Childhood Friends
 

I know everybody here has some childhood friends. Just people that you've known since a LONG time ago, whether or not you've kept in touch with them since then or have separated for a period of time and then re-met, is not necessarily the same for everybody. However, what is the general consensus here for having interest in a relationship with a childhood friend? Find it romantic, pathetic, cute, whatever. Just want some opinions.

I think having a lieast one childhood friend is great for those positive connections with your past. The two of you have great connection with regards to school, the time in which you grew up, etc. I know one of my nearest friends I have been friends with since grade Kindergarten (1989). Things grew apart when I left in Grade 4 for another school, but we met up again in grade 9, and by grade 11 we started playing tennis against each other, for practice and fun. We have been playing tennis for the past five years now, even though he stayed in the city he was going to school this past summer. Kinda missed that. However, we still message each other when he has time, and get along really well.

Not sure what you're asking exactly... if it's having interest in a purely platonic relationship with a childhood friend, sure, I see no reason to burn bridges that don't need burning.

If you're asking about a... different kind of relationship... I'd say it's cute, but simply basing it off the fact that you've been friends since childhood is kind of idiotic. If they have other qualities that are kind of prerequisite for that kind of relationship, then yeah, go for it, you'll already have a foundation to build off of, which is awesome.

Well, let's rephrase it to more specific terms....Would it feel awkward to date a childhood friend that you've known for a long time? I mean, personally, dating anybody for me feels awkward, but I want to know about other people.

Childhood friends can be weird to try and keep hold of, the only easy way to explain why is because people change so much, especially during the teen years where suddenly a LOT of backstabbing can go on. If the two genuinly have a lot in common I personally see nothing wrong with it, but there's also this whole fairly tale couple to an extent with the whole idea, that must make some people more keen to hook up. I guess it could go either way really I'd say it depends on the couple, but if they're trying too much to have things in common after all those years then that almost never ends well...

I have childhood friend of 16 years. We have a very solid friendship, and are always in contact with one another. We have always got on really well and never had an argument in the years that we have known each other. We have a lot in common, and I don't see us losing touch anytime soon. We still reminisce about our school days, which is always fun.

As for childhood realtionships, having not experienced one myself, I think that it's kinda cute, but if the two people in question realise that hooking up with one another isn't going to work then it may also destroy the friendship. But when it does work, you know that the relationship is going to last. I always have admiration for the two people in question, being together since childhood is quite an achievement these days.

If you haven't seen them since childhood, it could be a little awkward doing ANYTHING with them, let alone dating them. However if you've kept in touch over the years, or especially if you've stayed friends with them over the years, and you both have enough romantic interest in each other to date each other, that wouldn't be awkward, it would be... well, it would be my favorite kind of dating relationship, where my girlfriend is also my best friend. That way (at least it's worked this way for me so far) if we break up, we're more likely to remain friends.

In short, it would be rad.

I suppose you could say I've had this happen... a girl I've known since we were 5 and whom I've shared a mutual attraction with since 14, I've gone on a couple dates with her, held her hand once when I was like... 16... hahah. But she lives so far away that it's tough to find any time together, and completely pointless to try any kind of romantic relationship - we'd just be limiting each other if we did that. So I've SORT OF been there, but ... not really.

EDIT: Domino, this is totally unrelated, but I see you play Battlefield 2. What's your player ID? That's the only game I play anymore, and I don't play it that often, but when I do I like to have competent soldiers on my team :) Normally I'd ask in a PM, but some people aren't in the habit of accepting PMs from strange forum browsers.

This is something I've been contemplating a lot actually, because I think it'd be true as well. If a relationship with a close friend doesn't work out, you losing that friend becomes likely, and all hell breaks loose emotionally.

I don't have any friends from that long ago, they all got tired of me pretty quickly. I find that one or two friends from your childhood is ok, or if they're kinda distant but I think it's weird to have someone know pretty much everything about you from your habits and preferences to sharing a majority of your life's memories. It just creeps me out.

