Childhood

I was recently tagged by Mother’s Always Right to think about what childhood meant to me. There’ s me above aged 4.

 

As a young child, before the horrors of teenagedom hit, I enjoyed a pretty idyllic life. My brother and I (above) lived in the beautifully picturesque town of Ilkley, I dated twin boys aged 4 in primary school (as I couldn’t choose between them) and looking back we had a privileged upbringing-a pool in the house, space to run around, films and toys aplenty.

What’s more important than all that of course was love, unconditional love in bucket loads and the freedom to just be children, sadly something not all kids have the opportunity to be.

Now I’m a mother I look at my son and realise those innocent years are truly the most important. A time when work, taxes and other adult strains simply don’t exist for my son, his biggest worry being ‘why won’t Mamma let me have another chocolate’. Here are a few pictures of Oliver relishing in childhood:

Rocking out as Santa

Simply rocking out

His favourite ride

Damien Hirst in the making

Make that, Jamie Oliver

Catching some rays

Happiness

This post was written as part of a blog hop organised by Merry over at Patch of Puddles, to raise awareness of the plight children are facing in West Africa.

Hunger and poverty mean they’re experiencing a very different childhood, going through things most adults wouldn’t be able to deal with – let alone kids.

Just £1 could make a difference. The charity World Vision has until 30th August to make the most of a matched funding scheme, which sees the government double every single £1 that is donated.

That money could put a glint of hope into the future for many of the children who’ve lost their childhood in West Africa.

And then maybe they’ll get to experience some happiness as our children do. Thank you.

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If you’d like to help raise awareness, feel free to join the blog hop. Simply choose a picture you feel best represents childhood (or more than one as I have) and write about it.

Then include the link:

https://www.worldvision.org.uk/giving-forms/single-gifts/*/giftId/62/

And tag two more people to join in.

I’m tagging –

Alexander Residence

Photographs ©Peter Broadbent.