Parents that are stable and not fighting all the time.

The ability to play and just be a kid, run around with friends, and not constantly be shuttled off here an there or pushed to constantly achieve.

Experiences not things.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having lots of loving family around. I grew up around both sets of grandparents and lots of aunts and uncles. My happiest memories are sitting around my grandparents' kitchen table surrounded by a bunch of people who loved me. No special occasion, not talking about anything in particular.

For many reasons, I can't give my kids the same experience. It makes me sad every day.

I agree. I grew up with no local family and we only saw my extended family (Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) once a year but those were my best memories of childhood. I wish I had grown up with local family so we could have had Sunday dinners with Grandma and had grandparents come to school events.

Same here but I also realize that these times were special because they were rare.

Lots of outdoor time
Solid traditions they can count on
Time to play with cousins and friends
Loving parents
Memorable vacations

(I had lots of outdoor time, but only one loving parent and a difficult divorce, poor—did not have an idyllic childhood, but th is is how I imagine it would be).

Mine had one, pre-covid:

-Leafy neighborhood: safe, pretty, lots of mature trees
-Good public schools: kids running around and walking home
-Sports and outdoor play
-Healthy social lives: seeing friends regularly and having adult-free time with them
-leisurely summers and school breaks: pools, beach, sleeping in, family vacations and road trips
-holiday traditions: festive cozy Christmas, decorAting for Halloween, Easter egg hunts.

Anonymous wrote:Having lots of loving family around. I grew up around both sets of grandparents and lots of aunts and uncles. My happiest memories are sitting around my grandparents' kitchen table surrounded by a bunch of people who loved me. No special occasion, not talking about anything in particular.

For many reasons, I can't give my kids the same experience. It makes me sad every day.

I agree. I grew up with no local family and we only saw my extended family (Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) once a year but those were my best memories of childhood. I wish I had grown up with local family so we could have had Sunday dinners with Grandma and had grandparents come to school events.

Emotionally and financially stable parents
Free time / time to be independent with friends
Lots of close family nearby
Fun vacations
Unconditional love
Achieving the balance between work and play , being pushed to learn new things while also the occasional night when you eat ice cream and potato chips for dinner

Anonymous wrote:Having lots of loving family around. I grew up around both sets of grandparents and lots of aunts and uncles. My happiest memories are sitting around my grandparents' kitchen table surrounded by a bunch of people who loved me. No special occasion, not talking about anything in particular.

For many reasons, I can't give my kids the same experience. It makes me sad every day.

I could have written this. My kids are growing up thousands of miles away from our extended families. If I could go back in time, I would not do it.

Fun and whimsy. We like to take adventures together and make up scenarios. Picnics, pizza nights, building forts, game nights, birthday week, etc. Make the ordinary special. I don’t think you need a ton of family around or involved grandparents. Just involved parents.

Also, this is obvious but two parents who love each other and don’t argue or fight. It’s like maslows hierarchy of needs. You can’t get to the top without stability and having the kids’ needs met.

I remember fondly being able to roam around the whole village alone or with friends. It was like a big playground with no grown-ups in sight. While I take my ids to every park within a mile and trails, it's nothing like my own childhood. Luckily they don't know any better and are happy with the parks.

Time outside by themselves. Freedom. Love.

Having lots of loving family around. I grew up around both sets of grandparents and lots of aunts and uncles. My happiest memories are sitting around my grandparents' kitchen table surrounded by a bunch of people who loved me. No special occasion, not talking about anything in particular.

For many reasons, I can't give my kids the same experience. It makes me sad every day.

Introduce them to new experiences. I used to take my son to different parks and playgrounds when he was younger. He loved the outdoors. Even as a teenager, we make the rounds of old and new places to hike. We mix up vacations. Most of them are to the same beach but every few years, we go somewhere new.

Time not stuff. Give them time to just be kids. I type this as I sit in a playground while my 8yo plays with a friend on the equipment. I have friends with kids the same age and they never take them to playgrounds. Even before Covid. Too busy with work and doing what “ they” need to do. Kids needs time to be kids and not rushed to grow up.

The kind where, as adults, they look back on their childhood fondly and say it was the best it could possibly be?

Obviously unconditional love and support from their parents are the most important parts. But what other elements should be added in?

In other words, what are you doing to give your kids an idyllic childhood?