"Child of the 70s, 80s, 90s, etc."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was born in 73 and consider myself a child of the 70s and 80s. Most of my early toys were from the 70s, I started kindergarten and first grade in the 70s, I remember watching Happy Days and the Muppet Show--both 70s shows.

I also consider myself a child of the 80s, I turned 7 midway through 1980 came around--that's 7 years as a 70s kid, and 10 more as an 80s kid. I got my drivers license at 16 in 1989, and graduated high school in 91. Most of the music I still enjoy is from the 80s, and most of my coming of age was in the 80s, and into the 90s. I'm a 3 decades person.

We’re like twins, except I was born in late ‘73, so I graduated in ‘92. Otherwise, I‘ve had exactly the same experience.

Triplet! Except born in late 72 and graduated in 90.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Child" of the 80s. Born in 1978. I don't remember the early 80s, but do have good memories of the influence of pop culture etc. starting around 87 or so. And realistically, 1990 and 1991 were way more "late 80s" than they were part of the 90s. Big hair and heavy metal etc.

I think of myself as a "teen" of the 90s though - that was the decade that shaped me.

1978 here and I agree with all of this.

[Anonymous]

Born in 78, and I identify so strongly with the 1980s. I became really aware of pop culture in about 1983-1984. I had young parents and grew up in a neighborhood full of other young families who were always socializing, blasting popular music, talking about movies and tv. We had teen babysitters dressed in cool clothes, watching MTV. I idolized them! I also obsessed over the toys of the era, my Christmas and birthday wish lists, poring over the Sears and Best catalogues, hoping to see the commercials for what I wanted.

It's not that I don't feel sentimental about my teen years in the 90s, that's when I made the decisions that made me who I am today. But my memories of the 80s are so innocent and vivid, I definitely consider myself a "child" of that decade.

[Anonymous]

Born in 80 and definitely consider myself a child of the 80s. Smurfs, glow worm, Mandonna, Rainbow Brite, Donkey King etc. I had older siblings though so more of an 80s pop culture influence than if I’d been the oldest.

[Anonymous]

I'm 1978. The 80s I was a kid. I looked up to teenagers and loved the big hair and all of that, but didn't get to participate in all the trends. The 90s were more memorable since I was 12+. I identify it's both decades differently.

[Anonymous]

Born in 86, definitely a child of the 90s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you consider yourself a "child of the 70s" if you were born in 1972? What about 1978? Or do you consider yourself a child of the 80s?

I ask because I was born in 1982 but consider myself a child of the 90s. I hardly remember the 80s or what was popular then. I remember all of the 90s.

My friend born in 1973 is having a 70s-themed 50th bday party. It seems so odd to me since she only existed in the 70s during ages 1 to 6.

1973 is in the 1970s.

They are celebrating their birth, not their 5th grade.

They are having fun exploring an era they didn't consciously live through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was born in the summer of 1971. While I identify more with the 80s of my teen years, I would describe myself as a child of the 70s. I definitely remember the 70s and they left an impact.

For example, I remember:

watching my best friend’s mom teach my mom how to do the Hustle while we laughed at them

wearing at various times paisley, gauchos, jumpsuits, long dresses, and butterfly sleeves

seeing Star Wars in the theater with my family, after which, my father drove home pretending his Toyota Celica was a spaceship (complete with sound effects), and then playing Star Wars on the playground at school

everybody’s kitchen appliances being either Harvest Gold or Avocado, and everybody seemed to have at least one macrame plant hanger

going to the roller rink where they played disco music and some people would dance on skates

getting our first color TV, going to my friend’s house and playing a cool new kind of game (Pong), getting a DIGITAL watch (it was so cool, it even had a light and a timer!!!😉)

everybody had metal lunch boxes

Mikey liking his cereal and when women wearing Enjoli started bringing home the bacon.

sitting in long gas lines waiting for my parents to fill up

soda machines dispensing glass bottles

my friend’s older sister had BeeGee’s posters on her walls

the elementary school Halloween carnival that offered face painting KISS style. Most kids (including me) wore costumes that were basically printed ponchos with plastic face masks

getting up on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons including Captain Caveman and Josie and the Pussycats. The commercials breaks featured Schoolhouse Rock (Conjunction Junction, I’m Just A Bill)

To this day whenever I hear the song YMCA, I have an urge to make the arm movements

1969 here and agree. I’ll add looking at the JCPenny, Spiegal, and Sears Roebuck catalase at Christmas. Making those Barrett’s with braided ribbon in a chevron pattern. Looking at 8-track tapes and latter cassettes on those subscription services you found in magazines and TV Guide. The first microwaves and cable TV where you switched the lever between A and B.

