchers Riichiro Ishida and Masahiko Okada recruited nearly 70 college students in Japan who were between 18 and 35 years old. Participants completed questionnaires about their purpose and their early life and youth experiences, including nature-related questions like “Do you remember having feelings that were associated with the beauty of nature?”

The researchers found that more purposeful students tended to have stronger memories of the beauty of nature during early childhood and early adolescence.

Research is still needed to further explain this relationship. Because purpose goes hand in hand with humility , which we may feel when in nature, it may be that this diminished sense of self makes room for children to “ engage with some aspect of the world beyond the self ”—a foundational part of purpose.

Exposure to diverse activities

Finally, not only do early childhood experiences seem to affect whether children develop purpose at all as they get older, those experiences may also influence what kind of purpose they gravitate toward.

Nine 12 to 23 year olds who had an exceptional sense of purpose participated in a study by Kendall Cotton Bronk. Her team interviewed them for three hours on three occasions over five years. 

“According to the exemplars, they would not have discovered noble purposes in the areas they did had they not been involved in those areas early on, often as children,” explained Bronk. “As parents, teachers, and other adults interested in fostering noble purpose among youth, then, it is important to expose young people to a wide variety of activities.”

For example, one 18-year-old in the study shared that she first became interested in cancer research at the age of five after an experience with the American Cancer Society, when she volunteered for a fundraising event selling daffodils at the mall. Another 18-year-old in the study whose purpose was related to a commitment to create and promote jazz music shared, “I got into music when I was nine because my next-door neighbor . . . had a piano and he taught me how to play Pink Panther and Greensleeves and stuff like that.”

These results complement another study by Ishida and Okada that found that adults with stronger memories of succeeding and receiving praise from parents, teachers, friends, and neighbors during early childhood tend to have a stronger sense of purpose.

Young children may not immediately recognize that a certain activity is very important to them. Instead, their commitment may grow gradually over the course of participating in the activity, as they discover their strengths and the ways they can contribute to the world.

Taken together, all these findings suggest that there are a multitude of early childhood experiences that may shape how adolescents and adults develop a sense of purpose. Early personal resources like good health, strong social connections, and positive engagement in activities and the natural world tend to support children to develop meaningful life goals. Parents can help their children start exploring pathways to purpose early on to help avoid the post-college void of purpose that many young people are experiencing today.

About the Author

Maryam Abdullah

Uc berkeley.

Maryam Abdullah, Ph.D., is the Parenting Program Director of the Greater Good Science Center. She is a developmental psychologist with expertise in parent-child relationships and children’s development of prosocial behaviors.

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Essay on Childhood Experience

Students are often asked to write an essay on Childhood Experience in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Childhood Experience

Introduction.

Childhood is a special time filled with memories that shape our future. It’s a period of learning, growth, and exploration.

My Childhood

I remember my childhood as a time of freedom. Playing games with friends, exploring nature, and learning new things were part of everyday life.

Impact on Life

These experiences helped me develop skills and values. They taught me about friendship, curiosity, and resilience.

Childhood experiences are precious. They shape our personalities and influence our future. It’s important to cherish these memories and learn from them.

250 Words Essay on Childhood Experience

The essence of childhood.

Childhood experiences shape the contours of our adult life, working as the foundational building blocks of our personality. The impressions we gather during these formative years are often indelible, influencing our behaviors, attitudes, and life choices.

Impact of Positive Experiences

Positive childhood experiences, such as supportive familial relationships or success in school, can foster a sense of security and self-worth. They can instill in us an inherent belief in our capabilities, a crucial trait that propels us to strive for our goals. These experiences often lead to the development of resilience, equipping us to navigate life’s challenges with grace and fortitude.

Consequences of Negative Experiences

Conversely, negative experiences in childhood, such as neglect, abuse, or exposure to violence, can leave deep psychological scars. They can lead to the development of maladaptive coping mechanisms, mental health issues, and even perpetuation of harmful behaviors. However, it is important to note that these experiences do not seal one’s fate. With appropriate support and intervention, individuals can overcome these adversities.

Role of Reflection

Reflecting on our childhood experiences can provide valuable insights into our current behaviors and attitudes. It can help us understand our triggers, strengths, and weaknesses, and guide us in making conscious efforts to evolve and grow.

In conclusion, our childhood experiences, both positive and negative, significantly influence our life trajectory. They shape our worldview, our coping mechanisms, and our interpersonal relationships. Understanding this can help us appreciate the importance of providing a nurturing environment for children and empathize with individuals who have had challenging childhoods.

500 Words Essay on Childhood Experience

Childhood is a pivotal stage in the course of human life, characterized by learning, exploration, and growth. It is a period that shapes our personality, values, and beliefs, often leaving an indelible mark on our lives. This essay delves into the significance of childhood experiences, their impact on adulthood, and the role of socio-cultural factors in shaping these experiences.

The Impact of Childhood Experiences

Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, play a crucial role in molding our future selves. Positive experiences such as supportive family relationships, academic achievements, and social interactions foster self-esteem, resilience, and emotional intelligence. They act as a foundation for a healthy, balanced adulthood.

Conversely, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) like abuse, neglect, or witnessing violence can lead to lasting psychological, social, and health issues. They can disrupt a child’s cognitive development, leading to difficulties in learning and social interaction. ACEs are also linked with higher risks of mental health disorders, substance abuse, and chronic diseases in adulthood.

Childhood Experiences and Personality Development

Childhood experiences significantly contribute to personality development. For instance, children who grow up in nurturing environments tend to develop secure attachment styles, fostering trust, empathy, and positive interpersonal relationships in their later life. On the other hand, those exposed to inconsistent or harsh parenting may develop insecure attachment styles, leading to trust issues, emotional instability, and difficulties in forming healthy relationships.

Role of Socio-Cultural Factors

Socio-cultural factors like family structure, socio-economic status, and cultural norms significantly influence childhood experiences. Children from affluent backgrounds may have access to better educational resources, healthcare, and opportunities for cognitive stimulation, which can positively influence their development. In contrast, children from low-income families may face challenges like food insecurity, inadequate healthcare, and limited educational opportunities, which can hinder their development.

Cultural norms also shape childhood experiences. For instance, in collectivist cultures, children are often taught to prioritize group harmony over individual needs, which may influence their social interactions, conflict resolution strategies, and self-concept.

In conclusion, childhood experiences are instrumental in shaping our future selves. They influence our personality development, emotional health, and social functioning. Socio-cultural factors also play a significant role in shaping these experiences, highlighting the importance of a supportive, nurturing environment for children. It is crucial to understand and address the impact of adverse childhood experiences to promote healthy development and well-being. The insights gained from studying childhood experiences can inform interventions and policies aimed at fostering positive development and mitigating the effects of adverse experiences.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Favorite Childhood Memory
• Essay on Role of Parents in Children’s Life
• Essay on A Rainy Day

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Childhood Memories Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on childhood memories.

