Quotes About Childhood To Reflect On

A person’s memories of their childhood can vary widely. For many people, their early years were a combination of happy memories as well as difficult times. For better or for worse, our upbringings contribute to forming who we are today. 

The following quotes about childhood may brighten your day and instill a sense of nostalgia in you for the good times, or they may help you reflect on how challenges in your childhood may be affecting you today. If you believe your childhood may be negatively impacting your mental or emotional health as an adult, speaking with a therapist is one way to identify and process any such issues. Read on to find childhood quotes that speak on different aspects of growing up, and then to find tips about how to connect with a therapist if you feel you’d benefit from that type of support.

Quotes on positive childhood memories

Children are naturally carefree and innocent, which can make childhood a time of joy and wonder. The following quotes can remind you of the positive memories you may hold from your own early years:

• "You don't have to have anything in common with people you've known since you were five. With old friends, you've got your whole life in common". –Lyle Lovett

• “Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional”. –Chili Davis

• “Happiness was different in childhood. It was so much then a matter simply of accumulation, of taking things—new experiences, new emotions—and applying them like so many polished tiles to what would someday be the marvelously finished pavilion of the self”. –John Banville

• “There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million”. –Walt Steightiff

• “For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be.” –John Connolly

Quotes on healing from a difficult childhood

Many children will experience challenges and even trauma at some point during their upbringing, which can impact them later in life. The quotes below relate to the process of healing these as an adult:

• “Childhoods never last. But everyone deserves one”. –Wendy Dale

• “One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood”. –Agatha Christie

• “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are”. –E.E. Cummings

• “Some people think to be strong is to never feel pain. In reality, the strongest people are the ones who feel it, understand it, and accept it”. –Unknown

• “Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have—life itself”. –Walter Anderson

• “Adulthood is an attempt to become the antithesis of the wounded child within us”. –Stewart Stafford

• “If you continue to carry bricks from your past, you will end up building the same house”. –Unknown

• “I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become”. –Carl Jung

• “Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives”. –Akshay Dubey

• “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone”. –Fred Rogers

Childhood quotes for adults who miss childhood

Many childhood quotes reflect on fairy tales and other so-called childish things that we may miss from our younger years. The quotes below relate to this: 

• “Most of us have fond memories of food from our childhood. Whether it was our mom’s homemade lasagna or a memorable chocolate birthday cake, food has a way of transporting us back to the past”. –Homaro Cantu

• “When I was a little girl fairy tales were my favorite books because even before you opened them you knew how they are going to end. Happily ever after.” –Nicola Yoon

• “Don't you find it odd," she continued, "that when you're a kid, everyone, all the world, encourages you to follow your dreams. But when you're older, somehow they act offended if you even try.” –Ethan Hawke

• “Adults are just obsolete children, and the hell with them.” –Dr. Seuss

Why quotes can help connect us to our pasts (especially our childhood) 

For many adults, it’s easy to forget the beauty, joy, and lighthearted nature of childhood. But quotes can transform your state of mind temporarily, helping you tap into that mindset that you might have left behind long ago. 

Children can enjoy their lives as few adults can 

The quote from author Patrick Rothfuss at the beginning of this section reflects on how many children experience life with such love and joy when compared to grown-ups, who often miss childhood for these very reasons. Below, we’ve also highlighted other quotes that reflect this sentiment: 

• “When we are children, we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind”. –Patrick Rothfuss

• “Literature is a textually transmitted disease, often contracted in childhood” –Jane Yolen

• “The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.” –Maria Montessori

• “in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” –C.S. Lewis

How childhood experiences can affect you as an adult

There are many ways in which childhood experiences—both positive and negative—can impact you later in life. It’s a time when we tend to take in massive amounts of new information each day as we learn about the world and our place in it, and many feelings, opinions, and customs are instilled in us during that time. These can play out in various ways as we grow up. 

For example, consider attachment styles. Attachment theory refers to the idea that the quality of care we received as children—especially in the first six months of life—will impact the way we form relationships when we’re older. For example, those who experienced neglect or emotional distance from their parents or caregivers growing up may display an avoidant attachment style, which can correlate to an avoidance of emotional intimacy as an adult. 

It’s another reason why addressing early childhood wounds appropriately may help contribute to better mental health and well-being in adults.

How does your childhood influence your adult behavior?

Discuss it with a licensed therapist

How therapy can help

Coping with troubling childhood memories or effects can be challenging to do alone. That’s why many people turn to a licensed mental health professional for support in processing childhood issues and learning how to move forward in a healthier way. A therapist can provide a safe space where you can discuss any challenges related to childhood that you may be facing, and then offer guidance throughout the healing process. If you’re experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition, they can also help you address those.

Many people find it difficult to speak about childhood issues. If you’re interested in therapy and would feel more comfortable addressing these topics with someone via phone or online chat rather than in person, you might consider pursuing virtual therapy. Research suggests that it can offer similar benefits to traditional, in-person sessions. With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, you can get matched with a licensed therapist who you can meet with via phone, video call, and/or online chat to address whatever issues you may be having trouble with. Regardless of the format or method you may select, remember that compassionate support is available.

Takeaway

Reading quotes about childhood can help you get into the right mindset to reminisce about your early years. The quotations listed in this article may bring up memories related to various parts of your childhood that perhaps you’d like to pass down to the next generation of children.