What would you say to your younger self?

I would have said: Don't waste time worrying about your children they will grow up safely and end up happy, lovely and well-rounded adults.

I shouldn’t have married my late husband.
He was basically a waste of space up until the last ten years of his life when he gave up drinking.
He had the best years of my life, we married when I was 25 and I stood by him up until his death in 2005.
We had been together since 1969.

Don’t marry young. Travel first.

For me; 'Things turn out all right in the end',
'Somewhere out there is your partner to be. '
'What is meant to be, is meant to be.'
'You have a choice of paths to take.

Seize the day.
Take chances - after seriously considering the options
Don't let anyone tell you what to do,
if you think it's wrong -it is.
If you wouldn't tell your granny, don't do it.
Don't dwell on 'what might have been'.

Embrace my red hair, do not let people bully you about it until you get your first pay cheque and dye it blond. Went red again, bullied still at 54 years old, but at least I'm proud of it now.

Don't believe everything everyone tells you. Open your eyes a bit to the big bad world.

I'd say....don't speak your mind so much, girl, keep your thoughts private, your head down - you'll do better at work if you're less honest and more manipulative.

Yes, you will have a bra! Don’t go on a motorcycle. Don’t turn down the opportunity to attend the Grammar School Six Form. Don’t bottle out of Teacher Training.

You are loveable
You will have friends
You will find someone to love you
You will come to terms with your parents indifference to you
Life will be great

Stick to your original dreams of travelling and not having children.

NannyC1

I would say. Listen you are not ugly or stupid like your mum and dad told you for years. It's not you it's them.You will leave it behind as you travel the world. Your are beautiful and clever. You are unique. You are kind. Your daughter will adore you and so will your granddaughter.

Sounds like you found your happy ever after, how lovely ?

I agree with many o here about not marrying at a young age...19 for me. Work hard at school and go to Uni then travel, there is a big world out there to explore. Work hard and buy your own property and keep in in your name only.

Be financially independent
Be financially independent
Be financially independent

................... just this.

Don’t worry about washing dishcloths ?

Think hard about what you want to do when you grow up. You will spend more time working than being at home so choose carefully.

I wouldn’t have listened back then and my parents had other ideas anyway.

I wouldn' t have listened to the advice I was given when I was young, or perhaps have listened but not seen any way to implement it.

Looking back, I wish I had found the courage to tell me mother that I was grown up and could make my own decisions from the time when I was eighteen.

The way I had been brought up it was quite unthinkable to do so, and how I evenied all the young people who could and did do so.

I would say 'don't party so much' although it was so much fun! I think though it didn't do my long term health any good! I would also say 'leave home and see the world' even though the prospect might be daunting. I've since meade up for that and lived, worked and visited numerous countries so have been very lucky.It's so easy to stay living at home with your parents until you marry which is what I did. I've never lived alone and sometimes wish I would have done that 'living in a flat with my freinds' bit.

Its quite sad so many of you appear to be disatisfied with how your lives played out .Do you think underlying disatisfaction affected your lives and relationships?

Paddyanne, my life reminds me of Ready, Steady, Cook. I was given a mishmash of circumstances and have turned it into something reasonably good but I wouldn't cook it again.

Teetime

I would say leave home as soon as possible and dont look back.

Ditto, Teetime

Same for your second comment too. I, too, married to get out of living with my parents.

As has already been said "Don't marry the first person who asks in case no one else comes along."

Apart from my husband dying prematurely, I wouldn't change a single thing. I feel truly blessed.

I'm another one for not marrying too young, and being more careful in your eventual choice. If you make a mistake in life, remember that you don't have to live with mistakes forever, even if it seems impossible to climb out of the hole at the time there will be a way if you take responsibility for finding the solution. Look forwards not backwards. Be kind and generous to others but don't enable others to take advantage of you.