Chapter 1: The Impact of Unmet Childhood Wishes

As I reflect on my past, I sometimes feel a lingering sense of childhood wonder.

In a previous post, I shared that I didn't have the chance to care for pets as a child. This was likely due to my parents' limited financial resources. Later in life, my inability to have pets was compounded by my allergy to animal fur. While my parents never openly discussed our financial situation, I was perceptive enough to sense their constraints, though they ensured our basic needs were met.

Raising a pet incurs significant expenses, a reality I didn’t grasp as a child. I assumed it was as easy as sharing our leftover food. Unfortunately, it was much more complex than that. Consequently, my longing for pets has lingered, leaving many childhood hopes unfulfilled.

I distinctly remember visiting friends' homes and feeling envious of their impressive LEGO collections. These sets were not sold in my small southern town, often brought back by neighbors returning from abroad. They would graciously share their bricks with me, and together we built various models from the City series.

With time, as I entered the workforce and earned my own income, I was finally able to indulge my childhood admiration by purchasing LEGO sets locally, especially since they don’t trigger my skin allergies. 😂

While I can't pinpoint specific psychological theories, I do recall that unmet childhood desires can subtly shape our adult lives. Today, although I still appreciate LEGO, I don’t feel compelled to buy every new release. I simply enjoy browsing the latest sets whenever I pass by a LEGO store.

However, I believe that not every wish a child has needs to be fulfilled right away, even when resources allow for it. Learning to delay gratification can be a valuable lesson in reaching future goals.

During shopping trips, I often encounter parents and their children in heated disputes over toys. The children plead for immediate gratification, sometimes resorting to dramatic displays of discontent. While I empathize with their plight—having experienced unfulfilled wishes in my own childhood—I also recognize that such extreme demands are unreasonable from a parental perspective.

Do any of you resonate with these experiences? I invite you to share your thoughts with me.

Section 1.1: Childhood Aspirations and Realities

Childhood is often filled with aspirations, yet many remain unfulfilled due to circumstances beyond our control.

Subsection 1.1.1: The Allure of LEGO

Chapter 2: Understanding the Psychology of Childhood Wishes