Growing Up (Part 2)

Age 5-7

I honestly do not remember much from these years, as I look at these pictures (given to me by my cousin) I don’t remember these events nor what I felt or experienced. The only thing I remember from this age is being too small to use the restroom at the country school and so my mom had to bring in a stool for me so I could get us on the toilet. I often wonder why I don’t remember things from this age as I know a lot of people do remember things from this age. I wonder if there was trauma so I am repressing it or if I just don’t have any recollection. I know I went to a small country school where there were two rooms (little room - K-4th grade & big room - 5th-8th grade). I know I had to take lunch which was always a peanut butter sandwich and an apple. I do remember that and know that I was not allowed to have anything sweet (candies and desserts). We were not allowed to have chips, etc. My mother was a health nut but I also wonder if we couldn’t afford extra things too. I know we had recess, we either played outside (tag, kickball, on the swingset, monkey bars) or if it was raining we played inside down in the basement (red light, green light).

At home, I don’t remember too much other than we lived on a farm, had tons of chores and my dad didn’t come up from work until like 6 pm and then had to go out and do chores. We did eat supper together (a good mid-western meal of meat, potato, and a vegetable and dessert always had to be a fruit. At this age, our bedtime was at 8 PM and we were not allowed to get up before 8 AM. My dad was already off to work before we got up. So we didn’t get to see him. My parents never played with us or read us books that I remember. We didn’t have many toys and the only outside toys were a bicycle, and a swing set with swings only. We had a fenced-in yard and we couldn’t go in the backyard or outside of the fence.

I wonder if I also don’t remember much because there wasn’t much to remember.