Memories are a vital component of our bodies. They shape our personality as all our knowledge and past experiences are stored there. All of us have memories, both good and bad. You have memories from long ago and also from recent times. Furthermore, some memories help us get by tough days and make us cheerful on good days.

Memories are the little things which help in running our lives smoothly. In other words, memories are irreplaceable and they are very dear to us. They help us learn from our mistakes and make us better. In my opinion, one’s childhood memories are the dearest to anyone. They help in keeping the child in you alive. Moreover, it also is a reason for our smiles in between adult life.

Importance of Childhood Memories

Childhood memories are very important in our lives. It makes us remember the best times of our lives. They shape our thinking and future. When one has good childhood memories, they grow up to be happy individuals. However, if one has traumatic childhood memories, it affects their adult life gravely.

Thus, we see how childhood memories shape our future. They do not necessarily define us but they surely play a great role. It is not important that someone with traumatic childhood memories may turn out to be not well. People get past their traumatic experiences and grow as human beings. But, these memories play a great role in this process as well.

Most importantly, childhood memories keep the inner child alive. No matter how old we get, there is always a child within each one of us. He/She comes out at different times.

For instance, some may act like a child on seeing swings; the other may get excited like a child when they see ice cream. All this happens so because we have our childhood memories reminding us of the times associated with the things we get excited about. Therefore, childhood memories play a great role in our lives.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

My Childhood Memories

Growing up, I had a very loving family. I had three siblings with whom I used to play a lot. I remember very fondly the games we use to play. Especially, in the evenings, we used to go out in the park with our sports equipment. Each day we played different games, for example, football on one day and cricket on the other. These memories of playing in the park are very dear to me.

Furthermore, I remember clearly the aroma of my grandmother’s pickles. I used to help her whenever she made pickles. We used to watch her do the magic of combining the oils and spices to make delicious pickles. Even today, I can sometimes smell her pickles whenever I look back at this memory.

Most importantly, I remember this instance very clearly when we went out for a picnic with my family. We paid a visit to the zoo and had an incredible day. My mother packed delectable dishes which we ate in the zoo. My father clicked so many pictures that day. When I look at these pictures, the memory is so clear, it seems like it happened just yesterday. Thus, my childhood memories are very dear to me and make me smile when I feel low.

Q.1 Why is Childhood Memories important?

A.1 Childhood memories shape our personality and future. They remind us of the good times and help us get by on tough days. Moreover, they remind us of past experiences and mistakes which help us improve ourselves.

Q.2 What can be a common childhood memory for all?

A.2 In my opinion, a childhood memory most of us have in common is the first day of school. Most of us remember what we felt like on the first day. In addition, our birthdays are also very common childhood memory that reminds us of gifts and celebrations on that day.

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Some Early Childhood Experiences Shape Adult Life, But Which Ones?

Maanvi Singh

Having warm, supportive parents early on correlates with success in adulthood. Agent Illustrateur/Ikon Images hide caption

Having warm, supportive parents early on correlates with success in adulthood.

Most of us don't remember our first two or three years of life — but our earliest experiences may stick with us for years and continue to influence us well into adulthood.

Just how they influence us and how much is a question that researchers are still trying to answer. Two studies look at how parents' behavior in those first years affects life decades later, and how differences in children's temperament play a role.

The first study , published Thursday in Child Development , found that the type of emotional support that a child receives during the first three and a half years has an effect on education, social life and romantic relationships even 20 or 30 years later.

Babies and toddlers raised in supportive and caring home environments tended to do better on standardized tests later on, and they were more likely to attain higher degrees as adults. They were also more likely to get along with their peers and feel satisfied in their romantic relationships.

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Why we aren't the parents we know we could be.

"It seems like, at least in these early years, the parents' role is to communicate with the child and let them know, 'I'm here for you when you're upset, when you need me. And when you don't need me, I'm your cheerleader,' " says Lee Raby , a psychologist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Delaware who led the study.

Raby used data collected from 243 people who participated in the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk . All the participants were followed from birth until they turned 32. "Researchers went into these kids' home at times. Other times they brought the children and their parents to the university and observed how they interacted with each other," Raby tells Shots.

Of course, parental behavior in the early years is just one of many influences, and it's not necessarily causing the benefits seen in the study. While tallying up the results, the researchers accounted for the participants' socioeconomic status and the environment in which they grew up.

Ultimately, they found that about 10 percent of someone's academic achievement was correlated with the quality of their home life at age three. Later experiences, genetic factors and even chance explain the other 90 percent, Raby says.

And a child's psychological makeup is a factor as well.

Shots - Health News

Anxious parents can learn how to reduce anxiety in their kids.

The second study , also published in Child Development , found that children's early experiences help predict whether or not they end up developing social anxiety disorder as teenagers — but only for those who were especially sensitive and distrustful as babies.

For this study, researchers from the University of Maryland observed how 165 babies interacted with their parents. When separated from their parents, some got upset but quickly recovered when they were reunited. Other babies had a harder time trusting their parents after a brief separation, and they weren't able to calm down after being reunited.

Those extra-sensitive babies were more likely to report feeling anxious socializing and attending parties as teenagers.

So what does this all mean? For one, it means that human development is complicated, according to Jay Belsky , a professor of human development at the University of California, Davis who was not involved in either study.

We know that our early experiences likely affect all of us to a certain extent, Belsky says. And we know that due to variations in psychological makeup, some people are more sensitive to environmental factors than others.

But that doesn't mean people can't recover from bad childhood experiences. "For some, therapy or medication may help," Belsky says. "And it's interesting, because there's now other evidence suggesting that the very kids who succumb under bad conditions are the ones who really flourish under good ones."

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Essay Samples on Childhood Memories

Childhood memories are some of the most cherished moments of our lives. They are memories of innocence, fun, and carefree times that we often look back on with nostalgia. Writing an essay on childhood memories is a great way to reflect on those times and share them with others.

When writing an essay about childhood memories, it is important to start by brainstorming all the memories that stand out to you. Think about specific events, people, and places that hold special meaning for you. This will help you organize your thoughts and create an outline for your essay.

One approach to writing an essay on childhood memories is to focus on a single event or moment that had a significant impact on you. For example, you could write about the time you learned to ride a bike, your first day of school, or a family vacation that you will never forget.

Another option is to write a more general essay about your childhood experiences. You could talk about the games you played, the friends you had, and the places you visited. This type of essay can be a great way to share your memories with others and create a sense of nostalgia.

Whether you focus on a specific event or write a more general essay, be sure to use descriptive language and sensory details to create a vivid picture of your childhood experiences. Use our extensive base of essay samples to write your own childhood memories essay.

How Do Childhood Experiences Affect Adulthood

Childhood experiences play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of an individual's adulthood. From early relationships and family dynamics to educational opportunities and socio-economic conditions, the formative years set the stage for psychological, emotional, and social development. This essay delves into the ways how...

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A Story From My Childhood: A Cherished Memory

Childhood is a treasure trove of moments that shape our identities and leave an indelible mark on our lives. Among these memories, there's a story from my childhood that stands out like a beacon of warmth and happiness. It's a story that has been etched...

