I lost some of my child innocence by being very aware of the financial struggles my parents were going through from a young age (like 5 or 6). I never asked for anything, even stuff I needed like clothes, pads, deodorant, or even a ride somewhere. I guess that was my way of helping out.

My cousin had the opposite experience. She had all the stuff she could possibly want, but her childhood innocence was stolen in a more sinister way. Both her parents constantly criticized her weight, and her dad would make comments about her developing body. I remember him saying something to her like “one day you’re gonna wish you had bigger boobs”. When she was about 10 she cut off all her hair and started wearing baggy guys clothes in an attempt to get less attention on her body. She developed an eating disorder and exercised religiously. Then her parents started saying she was too skinny or too muscular. Poor girl is still messed up from it today