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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

PP you are responding do. Being described by the decade that you were born into doesn't make sense. Children born at the end of a decade will have zero memories of that decade. Children born in the early years of a decade will remember some or much of that decade. Children born in the early years of a decade have much more in common with children born at the end of the previous decade than they do with the children born at the end of the decade of their birth. Defining demographics by birth doesn't really serve much of a purpose. Defining demographics based on commonalities makes much more sense.

[Anonymous]

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.

Same here. My parents played ABBA non-stop when I was growing up, and I remember the hippie look. I was definitely shaped by the 80s and even permed my hair 😩

[Anonymous]

I was born in October of 1979, and I consider myself an ‘80s kid. I think 90s = adolescence/teen for me, and to me, being a child of one decade and a teen in another is a totally different experience.

[Anonymous]

Born in '79, consider myself a child of the 80's.

[Anonymous]

Ooh anyone else have memories of how good leaded gas smelled?

[Anonymous]

I was born in 1970, and consider myself a "child of the 80s." The 80s culture is what stays with me, I remember the 70s, but not as much and that culture wasn't as formative.

[Anonymous]

I was born in 1990 and consider myself very much a “90s kid” meaning that all of the toys and kids shows I grew up with were from the 90s. I didn’t officially become a teen until 2003 but the 2000s were when I started getting more into teen culture, like MTV, teen magazines, etc. I don’t necessarily know kids shows and toys from the 2000s because I’d outgrown them for much of that decade.

[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.

You should gently and tactfully share with your friend your concerns about her decade-identity. She clearly has some unresolved issues with the 80s causing her to identify as a child of the 70s. But she spent 10 years of her childhood in the 80s and only 7 years of her childhood in the 70s. Having a 70s themed bday party in this case is unsightly and borderline mad. The only way to help her in this crisis is to carefully intervene and see if she needs help. You may also gently consider an 80s theme and see if this may begin to correct her misplaced decade identity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Born in '79, consider myself a child of the 80's.

I think this is the right way. Your childhood was shaped by the times you grew up in whether you remember or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was also born in 1973 but I consider myself a child of the 80s because that is the decade I first remember, especially music and friends. I remember bits and pieces of the 70s, just not a lot. But graduated from high school in 91 and college in 95, so I also fondly remember the early 90s.

Same, but honestly 80s as a party theme is so overdone, a 70s party sounds better. I have vague memories of my dad’s 30th birthday party in 1977 and it was pretty cool.

And the 90s still don’t seem like a “thing” to me. They weren’t that long ago, right? 😬

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Born in 79 and consider myself a child of the 80’s and 90’s.

Same. I remember some 80s stuff like toys and tv shows but I was aware of trends and pop culture more in the 90s.

[Anonymous]

Born in 1969. Remember the bad clothes, Secretariat, the Bicentennial, gas lines, the Pittsburgh Steelers, land yacht station wagons with crazy back, back seats and the Carter years pretty well. So, definitely a “child” of the 70s but also very much molded by the 1980s as well.

[Anonymous]

I guess I am old here. I was born in 64 and consider myself a child of the 80s. I graduated from HS in 82 and then college.

I was too little in the 70s to remember it or remember the "culture" of it as an adult would remember.

If I think 70s I think disco and all that. Don't remember it; too young. I turned 16 in 1980.

So i say 80s.

[Anonymous]

I was born in 1973 but have only a little in the way of '70s memories. My memorable childhood decade was the '80s.

[Anonymous]

Child of the 70’s/80’s living in same house.
I still have the Harvest Gold stove...still works!