Feeling of Real Home: How My Adopted Parents Saved Me

The home triggered a sense of familiarity which I couldn't define. Had I been here before? I stood on the ample gravel driveway glancing up at the three-bedroom detached family home, quietly tucked away at the end of a winding road on the outskirts of...

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Statement of Purpose: My Childhood Memories

During my childhood, one day grandpa brought conventional radio into our house and started playing the FM station. It generated curiosity and wonder in my minds. I asked my mom, how human voice is coming out of the device, mom told me that some peoples...

Childhood Memories of My Brother Going Missing

It was on Monday. On the first day of the week, I was so tired. The sun blooms on the horizon. It is the brilliant flower of the sky that warms our days. Look like the sun is inviting us to our new day. My...

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Childhood Memory That Shaped Me as a Person

We all have childhood memories that we hold dear to us. These memories are what get us through the dark days and cheer us to keep going. Imagine how it would be if we lost those childhood memories. It would be sad because we would...

• Personal Growth and Development

Comparison of Me from My Childhood Memories and How I Changed Through Years

Childhood. We say that this is the happiest time of life. But we begin to appreciate it only when it passes or has already gone away for good. Growing up, we begin to evaluate the world around us and people in a different way. We...

Flipped: Lessons and Realizations Essential to Life

A thing or two that people remember even in their youngest days are childhood crushes. These crushes remind memories that make each childhood the best. One book that would remind this feeling is “Flipped”. Written by Wendelin Van Draanen, Flipped is about a girl named...

Theme of Childhood Naivety in Seamus Heaney's Poems Death of a Naturalist and Blackberry Picking

A pattern which both poems adhere to, in varying degrees, is one of optimism and childhood naivety followed by sobered pessimism, from an older, wiser Heaney. Death of a Naturalist In Death of a Naturalist, a poem about Heaney’s memory of frogs compared to his...

• Blackberry Picking

Influences of Childhood Wonder: Transition into Womanhood in A White Heron

Sarah Orne Jewett’s nineteenth century tale “A White Heron” explores a temporary hindrance of a young girl’s relationship to nature. Sylvia, the nine-year-old heroine, maintains a simple life in the New England woodlands with her grandmother. With little to remember of her urban way of...

• A White Heron

Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden: The Main Undertone of Regret

Born in 1913 into a family which abandoned him, poet Robert Hayden grew up in a rough household and it was not until he was forty that he discovered his original name (Schlib and Clifford 318). Despite all the obstacles he faced, Hayden still went...

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The Report on Early Childhood Amnesia

This report will explore how childhood amnesia affects a persons memory in regards to early childhood memories as well as how this can affect how people pull memories from early childhood, childhood amnesia is the term used to describe the period from which adults cannot...

The Recollection of False Childhood Memories

An experiment performed in the 1970s studied how people’s memories accountable or misleading are in case they are witnesses to an accident. In this research the participants watched a short video that simulated a car accident. The event happened in an intersection where a stop...

An Analysis of Cognitive Development in Childhood Memories

I think childhood is the most happy and unstressed of my life because when I was a child, I don’t have many responsibilities like now. I can still remember some of my wonderful memories but most of them were my mom tell me. She said...

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A Personal Recount on the Memories of My Childhood

The Childhood is considering as the most innocent phase of man's life. Yet when I look back those innocent days of my early childhood, actually I could not remember much. But those pleasant memories of my childhood linger on time to time due to the...

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Recollection of My Childhood Memories: A Nostalgic Camping Trip

Childhood memories never quickly disappear, and as many others do I hope for the life I've had as a child with a non-stress and loving family. Nostalgia will always be part of me because my childhood was just unforgettable and breathtaking overall. First of all,...

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Certain Experiences From Our Childhood

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Personal Experience And Memories Of Our Backyard

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Through The Narrow Lanes Of Calcutta

As a child growing up in the developing district of Bally, a small town in Howrah situated on the north western side of Kolkata, I wasn’t much used to seeing the red green houses that North Kolkata is famous for. The other side of Hooghly...

Best topics on Childhood Memories

1. How Do Childhood Experiences Affect Adulthood

2. A Story From My Childhood: A Cherished Memory

3. Feeling of Real Home: How My Adopted Parents Saved Me

4. Statement of Purpose: My Childhood Memories

5. Childhood Memories of My Brother Going Missing

6. Childhood Memory That Shaped Me as a Person

7. Comparison of Me from My Childhood Memories and How I Changed Through Years

8. Flipped: Lessons and Realizations Essential to Life

9. Theme of Childhood Naivety in Seamus Heaney’s Poems Death of a Naturalist and Blackberry Picking

10. Influences of Childhood Wonder: Transition into Womanhood in A White Heron

11. Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden: The Main Undertone of Regret

12. The Report on Early Childhood Amnesia

13. The Recollection of False Childhood Memories

14. An Analysis of Cognitive Development in Childhood Memories

15. A Personal Recount on the Memories of My Childhood

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• Perseverance
• Personality
• Personal Beliefs
• Someone Who Inspires Me

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Best Childhood Memories Essay Ideas: 94 Narrative Topics [2024]

Many people believe that childhood is the happiest period in a person’s life. It’s not hard to see why. Kids have nothing to care or worry about, have almost no duties or problems, and can hang out with their friends all day long.

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

An essay about childhood gives an opportunity to plunge into your memories. All you need to do is recollect those happy days and write a brilliant essay! In this article by Custom-Writing.org , you’ll find great tips and topic ideas to kickstart the process.

• 🔝 Top 10 Topics
• 💡 Coming Up with Ideas
• 🧸 Childhood Memories Essay Topics
• ✍️ Writing Examples & Guide
• 🔍 References

🔝 Top 10 Childhood Topics to Write About

• Your favorite holiday memory.
• Your brightest memories of winter.
• Your earliest school memory.
• Your first visit to a farm.
• What was your favorite toy?
• Do you remember your granny’s kitchen?
• Your childhood memories of your parents.
• Your best childhood friend.
• Things that you initially disliked at school.
• Experiments with physics in childhood.

💡 Coming Up with Childhood Memories Essay Ideas

Perhaps you got lost in your memories and cannot choose the best one to describe in your essay. Or maybe you have a bad memory and cannot recollect something specific to write about. If that’s the case, here are some recommendations for you.

Childhood Memories List: How to Write

Don’t know where to start? Try creating a list of your memories to decide which ones you need for your paper.

There are our top tips on making a childhood memories list:

• Write down everything that comes to your mind. What are some significant memories from your childhood? Every little experience starting with your earliest memory matters. Of course, you don’t need all of this information for your essay. Still, it will help your brain to start working in the right direction.
• Try to focus on specific things such as holidays, trips, or food. Everybody’s favorite childhood memories are often connected with them. Remarkable events also might include school, neighborhood, hometown, presents you received, and your achievements. Nostalgia is your best friend in this case.
• Divide your memories into categories. Good childhood experiences such as receiving a dream present or adopting a pet belong to one category. Life-changing events, key achievements, and unfortunate accidents can go into other categories.
• Try not to avoid bad childhood memories. It’s not the most pleasant thing in this task. But sometimes, writing about bad situations or challenges is a good strategic decision for your paper. It can also help your personal growth.

