Your biggest disappointment as a child.

I remember desperately wanting to be the next queen and I truly believed that this was a position that was chosen.

I must have been about 6 at the time and I can still remember the shock at the realisation that this would never happen.

I had been such a good girl, I was sure I’d be chosen !

I was very lucky as a child. We were comfortable off and had a lovely home . We tended to get what we wanted. Especially off our grandparents.

I was desperate for a chimpanzee. A real one. I was convinced my grandparents would get me one.

When I opened my gift I was horrified to see a chimpanzee. But it was a toy one. I just couldn't understand it at all. I was convinced I'd get one.

So that served me right for being so spoilt I guess!

Realising I wasn’t adopted and was stuck with my mother.

Meeting my little sister for the first time. I was five and, for months, my parents had been saying wouldn't it be lovely when I had a little sister or brother to play with? I was a lonely only, living in the depths of the countryside so the prospect of someone to share my games and activities was hugely exciting.
The great day came when I was taken into the bedroom and shown this tiny 4 days old scrap of humanity, sound asleep in her cot and seeming smaller than one of my dolls.
Horrified, I wailed, "but I can't play with that! and marched out of the room.

Scribbles
I had a similar disappointment, my brother was born at home, I don’t know if I was particularly dim, but even though I’d been dragged by my dad through the night to get the district nurse, I don’t think I’d been aware there was a baby on the way.
My dad woke me in the morning and said he had a surprise for me, full of anticipation I trotted after him, only to be shown my brother, I remember being bitterly disappointed.

I feel mean now, I’m sure I had much bigger disappointments over the years.

LauraNorder My mother always told me that of course I wasn't adopted because she would have given me back!

It was always a disappointment that, although we had a piano I was never taught to play it, and although my mother often showed me photos of her in her ballet costumes I was never able to have lessons. I presumed that they didn't think I would be any good at these things but I suppose we just didn't have any money for that sort of luxury.

When I was about 5 or 6, mum and her friend, took my brother and me up to London, to have our photograph taken.
At lunch time, in a store restaurant, I heard that Welsh Rabbit was on the menu, so I asked for that, as I loved rabbit.
I was so disappointed when I was served with , what to me was just cheese on toast, i.e. ' Welsh Rarebit'.

My big disappointment was wanting a sister - I had a brother -but really wanted a sister. No luck there I am afraid!
A smaller disappointment was coming home from school and finding that my mum had given my driving game to the son of a visiting friend. I think she maybe regretted it because I carried on alarmingly and wouldn't be consoled

Being told by my mother that we had to be good - because she didn't like children and never wanted them. She'd only had us for our father.

Finding out at 14 that Mum and Dad weren't my real parents.

Until later years my folks were pretty much always skint, so my expectations were invariably very low - I never really asked for anything since from a very early age I was aware that money was so tight.

The one big disappointment I do remember was nobody giving me the 45 record of Telstar for Christmas when I was maybe 14. I’d dropped enough hints! It was only 6/8d IIRC.
They did always make an effort at Christmas, though - it was always a magical time.

I always longed painfully for a puppy, but knew it was never going to happen. They did buy me a tortoise when I was 8 or 9 though - he cost 4/6d and I was over the moon.

Oh Hetty58!
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I was never interested in dolls or doll paraphernalia so was hugely disappointed to get a doll for Christmas when I was ten. Ten! A wretched doll?!
My boy cousins staying with us over Christmas & my young brothers got far more interesting and exciting gifts!
There is a photo in the archive of us all sat beside the Christmas tree with gifts in hand. My smile is totally forced and to this day I cringe when I see it.

My biggest disappointment was having parents who would rather not have had children.

Never being allowed to have long hair. I so desperately wanted plaits and bunches, ribbons in my hair but no, every time my hair grew a little too long I was whisked upstairs to the bathroom for a haircut. I remember once I was beyond excited to be able to get my hair into two tiny little 'paintbrush' bunches at the nape of my neck and rushed down to show my mum. Big mistake! Straight back upstairs to get it cut short again.

Needless to say, as soon as I got to my early teens I grew my hair very long, and wouldn't allow anyone anywhere near me with scissors for a very long time.

Same for me Julie, I really wanted long hair like my best friend, but my mother said it was too much bother. I had one of those blunt haircuts, with a ribbon on one side, the minute I left home I let it grow, and had it long, until a tactful hairdresser suggested maybe it was time to chop it off.
Now in lockdown, it’s getting long again.

I always wanted long hair but my mother didn't like it so I wasn't allowed. Most girls had short hair then so imagine many mothers were the same. By the time I had my children most girls had long hair, and still do.
My mother permed my hair which I hated.

Lilylaundry I, too had severe eczema and was covererd in Coal Tar ointment (I still like the smell)
When I was 4 i had specifically asked father Christmas for a small doll with lots of clothes. I was very upset when I received a large baby doll with one lot of baby clothes!!

I was more disappointed when Mum sister and I were on our way to Lewis's in Glasgow to see Santa Claus. As we stepped of the train, my know-all 8 year old sister turned to me and said "You know there is no such thing as Santa Claus!!!!"

I was totally gutted

Being picked on at school because I had to wear national health spectacles and as now my prescription was really strong so they had really thick lenses...

Me and my sister went guy fawking outside our local chip shop.
We had over £3 which was alot of money then in the 1970`s.
and we were so excited to give it to our dad to buy fireworks,but he bought food instead.
The right thing to do really,but i didn`t think that at the time.

Not being able to go to the Guides. Mum let me go to Brownies because Brown Owl had a stock of uniforms girls could borrow. We were told when we left brownies that if we wanted to go up to Guide we would need to buy the uniform. Mum refused to buy one because it was too expensive.

Also when I bought a violin home from junior school. I was so happy. Mum wasn't. She said she couldn't put up with the racket so I had to take it back. The lessons would have been free so lack of money wasn't an issue.

Thank you all for replying and letting me know your disappointments. Some of them must be hard coming to terms with even after many years. I must say I still don't believe doctors when they tell me that certain treatments will 'alleviate' the itching and rawness. Nothing ever does and, I am only assuming, that as it isn't a life threatening condition, not too much research goes into why some people are affected, some very badly. I'm 80 now and still want to tear off my face, arms, legs, stomach, in fact any part of my body sometimes. The only thing which helps me is a very short, cool, shower. I was given UVB a few years back and it was wonderful. Alas, due to Covid-19 it is not available in my area. Still, life could be a lot worse, I do love my life.

Lilylaundry - I proved my eczema was caused by an allergy to dairy products - it took a long time because my parents wouldn't listen to me. Even the doc told me to "grow up'!! I also had a severe allergy to wool.

Lilylaundry like Gwen I used a diet to “cure” my psoriasis. OK, you can’t cure it but it was dreadful and I have never had it badly since. My DH went on an elimination diet and discovered that bananas triggered his migraines. No more banoffee pie.