Growing up, my family moved every two or three years. And, every time we moved, I lost contact with the people I was friends with. There is one kid I met at college who was in my 4th grade class, but I wasn't friends with him then at all, and he isn't in touch with anyone I was friends with back then, so that isn't much. The next longest I've had any friend is my roommate, who I've known for seven years now. He was the first person I met in high school. Sometimes I wish I had more friends from my childhood days.

I can't say that I have any experience with the matter, but I don't think it would be odd to be interested in a childhood friend. Again, it may also depend on the type of relationship one had with the friend. I can recall one person I've known for almost twelve years. Although we were "childhood friends," we never really spoke much during high school and lost contact once university started. I still see him occasionally whenever I visit my hometown, but because we weren't very close during our late teens, I can't say that I'd be interested in him.

I had no childhood friends worth speaking of. Up until I was eight we'd move around the state a lot and I'd change school twice in a year. Never had a chance to make any connections.

I did, however, know this one girl up until I moved away from Chicago who was pretty cool. All I remember is her name, the times she came to my house and the sort of stuff she was into. /shrug

I really don't know any childhood friends that are female. I was a little asshole brat when I was younger so I didn't really have any friends that were girls.


As far as seeing other people who do it, I don't really find it cute or romantic whatsoever. I guess I'm just not moved by other kids much.

Nearly all of my best friends are childhood friends. I ultimately think those bonds will be stronger, if you keep them up as you grow older, than any bond started after childhood, if only slightly.
I'm in college now, and I have plenty of friends here, many of them very close, but none of them quite compare to the group of friends that I made at home (childhood-highschool), who I still keep in touch with, and who I can never see myself losing touch with.

I could talk hours on end, going into our friendship and the whys and whos and whens of it all. I'll just let you off easy and say yes, I cherish my childhood friends more than anything.

I don't have any childhood friends but one from 6th grade. My family and I left the area and I hadn't seen or heard of him for a complete 10 years. Then I met up with him about a month and a half ago when I found him on myspace and realized he lives near my fiancé. Needless to say we've changed since middle school. We got stoned at a mall. That's something we wouldn't have imagined when we sat across from each other in Social Studies like the little runts we were.

Of everyone I can say I've ever known, I'm doing the best for myself. While my buddies are caught up in the party life, I've at least got a career and I'm still in school. I constantly promote getting a life because I care. Once I've given brotherly advice under my breath as I walk through the door, I promptly loosen my necktie and pour some drinks, get blazed, maybe zone out on some Adderall (since I don't use heavy drugs anymore) and conjure musical philosophies. Then I might write something down or I might fall asleep. It depends who's on the couch.

I can't say that I have any childhood friends. I do know of kids that I knew as a child, but they weren't really my friends. I've always wanted to experience what it would be like to grow up with people and still remain friends with them. In the same way, I always wanted to know what it was like to have brothers or sisters.

I couldn't see a relationship happening between me and a childhood friend. To date I have 5 childhood friends and although one of them admits to having a crush on me at an earlier stage, I don't think it would work. I'd just rather have them all as friends, because they are such good friends. It is amazing to see how much they change though.

I have no childhood friends of the opposite sex. But I can see a relationship happening if you both are still good friends and keep in contact regularly. If you think the other party does not like you in that way, then don't overstep your chances - you may end up hurting the relationship of many years. Really, your call, and perhaps a more descriptive situation would help our replies.

I had many firends of the opposite sex, even if I was single, I would feel a little aqward going out with any of them for a date, but i would like to go out to catch up on old time though.

I have some friends that i have known for about 4 years. Other than that I grew up a military brat, moving all over the place every 2-3 years. I have envied those with childhood friends back when i was younger. I always wanted too know what it was like to really grow up with friends threw all the phases of life. (alementary, middle, and highschool) I always hear people talking about it and i never had that experiance. I think that is one reason why im such an introvert.