How to Remember Childhood Memories

What is your earliest memory? A frightening fall down the stairs? Or perhaps blowing candles on your second birthday? Whatever the content, it is probably short and vague.

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When we grow older, our recollections of early childhood become fragmentary . In fact, a profound memory loss occurs, which psychologists call infantile amnesia (you can learn more about it from the article “ New perspectives on childhood memory ”). Memories formed during early childhood are more fragile than those formed later in life.

That’s why it’s a great idea to write down our childhood recollections. This way, they’ll stay with us even after they lose their rich vividness and start to fade altogether.

Naturally, you can’t keep everything in your head. Some childhood memories will stay with you forever, while others vanish during your teenage years. Remembering something you have forgotten is not an easy task.

Here’s a way out: use this checklist to recall your childhood experiences:

Feeling completely out of ideas? Or maybe you can’t think of a specific topic? Keep reading to learn how to generate new ideas and write a great childhood memories essay.

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🧸 Childhood Memory Essays Topics List

Favorite childhood memory ideas.

• Meeting Santa at a mall
• A gift you’ve created yourself
• First time you stayed up all night
• Your first visit to an amusement park
• Your favorite children’s book or comic
• Your best childhood camping memory
• The craziest fact you’ve learned as a child
• Memory about winning a school competition
• What was the most fun school assignment?
• Your favorite food at the elementary school cafeteria

Early Childhood Memories Essay Topics

Kindergarten is often the place where kids start socializing for the first time. Think about your experiences with friends and teachers, as well as with your family. These topic ideas will help you get on the right track:

• The first day in kindergarten . Kindergarten is a new world for a child. It has an unfamiliar environment, new people, and rules. This essay can aim at discussing feelings and expectations that accompany a child on their first day.
• Describe the first pet you had in early childhood. Almost all families have a pet that they love. Often pets are given to children as presents. This essay can relate the best moments spent with a pet when you were little.
• A relative who was closest to you in early childhood. Every child has a family member with whom they enjoy spending time. It could easily be a parent, a grandparent, a sibling , or perhaps an uncle. Write about exciting moments related to your beloved relatives.
• Your first childhood hobby . Most people had hobbies when they were kids. This initial interest sometimes determines one’s future occupation. Here, you can describe the activities you used to do as a little child. Focus on the events associated with your first hobby.
• Festive events in kindergarten . During the whole year, people celebrate many holidays. Naturally, kindergartens hold festive events to amuse children. This essay can portray the unforgettable celebrations in kindergarten .
• Describe family gatherings from your childhood.
• A typical day in your kindergarten.
• What’s the first birthday celebration you remember?
• Activities or games in kindergarten .
• Your first Halloween costume.
• Things that you didn’t like in kindergarten.
• Write about your relationship with nature in early childhood.
• Describe a performance you took part in when you were little.
• What was the best teacher in your kindergarten like?
• Discuss the book or story you loved the most in early childhood.

Elementary School Memories Essay Topics

Would you like to look back at your elementary school days? This section is just what you need. Check out these ideas and get inspired:

• How you met your first teacher. Teachers lead children through a complicated yet exciting path. That’s why we all remember our teachers, especially the first day of meeting them. This essay can recount the brightest moments associated with this event. Additionally, you might describe the teacher’s appearance and personality .
• The most challenging lesson in elementary school. You can probably recall numerous lessons from your school years. This essay can aim at describing positive and negatives aspects of studies, as well as your favorite classes.
• Memories about extracurricular activities in school. It could be sports, artistic pursuits, or activities related to specific subjects. Describe your personal preferences and say who inspired you to start doing them.
• Celebration events at school. Celebrations create the brightest and most joyful memories. In this essay, you can share personal experiences about such events, be it school performances, shows, or games.
• Who was your best school teacher ? Describe the personalities of your favorite teachers and explain why you liked them.
• Write about a person who helped with school lessons .
• What did your first school building look like?
• Describe what you daydreamed about in school.
• Wonderful hikes or trips organized by the school.
• What were your plans for the future growing up?
• Write about going to a museum with your class.
• Memories of participation in school sports activities.
• Recall your participation in writing for a school newspaper .
• Did you take part in any important school activities or events?

Happy Childhood Memories Essay Topics

When writing about your childhood, you’d probably prefer recalling happy events rather than sad ones. But what if you don’t know which pleasant memory to choose? This list will help you make up your mind!

• The best birthday party ever. Recall the most exciting details associated with it. For example, describe some beautiful presents and a celebratory atmosphere.
• The day you’ve met your first love . Write about the impressions, feelings, and the most treasured memories associated with that day.
• Recall the best day spent with your childhood friend. Recount the activities and events that made you happy.
• The most significant achievement in childhood. Recall your achievements connected with the studies, sports, or arts. You can start by describing the task you’ve had, explain its importance, and thank the people who helped you.
• The day you made somebody happy . This essay can describe the instances where you helped others. What were your motivations, and why did it make you happy?
• Describe the best school gathering you can remember. Schools often organize parties where students can have fun. This essay can recount the circumstances and special moments related to such a party.
• Recall a fictional character you liked the most in childhood.
• Write about the best present you gave to someone when you were little.
• Describe the best surprise made by friends or relatives in childhood.
• The most wonderful journey or trip in childhood.
• A sad event that changed things for the better.
• What were the happiest summer holidays in your childhood like?
• Chronicle the day when your childhood dream came true.
• Write about your childhood fear and how you overcame it.
• Tell about getting a good grade for an important assignment.
• Describe the first home where your family lived.

Funny Childhood Memories Essay Ideas

Writing about a funny event is perhaps the best option you can choose. You’ll enjoy describing it, and your readers will appreciate you for making them laugh! Here are some prompts to kickstart the creative process.

• Recollect your childhood actions that make your relatives laugh. Children often behave in interesting, comical, and amusing ways. This essay can detail some fun moments that your parents remember.
• Amusing and funny moments in your favorite cartoons . You probably remember many great cartoons from your childhood. What made them funny? Do you still find them entertaining?
• The funniest pranks you did at school. If you were a mischievous child, this topic is for you. Recall various funny, elaborate, or even failed pranks you did at school.
• Describe the first time you rode a bicycle . Learning to ride a bike is a staple of many childhoods. It’s challenging, but once you master it, you will never forget how to ride it!
• What tricks used to help you pass difficult exams? Usually, students make cribs or copy someone else’s answers. You can describe more creative ways of passing exams.
• Poking fun at younger siblings . If you have brothers and sisters, you probably tease each other. How do you feel about such activities? Do you both have a good laugh, or did somebody get upset?
• Playing superheroes in childhood. Many children have favorite superheroes such as Batman , Spiderman, Ironman, and others. What were your personal favorites? Did you try to imagine you have superpowers?
• Describe the most ridiculous haircut you’ve had when you were little.
• Funny moments with your school teachers.
• Did you have an imaginary friend? What were they like?
• Trying to cook in childhood.
• What tricks did you use to hide bad marks from your parents?
• Attempts to renovate your childhood room.