[Anonymous]

Weird thing to care about. Let your friend celebrate their birthday however they want.

[Anonymous]

Child of the X typically means that you have childhood memories of X. So it is not when you were born, but when your childhood memories harken back to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Child" of the 80s. Born in 1978. I don't remember the early 80s, but do have good memories of the influence of pop culture etc. starting around 87 or so. And realistically, 1990 and 1991 were way more "late 80s" than they were part of the 90s. Big hair and heavy metal etc.

I think of myself as a "teen" of the 90s though - that was the decade that shaped me.

Well said. I'm August 1979 and this is how I feel.

[Anonymous]

'78 here.

I identify most with the 90s.

80s was definitely childhood- latchkey kid, out until sunset everyday, Saturday morning cartoons, the start of MTV..

But 90s was 'prime'- Punk rock, raves, JNCO jeans, My So Called Life, the start of reality TV...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was born in the summer of 1971. While I identify more with the 80s of my teen years, I would describe myself as a child of the 70s. I definitely remember the 70s and they left an impact.

For example, I remember:

watching my best friend’s mom teach my mom how to do the Hustle while we laughed at them

wearing at various times paisley, gauchos, jumpsuits, long dresses, and butterfly sleeves

seeing Star Wars in the theater with my family, after which, my father drove home pretending his Toyota Celica was a spaceship (complete with sound effects), and then playing Star Wars on the playground at school

everybody’s kitchen appliances being either Harvest Gold or Avocado, and everybody seemed to have at least one macrame plant hanger

going to the roller rink where they played disco music and some people would dance on skates

getting our first color TV, going to my friend’s house and playing a cool new kind of game (Pong), getting a DIGITAL watch (it was so cool, it even had a light and a timer!!!😉)

everybody had metal lunch boxes

Mikey liking his cereal and when women wearing Enjoli started bringing home the bacon.

sitting in long gas lines waiting for my parents to fill up

soda machines dispensing glass bottles

my friend’s older sister had BeeGee’s posters on her walls

the elementary school Halloween carnival that offered face painting KISS style. Most kids (including me) wore costumes that were basically printed ponchos with plastic face masks

getting up on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons including Captain Caveman and Josie and the Pussycats. The commercials breaks featured Schoolhouse Rock (Conjunction Junction, I’m Just A Bill)

To this day whenever I hear the song YMCA, I have an urge to make the arm movements

1969 here and agree. I’ll add looking at the JCPenny, Spiegal, and Sears Roebuck catalase at Christmas. Making those Barrett’s with braided ribbon in a chevron pattern. Looking at 8-track tapes and latter cassettes on those subscription services you found in magazines and TV Guide. The first microwaves and cable TV where you switched the lever between A and B.

Yes! I was beginning to think I was the only old person here. Reagan? Ha! We can remember when Ford was President. Waiting in line for gas. Roller rinks and rotary phones. I claim child of the 70s.

[Anonymous]

1968 here. I remember all of that. I remember Ford being president and the election of 1976. I remember not liking Ronald Reagan because he embraced Jerry Fallwell and the Moral Majority. I remember the Challenger disaster. I remember when Reagan was shot.

I consider myself a "child of the '80s because that was when I was in middle school, high school and college. ('90 grad)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Child of the X typically means that you have childhood memories of X. So it is not when you were born, but when your childhood memories harken back to.

That's what I always thought.

I asked my sister and she said the opposite. You are a "child of..." the decade in which you were born. Makes no sense to me.

My earliest memory is 1988 when I was almost 6. Black Monday happened the previous fall, which I didn't understand or know about, but I remember my dad losing his job. During the spring of '88, my dad left WV after being unsuccessful in finding work for 7 months. My mom, siblings, and I stayed behind. My dad had bumped into a friend who was back in WV for a funeral. He said he was living and working in VA and he was sure he could get my dad a job. He did and a week later my dad left WV for VA. I vividly remember a lot of that time because I missed my dad but was also excited because I got to talk to him on the phone, which I thought was the coolest thing ever since I had never talked on the phone to anyone. I also remember eating so, so, so much spaghetti for dinner because my mom's hours at work were cut and she had to stretch the money even more. It's probably why I hate pasta! I also remember our eventual move to VA and the first night in our new house in VA.

Anything else from the 80s is a blur to me. Sporadic memories of hurting myself playing or attending a party at a relative's house, but not vivid memories. I consider myself a child of the 90s.