Staples of UC childhood?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up with UC children in private school. Everyone knew 2 or 3 (European) languages. There was a lot of travel (international, even during short breaks). Everyone did Model UN in high school. There were no etiquette classes (that’s not UC at all). There was a lot of household “help” and random people staying in guest quarters for months at a time. There were “dinners” all. the. time. Like every night “oh honey, the French ambassador is here for supper“. UC people know each other and it’s an endless stream of visiting and being visited. Every child knows how to ski, how to hold chopsticks and how to sit quietly in a restaurant.

How do they learn the proper placement for table manners of no etiquette?

You can't be serious. How did your kids learn how to talk? Same thing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a totally different poster. But curious to see what these could be for a UC childhood.
I’m adding what I think these can be.

1. Early years raised by nanny and mom
2. High end clothing, Gucci Balmain for special occasions
3. No tech
4. Knows 2-3 languages
5,. Etiquette classes
6. Lots of extracurriculars
7. Travel at least 4 times a year

Yes but no etiquette class in 2022! And, of course, tech and multiple nannies (weekend nannies and weekday nannies - all educated).

Interesting list
I grew up with 1, 3 and 4. We were not wealthy by any means
For 5 I would say you only need that if you do not know basic manners
6 doesn't need to cost a lot

We traveled 2 times a year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else find these threads weird? I feel like people may use them as some sort of checklist/cheat sheet. More than just idle curiosity. OP, were you UMC/UC? I just don't get the fixation.

I don’t see how it’s weird. I would never talk about this in real life.

I grew up lower middle and now we are upper middle but my father was UC. I’m genuinely curious.

How did you grow ups middle class if your father grew up upper class? What happened?

He was UC in another country. Political issues. He and my mother fled to avoid civil war. He was educated here in US and that’s how we landed on our feet here. He quickly got a Fed job. Connections helped too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up with UC children in private school. Everyone knew 2 or 3 (European) languages. There was a lot of travel (international, even during short breaks). Everyone did Model UN in high school. There were no etiquette classes (that’s not UC at all). There was a lot of household “help” and random people staying in guest quarters for months at a time. There were “dinners” all. the. time. Like every night “oh honey, the French ambassador is here for supper“. UC people know each other and it’s an endless stream of visiting and being visited. Every child knows how to ski, how to hold chopsticks and how to sit quietly in a restaurant.

How do they learn the proper placement for table manners of no etiquette?

They have (what UMC would call) formal dinner a lot. When you are exposed to dinner conversation since birth, you tend to be a better conversationalist. See also: (most) UC children can speak easily with adults because they just have more practice. There is a common language among UC people because they are a small group and have a common lifestyle. This holds true across nationalities too, that an American UC child has more in common with a British or French UC child than their middle class countrymen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a totally different poster. But curious to see what these could be for a UC childhood.

I’m adding what I think these can be.

1. Early years raised by nanny and mom
2. High end clothing, Gucci Balmain for special occasions
3. No tech
4. Knows 2-3 languages
5,. Etiquette classes
6. Lots of extracurriculars
7. Travel at least 4 times a year

Gucci for kids is for trash that wants you think they're richer than they are.

[Anonymous]

Travel by private jet is the true delineator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a totally different poster. But curious to see what these could be for a UC childhood.

I’m adding what I think these can be.

1. Early years raised by nanny and mom
2. High end clothing, Gucci Balmain for special occasions
3. No tech
4. Knows 2-3 languages
5,. Etiquette classes
6. Lots of extracurriculars
7. Travel at least 4 times a year

Gucci for kids is for trash that wants you think they're richer than they are.

American kids in Gucci yes. Foreign upper class, it seems much more of the “think to do” to dress your kids in super expensive obvious luxury branded clothing