Childhood Christmas Memories Topics

Christmas is the favorite holiday of many children. Were you one of them? Choose your essay title from this list on Christmas memories:

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

• What is the best Christmas present from your childhood? Describe the present, the wrapping, and your emotions related to it. Why did you want it so much? You can also try to remember where this present is now.
• Describe a family Christmas trip that you enjoyed the most as a child. Answer the following questions. What were the new places you have seen? What were the new people you met? How much time did you spend there? Did you feel homesick? What did you feel when you returned home?
• What was your favorite pastime during the Christmas holidays in childhood? For example, you can write about watching cartoons or playing with your siblings. Or maybe you enjoyed winter sports and walking with your friends.
• Was Christmas your favorite holiday in childhood? Explain why or why not. Create a list of the things that you did and didn’t enjoy. You can also compare Christmas with other holidays. Find several arguments to defend your opinion.
• Describe the best Christmas present you gave somebody in childhood . It can be something you made yourself or bought. Explain why you chose this gift and what was the recipient’s reaction. What did you want to show with this present? Was it your idea to give it? How did you choose it? Answer these questions in your essay.
• What are your favorite Christmas memories ? You have a wide choice here. You can describe family get-togethers, receiving or giving presents, eating sweets, or having fun while resting from school.
• Describe your favorite childhood Christmas photo . Explain why it is so valuable to you. Define the people or objects in the picture. Try to remember who took it and what camera was they used. Also, provide some information about the time and place.
• Write about your family’s Christmas traditions .
• Describe your favorite Christmas decorations in childhood.
• When was the time you stopped believing in Santa Claus?
• What was your favorite Christmas movie in childhood?
• Write about the Christmas dishes did you enjoy the most as a child.
• What was your favorite Christmas TV special ?
• What were your favorite Christmas songs when you were little?
• Describe the perfect Christmas Eve of your childhood.
• Tell about the friends you liked to invite to your Christmas parties.

These recollections can form a great foundation for your essay. Because childhood is often the best time in a person’s life, writing essays on your childhood experiences can be a real pleasure. If you try to be creative and choose a unique topic, you are sure to succeed in writing an impressive essay.

✍️ “My Childhood Memories” Essay Writing Guide

Writing about your childhood is an exciting assignment that has some peculiarities. Let’s explore some of them.

Childhood Memories Essay: Dos and Don’ts

Your main task is to make the reader feel like they’ve experienced the memory you described. There are certain elements that you can include in your essay to make it stand out. Similarly, some things are better to avoid.

Keep these things in mind, and you will surely write a perfect composition.

Childhood Memories Essay: Step by Step

Follow these steps of the essay writing process, and you will see that writing a good essay on your childhood memories is not as challenging as it may seem.

Narrative Essay on Childhood Memories: Outline

Every essay must have a proper structure. That’s why it’s useful to make a short outline before you start writing. It will keep you from losing your way as you write your essay. It also saves you time! If you have a plan, you won’t miss any important points in your essay.

Your paper should include:

After you’ve finished writing, revise and edit your essay . Make sure your paragraphs are written in a logical order. Read your essay aloud so that you can see how it flows and determine where you need to improve it.

Try our memory-activating prompts and follow these writing tips to compose your perfect childhood memories essay! If you’re not sure that you can write a good paper on your own, you can always ask our experts to help you out.

Further reading:

• School Days Essay: How to Describe a Memorable Event
• Growing Up Essay: Great Ideas for Your College Assignment
• Writing Essay about Someone Who has Made an Impact on Your Life
• Excellent Remembering a Person Essay: Free Writing Guidelines
• Life Experience Essay: How to Write a Brilliant Paper

🔗 References

• The Fate of Childhood Memories: Children Postdated Their Earliest Memories as They Grew Older
• Can You Trust Your Earliest Childhood Memories?: BBC
• How to Start Writing Your Own Childhood Memories for Posterity: HobbyLark
• 650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing: The New York Times
• Bright Side Readers Shared 14 Childhood Stories and We Plunged Into Their Memories Together: Brightside
• Great Questions: StoryCorps
• Introductions and Conclusions: University of Toronto
• Make a List: Childhood Memories: Practical Parenting
• Tips to Retrieve Old Memories: Harvard University
• Make the Most of Your Memory: 10 Tips for Writing About Your Life: Writer’s Digest
• Childhood Christmas Memories: DNA Explained
• What Do Your Earliest Childhood Memories Say about You?: The Conversation
• Can’t Remember Your Childhood? What Might Be Going On: Healthline
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Experience and Development

How Experience Influences Children's Development

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Aron Janssen, MD is board certified in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry and is the vice chair of child and adolescent psychiatry Northwestern University.

From the moment babies are born, sensory experiences play a role in their development. The environment continues to exert a powerful impact on behavior throughout life, making it important to understand how developmental experiences influence children as they grow into youth and adulthood.

Genetics influence child development as well, but experiences are equally important. For example, genetics may influence how a child's brain is wired from birth, but learning and experience literally shape how that child's brain grows and develops.

Psychological Theories on Developmental Experiences

Some of the classic theories of psychology focus on the importance of experience and how it shapes behavior and personality. Three of the major theories that describe and explain how children learn include classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning involves making an association between a stimulus and a response. Even those with only a passing knowledge of psychology have likely heard of Pavlov's dogs .

In this classic experiment, Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov discovered that repeatedly pairing the sound of a bell with the presentation of food caused dogs to associate the tone with food. Once the association was formed, the sound of the bell alone could make the dogs begin to salivate in anticipation of a meal.

Children learn in much the same way, developing associations between things in their environment and potential consequences. For example, an infant might quickly begin to associate the sight of a baby bottle with being fed.

Operant Conditioning

When a behavior is rewarded, that same behavior is likely to occur again in the future. Conversely, when a behavior is punished, it becomes less likely that it will occur again. These principles underlie the concept of operant conditioning.

Operant conditioning is a set of learning techniques that utilizes reinforcement and punishment to either increase or decrease a response. For example, when a child is rewarded for cleaning their room, they become more likely to repeat the same behavior later on.

Observational Learning

Kids learn a great deal simply from watching their parents, peers, and siblings. Even behaviors observed on digital media—which includes what they see on the television, in video games, and on the internet—can influence children's thoughts and actions.

Because observational learning is so powerful, it's important to ensure that kids are observing the right kinds of behaviors. By modeling good behaviors and appropriate responses, parents can help their kids learn how to act responsibly.

Experiences That Influence Children's Development

In addition to the kinds of learning that occur day-to-day, there are a number of other experiences that can influence children's development.

Parents and Caregivers

The experiences that parents and other caregivers provide during the earliest years of a child's life can be some of the most crucial. Varying experiences can have a dramatic impact on how these children develop.

