(member)

03/10/2008 10:15

Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

I came from a madhouse, so my family background would have to be compared to Osboures rather than the Simpsons or Waltons!!

When I was a child I can remember thinking our family was different to everybody else’s because we were always arguing!! How wrong could I be??

My father drank too much and was always having affairs!! And (unlike Sharon Osbourne) my mother was far too busy with her own life to be bothered with any of us children. Our house was always untidy, and there was always some big drama going on with vases and ashtrays flying across the room!!

I loved my dad despite the fact that he was a womaniser and drank too much. I got on very well with him and enjoyed his company when he was around. But unfortunately the same could not be said for my mother. I despised her from a very early age. And now that I am a mother myself, I can’t help wondering how she could have been so cruel and heartless as to neglect her own children.

But despite my insecure background and difficult start in life, I am a very happy well grounded adult and I am thankful for my past experiences!! I learned some very valuable lessons early on in life that have served me well as an adult!! Somehow coming from such an insecure background has made me stronger and more capable as an adult. As the saying goes, what doesn’t break you, makes you!! And it’s true!!

If you had to compare your family background to a TV family, would you say you were more like the Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons?

(member)

03/10/2008 10:29

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

Well, at the time it was boringly like the Waltons. I grew up in the country and couldn't wait to get away for some action. I didn't realise how wonderful my home life was. I got my heartbreak later in life and possibly because I saw the world through Rose Coloured Glasses.

(member)

03/10/2008 10:57

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

Jane...I wonder if you should have included the Royale family!!!!!!!!

who, although dysfunctional, were at least close knit.....

(member)

03/10/2008 11:22

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

Out of the 3 choices I'd have to say the Osbournes.

I yearned for a mum who stayed home, baked, sewed..... Still, like you Jane, I'm thankful for my past experiences and learned some very valuable lessons!

(member)

03/10/2008 11:32

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

I'm sure my parents thought it was like The Waltons but it was more like some crazy soap-opera to me.

(member)

03/10/2008 11:36

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

Cupcake, Oh, I forgot about them!! I love The Royle Family!!

I think all TV families should be included!

(member)

03/10/2008 11:47

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

Is that you dancing Jane...wow!!!!!!!!

(member)

03/10/2008 11:52

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

This is going well isn't it??

You're not giving much away ladies. Of course we only ever say what we want to on the forum, but it would be interesting to know why you would make the comparison. If you choose The Osbournes, then perhaps you had an unstable family background like me. But if you choose The Waltons, I guess you came from a very happy family!

I could always dish some more dirt about my family to make the thread a bit more interesting.

I've got stories that would probably make your hair curl!!

(member)

03/10/2008 11:55

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

Cupcake, yep, it's me alright!!

(member)

03/10/2008 13:09

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

I would say as far away from the Waltons as possible but not quite the Osbournes. Sadly, the closest example is probably the Royale Family but with more difficult and complex characters and without the close-knit warmth!

My poor mum was loving but totally frazzled and stressed out - like you Jane, I longed for a mum that stayed home and baked but sadly she had to work full-time AND do everything in the home. My dad was modern enough to enjoy my mum's decent salary but old-fashioned when it suited him i.e. when it came to 'women's work' - he saw no reason why he should help out with kids, housework, cooking, shopping etc., just because she worked longer hours than him. Talk about double standards!

(member)

03/10/2008 13:39

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

The Waltons I guess. Very little money but my mum didn't work as they felt it was more important for her to be there when we got home. I think we only ever had two holidays (week in a caravan a couple of hours away at the coast each time) but we always had good food. I do remember feeling my school friends always had better toys etc to us but we probably had a better home life.

(member)

03/10/2008 14:32

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

I would have hoped for the Waltons, how idyllic, but I suppose at times boring, mine was probably none of them, because everyone one of your choices Jane, had some kind of love, and togetherness, unfortunately, my childhood lacked all three.

Things are so different now, we are now just a happy family.

Plasmo x

(member)

03/10/2008 21:59

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

Jane - I love your new picture.

If I had to choose one I'd choose the Osbourne's - only without the humour and the love. My mother was and is a very mean and angry person and like Jane's neglected her children. My dad tuned her out as much as possible and escaped the house as often as he could. However my best friend's family was like the Waltons and I spent as much time as I could there, so I knew what a loving family was supposed to be like. Like Jane I am thankful for a lot of my background because I'm happy to be the person I am now and I think it helped me to get here.

(member)

04/10/2008 09:41

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

I have considered our family to be something like the waltons (there were 8 of us) and something like the simpsons too! my oh and i have 6 children between us, who were all living at home!

In fact in my last job we were asked to write a letter about ourselves, and i wrote about my family saying we were something like the waltons and the simpsons!

The letter caught their attention, i got an interview and the job!

So perhaps its no bad thing to liken yourself to one of these families!

(member)

04/10/2008 11:34

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

The Waltons

(member)

05/10/2008 20:46

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

I think we were like the Waltons when we were younger but turned into the Osbournes as we got older now my sisters and I are like the Golden Girls I`m the Big one Jacki is the sexy one and Liz is the dopey one and my Mam is worse than the old one

(member)

06/10/2008 08:43

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

Thank you for your contributions to this thread. It's interesting that almost all of you would liken your family to The Waltons family for whatever reason. When I was a child I thought The Waltons were the ideal family!! They seemed such a wholesome close knit family and I loved the idea that they all sat round and listened to the wireless in the evenings!!

Fuschia, I'm glad you like my dancing girl. I thought I'd jazz up my image a bit!

Sioned, I'm glad to hear you got the job!!

(member)

07/10/2008 17:52

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

Somewhere between The Waltons and The Simpsons....(eeek now that is scarey).

Night John-boy
Night Mary Ellen
Night Jim-Bob
Night Elizabeth
Night Ben
Night Erin
Night Grandma
Night Grandad

Used to love that programme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYyIPbPAQ2Y

(member)

09/10/2008 23:00

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

Everyone else's family seemed like the Waltons to me when I was young - I suppose because ours was at the opposite end of the scale! However, although it was disfunctional, as Fuschia has already said, sometimes this kind of background can give you very strong values as an adult for some strange reason. So no regrets.

(member)

10/10/2008 13:53

Re: Osbournes, Simpsons or The Waltons????????????????????

Happytigger, Thanks for that clip. I'll have that tune in my head all day now. Nice to see John boy again, I used to really fancy him when I was younger!

CM, I agree, there's a lot to be said for coming from a dysfunctional family! I'm definitely a stronger person because of my family background!

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