Some children might receive enriched childhood experiences from parents who are responsive, caring, and attentive, for example. Others may receive less attention as their parents are distracted by worries about money , work, or relationship issues. Each type of experience shapes the child's growth.

Children raised in nurturing environments tend to learn with more ease, have greater achievements throughout life, and a higher quality of life, while those raised in less enriched settings often find it difficult to cope with life's difficulties and experience more behavioral issues .

While a child's early social experiences may be centered on family members, this soon expands to include other kids at the playground, in the neighborhood, and at school. Children are very influenced by their peers, and these social experiences help shape a child's values and personality.

Because children spend so much time interacting with peers in school, it may come as no surprise that other children have a major influence on that child's psychology and development . This influence can be positive or negative.

Bullying, for instance, can have an enormously detrimental effect on a child's experience of growing up. Bullying behavior can be direct or indirect and lead to feelings of insecurity, isolation, and anger, in addition to showing up physically in the form of headaches, sleep troubles, and anxiety.

School makes up an enormous part of a child's life. Teachers and classmates play a major role in developmental experiences, while academics and learning also leave their mark.

Genetics and the environment are always interacting in a dynamic way. A child's genetic background influences their ability to learn, but positive educational experiences can enhance these abilities.

Some kids might be diagnosed with learning disabilities influenced by genetics. Quality educational interventions can help these kids learn and do well in school.

There are many different influences that can play a role in how a child grows and the person they eventually become. The culture that a child lives in adds yet another element to this already complex mix.

For example, parents raising kids in individualistic cultures may focus on helping their kids develop autonomy and self-esteem. Parents in collectivist cultures , on the other hand, might be more likely to stress the importance of community, family, and society.

Even within the same culture, variations in social status, income, and educational background can influence how children develop, in part, based on how they're raised. High-income parents might be more concerned with getting their kids into the best private schools, while low-income parents may spend more time worrying about meeting their children's most basic needs.

Such disparities can lead to dramatic differences in experience, which can, in turn, have a powerful impact on how kids develop.

It's important to remember that it is the interaction of a number of different influences that dictates how a child develops. Genetics, environmental influences, parenting styles , friends, teachers, schools, and culture are just some of the major factors that combine in unique ways to determine how a child develops and the person they will one day become.

Pineda R, Wallendorf M, Smith J. A pilot study demonstrating the impact of the supporting and enhancing NICU sensory experiences (SENSE) program on the mother and infant . Early Hum Develop . 2020;144:105000. doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdeve.2020.105000

Harvard University Center on the Developing Child. InBrief: The impact of early adversity on children's development .

Eelen P. Classical conditioning: Classical yet modern .  Psychol Belg . 2018;58(1):196–211. doi:10.5334/pb.451

Bissonette GB, Roesch MR. Neurophysiology of reward-guided behavior: Correlates related to predictions, value, motivation, errors, attention, and action . Curr Top Behav Neurosci . 2016;27:199-230. doi:10.1007/7854_2015_382

Waismeyer A, Meltzoff AN. Learning to make things happen: Infants' observational learning of social and physical causal events .  J Exp Child Psychol . 2017;162:58–71. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2017.04.018

Johns Hopkins Medicine. Screen time and children .

Magnuson K, Schindler H. Supporting children's early development by building caregivers' capacities and skills: A theoretical approach informed by new neuroscience research . J Fam Theory Rev . 2019;11:59-78. doi:10.1111/jftr.12319

Britto PR, Lye SJ, Proulx K, et al. Nurturing care: promoting early childhood development . The Lancet . 2016;389(10064):91-102. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31390-3

Blazevic I. Family, peer and school influence on children's social development . World J Educ . 2016;6(2):42-49. doi:10.5430/wje.v6n2p42 

National Academies Press. Preventing Bullying Through Science, Policy, and Practice .

Osher D, Kendiziora K, Spier E, Garibaldi ML. School influences on child and youth development . In: Defining Prevention Science. 2014:151-169. doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-7424-2_7

Fletcher JM, Grigorenko EL. Neuropsychology of learning disabilities: The past and the future .  J Int Neuropsychol Soc . 2017;23(9-10):930–940. doi:10.1017/S1355617717001084

Keller H. Culture and development: A systematic relationship .  Perspect Psychol Sci . 2017;12(5):833–840. doi:10.1177/1745691617704097

Sudfeld CR, McCoy DC, Danaei G, et al. Linear growth and child development in low- and middle-income countries: A meta-analysis . Pediatrics . 2015;135(5):e1266-e1275. doi:10.1542/peds.2014-3111

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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Essay on childhood memories 30 Models

Essay on childhood memories, this essay is one of the interesting topics that students find easy to write. This topic is interesting because it contains interesting sentences and information. Childhood memories are the most beautiful memories in a person’s life. Where a person lives his childhood years freely and happily. When a child comes out to life, he does not bear any responsibility, but only enjoys playing. Below we will talk in detail about childhood memories.

Essay on childhood memories

Each of us has beautiful memories that he lived and enjoyed during his childhood. And these memories differ from person to person. And in an essay on childhood memories, we will talk in detail about all kinds of memories.

Memories are of great importance in the life of each of us. A person who does not make good memories in his childhood will live a miserable life in the future. Childhood memories make life more beautiful later on.

What are memories?

Memories are what we are able to remember in the future because it was something special. And those memories might be certain actions we were doing. Or it’s our favorite days when we used to meet a friend or someone close to us.

When we do something special like a specific game or go on a beautiful trip, this work turns into a beautiful memory in the future. We may spend the days of feasts or go to a beautiful occasion and enjoy it, as it becomes a memory.

Why are memories important?

In an essay on childhood memories, I will talk about the importance of memories. Memories are important for all people in the future, as they become something beautiful that reminds them of the past. And when a person sits down to remember these old things, he smiles and feels happy.

But if a person does not have any beautiful memories, he feels sad, and this is because he is exposed to the pressures of life. When a person does not find something old that makes him happy, he feels lonely and sad.

How do we make beautiful memories?

Every one of us should make beautiful memories on a daily basis. Making memories is not an automatic process, but we must make a great effort to extract beautiful memories from the stress of life.

If a person is determined to make beautiful memories, he must focus on them. But if a person surrenders to life, he will not reap any good memories. And people who live a serious life miss out on the chance to make good memories.

How do we avoid bad memories?

Bad memories greatly affect all people, and they feel sad and frustrated whenever they remember them. This is why we should avoid bad things from happening in our lives by trying to do fun things whenever we can.

But if bad memories surround us, we must read an essay on childhood memories, in order to learn about the importance of good memories. And everyone, whether children or adults, should learn how to have good memories and get rid of bad ones.

What are the types of childhood memories?

During childhood, we find a large number of memories that the child collects on a daily basis, but there are many types of memories, as they are not limited to one type. Multiple memories provide more opportunity for everyone to get beautiful memories from them.

First: the different games that the child plays from a young age, as these games leave a good impact on the hearts of the children.

Second: Going on a trip or going out for a picnic with friends or family, as the child loves to go out and run freely without restrictions.

Third: All children enjoy the holidays, as they play with other children happily and receive beautiful gifts that make them happy.

Fourth: There are a large number of children who enjoy studying and going to school, as they collect wonderful memories from meeting their friends on a daily basis.

Bad memories

In the essay on childhood memories, we can write in the lives of all people bad memories that happened to them during their childhood. And these memories may be painful in the future whenever the person remembers them.

And these kinds of memories happen in different forms.

One of the bad memories is when the child is exposed to a traumatic accident, such as bicycle accidents and predatory animal attack.

There are other types of incidents that affect the child, including bullying and beatings from people stronger than him.

How to make memories

We should all learn an easy way to make memories ourselves and not wait for them to happen. In our essay on childhood memories, we will learn how to make beautiful memories.

These memories need to be specific, like choosing something easy and doable. Then we begin to leave everything that preoccupies us and prevents us from doing beautiful things and force ourselves to do the good thing so that it becomes a memory in the future.

A beautiful memorial model

I will tell you about a beautiful memory for us to remember together. I was eight years old when I went on a trip with my family. This trip was going to a beautiful coastal city overlooking the Red Sea.

We got up early and got into the car. My mom arranged the food and bags well. I brought beach clothes and beach toys. I was so happy when I saw the sea.

When we got to the beach, we found the place magical and the color of the water blue. We made a cute tent for us to use to change clothes and sleep. Once we arrived, we ate delicious food and went down to the sea.

I was very happy when I swam in the sea and played in the sand. My friends and I ran after each other laughing unbelievably. This day was one of the best days of my life and I will never forget it.

Bad memory model

In the essay on childhood memories, we can write about bad memories as well. Bad memories stay with the person throughout his life due to their sad effect on the person’s psyche.

As for the bad memory that happened to me, it was a dog attack on me while I was returning from school. I was walking down the road without looking around. While walking, I was surprised by a dog running towards me.

I never imagined that this dog would hurt me. Unfortunately, he attacked fiercely. At the time, I was very afraid, but fear did not help me, rather it weakened me even more. I tried to scream but no one heard me. When the dog bit me and knocked me to the ground, I didn’t feel a thing. I went to the hospital after the accident and woke up there.

After a long treatment, I started walking again. This incident was one of the worst things that happened to me in my childhood.

Memories related to accidents become like nightmares, as the child sees them during sleep and gets up from his sleep while he feels that they are real. Memories remain with a person for several years of his life.

My favorite memory is getting first place in a swimming competition. I learned to swim when I was four. I go to training 3 times a week.

At first I found swimming stressful and difficult, but with practice and time I started to like it and I excelled in it significantly.

The coach told my mom that I’m going to get the gold. Indeed, this dream came true and I stood on the podium to receive the gold medal. It was the most beautiful memory of my life.

Since that day, I have been working hard to swim a lot, and the dream that I intend to achieve this time is to travel abroad to participate in international competitions.

There I will be able to beat the world champions and write my name in the middle of history as a world champion .

Essay on childhood memories 160 words 

I will try to bring you childhood memories, where we used to run and play with our friends on a daily basis. Our house was five floors, and we knew all the neighbors and played with their children. In the first round I had two friends who liked to play football

On the third floor, I had a friend who liked to sing, so we used to gather in the evening for him to sing for us. As for the fourth floor, there were four children who liked to have fun and hold various races. On the fifth floor, grandfather and grandmother lived alone, so we used to go up there to listen to the old stories.

The stories for me and the other kids were the only entertainment, because we didn’t have a TV or go to any club.

The other kind of entertainment was playing in the street in front of our house some simple games like football and hide and seek.

Essay on childhood memories 140 words 

Childhood memories are all events that people experience during the early stages of their lives. What makes these memories special and a person does not find better memories throughout his life. He is without responsibilities, so he has fun all the time and has fun without getting distracted by the consequences. Therefore, we find that most people yearn for childhood memories and smile when they remember them.

Each of us has his own memories and are different from the memories of others.

I owned a small dog as a child and used to name it John, just like my uncle’s name.

He was a lovable dog and I would take him everywhere with me.

And when I was ten he disappeared and I couldn’t find him anywhere, so I grieved for him very sadly and I can’t forget him until now.

Unforgettable childhood memories essay

The events that the child is exposed to in the childhood years cannot be forgotten, whether they are beautiful memories or sad memories.

Therefore, parents must keep their children away from exposure to painful memories because they are unforgettable.

They must create beautiful memories for their children so that they will be engraved in their minds forever.

One of the bad memories that may happen to a child that he does not forget throughout his life is that his pet dies. When I was six I had a cat named Lucy. She was white and had blue eyes. I cared and pampered her. But she contracted a rare disease that affects cats. The doctor said she would die.

I grieved deeply and was trying to save her life in every way possible.Even though I was a six-year-old, I used to take her to all the doctors without hesitation.

I have been giving her medication regularly and spending time with her. In the end the cat died and left me a painful memory until now.

My favorite childhood memory essay

Each of us has favorite childhood memories that remain engraved in our memory and are not forgotten no matter how much time passes.

When I was five my dad bought me a new bike. I’ve been going out with it every day but haven’t been able to drive it properly.

One day I met my dad’s best friend who was determined to teach me to ride a bike. Indeed, he taught me until the evening. When I first rode the bike, I was so happy, and this memory was the best memory of my life.

Even though I have bought several bikes after this one, and have ridden the bike a million times, I still remember my first bike. And I’m not as happy riding a bike as I did with my old scooter.

When I miss my childhood memories, I open my old box in which I keep all my old photos. When I take out these pictures, I feel very happy and I feel that the event in the picture is repeated again and that time has gone back.

My Childhood Essay

My childhood was beautiful and has many special memories. I used to live in a big house with a garden around it.

In the garden there were some trees and plants. I used to like to plant roses to decorate the place.

We had a small pool in the middle of the garden. I learned to swim with my sister. And of course we had a pink hammock by the house.

On holidays, our relatives would come to visit us and we would play with my cousins ​​in the garden.

Among the games we used to play were soccer and running. I had great times in this house. So my childhood was unforgettable.

And as I told you about happy things, there are also bad things like accidents that happen to all children.

As for me, I was constantly falling off the bike, hurting my foot. I had been stitched several times because of the deep cuts, which were painful and bad memories.

Childhood experience essay

In childhood, the child comes out to life to learn a large number of experiences. And the child at this stage is like a white paper on which we write what we want.

So it is easy to teach him any experience no matter how difficult. If parents want to teach their child any skill or experience, they must leave the space for experiment while providing him with safety.

For example, if the parents want to teach the child a sport such as swimming, they must let him go into the water freely, but with a good coach and a safe place for the children.

With time the child will learn the skill that was new to him and was afraid of it. One day he may become a world champion in this skill and be able to fetch medals and win for himself and for his country.

But if the parents are those who fear for the child a pathological fear, they will not let him accept any skill, which will make him inexperienced.

And experiences are what make a person mature, regardless of his age. A mature person may be young, but his experiences are huge.

My childhood memories composition

A young child is a pure being who does not know lies or deception, so he behaves with his childish nature and laughs for the slightest reason. So when he does something simple or offers him a piece of candy, he feels very happy.

Unlike adults who feel sad and depressed and do not find anything enjoyable in their lives.

As we see around us that an adult is difficult to please, unlike a child who is happy with little things.

This is why childhood memories are so special and missed by everyone. Because the child had collected it during his early years when he was feeling free and indifferent to what was happening around him, he was able to play and run happily.

In childhood we have a large number of friends where we play and have fun freely and comfortably. Children do not know treachery or hatred, but they behave themselves. But as they grow up, their characteristics change and become more complex.

My childhood memories essay

I had a friend who lived right in front of my house, so we used to spend the day together in front of our house. All the good memories are about this friend, because she was so funny and made me laugh.

One day we were playing and we found an insect flying near us, and I was very afraid of insects. I couldn’t help myself from the horror so I ran fast and was screaming loudly.

But my friend did a funny thing, jumping up and holding the bug in her hands. It was a strange and funny act that I still don’t forget.

And another day we were going to buy ice cream. I bought mango ice cream and my friend bought chocolate ice cream.

As soon as we moved away from the vendor, something terrifying happened. A dog barked so hard that we were terrified and the ice cream fell off.

Short essay on childhood memories

Football was my favorite game during my early childhood years. I used to play with my schoolmates and with the neighbors. And my mother used to punish me for playing with long stings.

One day, while I was playing ball, I fell to the ground and broke my arm. So my friends carried me home, and when my mother saw me she said if you hadn’t broken your arm while you were playing ball, I would have broken it for you myself.

It was a painful and funny memory at the same time, because of my mother’s words. Despite my mother’s attempts to focus on my studies and stop playing football, I still play now.

Because of this great passion and love for the sport of football, I excelled in the game and joined a youth football club.

Narrative essay on childhood memories

From childhood memories that can not be forgotten when you are exposed to an embarrassing situation or a painful situation, the memories do not have to be all beautiful. One of the most difficult memories I will never forget is the day my grandfather died.

I loved him incredibly and would go to sit with him all night long, listening to the radio or talking to each other about many things about life in general and us in particular. He would listen to me and advise me what he thought was best for me.

One day the doctor told us that he was having a heart attack and that he had to go to the hospital. I was deeply saddened and felt that the house was dark and gloomy. He was in the hospital for 3 days and then died there.

Therefore, this memory became one of the most painful memories in my life, which I remember constantly and feel nostalgia for my grandfather and sadness because of his death. Even now, although many years have passed, I still feel that he died yesterday.

My best memory essay

Childhood days essay.

Childhood days had a large number of events, both good and bad. We used to go to school to meet and talk and play.

We used to play on the weekends either at home or with bicycles.

And at the end of the year we would go to the cinema and to the beach. We had special days, including the day I went to the beach with my relatives.

We were a big group of aunts and sons. We took with us several types of food and sweets. We sat on the beach all day. We played beach ball and swam in the water. And when evening came, we enjoyed the stories under the moonlight.

The reason for the beauty of such excursions is the presence of all family members in the same place. Although these trips may be simple and in places that are not special, the gathering of the family and the presence of the children together gives them a good opportunity to be able to play, have fun and create fond memories.

My favorite memory of my childhood is that I bought a bike. My father promised me that he would buy me a bike, but I had to pass the elementary school exams with a grade of ‘excellent’.

It was a tough situation for me because I didn’t like to study. But the bike motivated me to study my lessons well.

When my friends would come to play together I would remember the bike and tell them that I would study my lessons to get the bike.

Indeed, I was able to achieve success and my father went to buy the bike. This memory was the best memory of my life.

And I learned from this situation that if a person obtains a thing without an effort on his part, he will not appreciate the value of this thing and will waste it at the earliest opportunity. As for the person who obtains a thing after making a great effort, he appreciates its value and preserves it.

My childhood days essay

My childhood days were full of events, because my family traveled to several places, which enabled me to make different memories. I have traveled with them to a large number of countries such as Paris, Italy and Brazil.

At first I was sad when I knew that my father had moved to a new city or country, because of the loss of my friends after I had made a great effort to acquire them.

And I refused to travel and go to my grandfather and grandmother. But in the end, my father would come to pick me up and be determined to travel with him. In the end I traveled with him to all the places he went during his working years.

Each country has its own nature and different population from other countries. I learned a large number of languages ​​and had friends from various countries.

As for entertainment, I went to the most famous and most fun amusement parks. I skied and went to the beaches like it was a piece of heaven. I consider myself lucky because my childhood was special.

My childhood memories paragraph

I will tell you about the best memories of my childhood. I have been traveling with my grandfather on various hunting trips. He owned a hunting rifle and went out to hunt hares.

One day we were walking in the woods and saw a man screaming and lying on the ground. My grandfather rushed to save him, as he fell into a bear trap.

This was frightening because of the trap wound to the man’s leg. My grandfather was adept at opening this kind of booby trap. He freed the man and took him to the hospital. It was an unforgettable day.

But the advantage of traumatic memories and accidents is that they make a person stronger, as they gain the experience to act in difficult situations and not be afraid or stressed.

And you gain the experience of not escaping or abandoning the injured person because his life may be in danger and you are the only one who may be able to save him.

Childhood memory story essay

When I was in the nursery school, I used to go to the nursery by a shortcut because there was a circus here. My friends and I have been stopping to look inside the circus and watch the animals train.

The instructor was training the wild lions. They had a lot of monkeys of different sizes and shapes, but my favorite was a huge chimpanzee.

I watched an elephant playing with a ball and an ostrich dancing to the music. So these memories became some of the best memories of my childhood.

I remember the shape of the lion, its huge size, and the strength of its voice. Despite its frightening appearance, the trainer dealt with it with all strength and courage.  She was training all kinds of predators.

The strange thing is that she was training a large number at the same time, up to 5 huge predatory animals, without hesitation or fear.

My favorite childhood memory narrative essay

Memories are situations that a person experiences during the different stages of his life. There are many types of memories, not just one.

There are memories of success and excellence, such as excelling in studies or in a particular sport. There are memories of playing and spending time with friends.

There are also bad memories associated with accidents. Sad memories are related to the death of a relative or friend.

And all these kinds of memories are engraved in the memory and are not forgotten for a lifetime.

One of the saddest memories I still remember was when my brother fell off the horse and ran over him several times.

It was a painful accident that caused my brother to enter the operating room and perform a number of surgeries until he returned to the way he was before the accident.

My favourite childhood memory essay

It was a tough condition for me because I didn’t like to study. But the bike motivated me to study my lessons well.

In the essay on childhood memories, we talked about the importance of good memories in our lives. And we talked about bad memories that people don’t forget. And for this we must try to acquire good memories. And even if memories don’t come to us, we have to create them. We must teach children how to make good memories and teach them the importance of these memories in the future.

We have provided you with an Essay on childhood memories ,and you can read more through the following link:

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