Childhood - xoJane

Barbie Made Me Feel Embarrassed To Have Nipples

Marci — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400

She may condition little girls to question their measurements, but I was more concerned with not having nipple-less breasts like hers.

Please Tell Me I'm Not The Only One Who Was A Total Perv As A Child

Jean Black — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:30:00 -0500

There’s gotta be at least one other person out there who found the evil Child Catcher character in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” super sexy, right? Right??

I Took An "Anyone Can Do Stand Up" Class And Found Out That I Couldn't

Desi — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:30:00 -0500

When you're supposedly funny, people are constantly saying you should do stand-up. I shouldn't.

It Happened To Me: I Watched Porn With My Dad When I Was A Kid

Desi — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 10:00:00 -0500

It almost seemed like my dad was doing the porn equivalent of making a kid smoke a ton of cigarettes as a punishment for catching them smoke, desensitizing me to the thrill of watching porn.

AGE-INAPPROPRIATE MOVIES: Remembering the Films We Probably Shouldn’t Have Been Allowed to Watch as Kids

Lesley — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:00:00 -0500

Remember when I suddenly realized "Dirty Dancing" is actually a movie about an illegal abortion? That was kind of a shock.

Why I Don't Need A Man in My Life Who Puts Me Down -- and Why Feeling Like Someone is On My Side is Pretty Much Everything

Mandy — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:00:00 -0400

I understand what a man really means when he says, "Why do you put yourself out there?" He means, "I don't like it when you put yourself out there."

"We Can't Afford It": Teaching Kids the Value of Money

Amy Keyishian of LearnVest — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:30:20 -0400

Teaching kids about money is hard -- we should cut ourselves some slack.

NOSTALGIC BEAUTY: An Ode To The Products That Conjure Up Good Memories

Hannah — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:30:23 -0400

I'm in a REALLY foul mood and need to focus on happy things, like shampoo that reminds me of being a kid.

I Am Totally Quitting Therapy

Daisy — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:00:19 -0400

Just as soon as you give me advice on how to do it.

The Most Infectious Cartoon Theme Songs From That Narrow Sliver of My Early Teens In Which I Pretended Not To Watch Cartoons Anymore

Lesley — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:30:19 -0400

I apologize in advance for this.

D*%k Psychology: Are You Still Scarred by the First Time You Saw a Penis?

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:00:22 -0400

I call it "Dick Psychology" -- how our initial, childhood interactions with pensies are projected onto every guy we've been with thereafter, whether postive, traumatic or benign.

Cuban Fried Beef & My Failed Ninja Dreams

Violet Séverine Blanchard — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:00:19 -0500

I showed up to the dinner table in my ninja suit and pulling out a large butterfly knife to cut my meat. We were having Vaca Frita (Cuban Fried Beef) and my butter knife just wasn’t sharp enough.

It Happened To Me: I Was A Competitive Baton Twirler

Sara Benincasa — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:00:15 -0500

The most important thing you need to know about being a competitive baton twirler is that you will, at some point, get hit in the face with a whirling metal rod, and you will need to keep smiling.

Spooky Craft Corner: Make Fake Georgian/Victorian Mourning Jewelry Out of Your Hair (Or Fake Hair)

Rachel_1 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:11 -0500

Be a creep. Poo-poo tradition. Mock the Grim Reaper. Or spin DIY jewelry into wearable feminist concept art.

It’s Not Nostalgia: Revisiting Especially For Girls’ “Teen Works”

Lesley — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:00:11 -0500

I have seen these peach binders filled with teenage advice often on visits home, sitting in the same drawer where I left them so long ago, but this time I gave them a closer look.

DISNEY WORLD APOLOGISM: Reclaiming an Imaginary Childhood at the Happiest Place on Earth

Lesley — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:00:07 -0500

Some folks go to church to renew their faith in the inherent good of the world, and to gather the strength to carry on. I go to the Magic Kingdom.

My Parents Kept Me on a Leash and I Turned Out Just Fine

Jenny — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:00:13 -0400

I admit it looks weird, and makes me cringe a little at first. But as someone who actually grew up on the end of a leash, I can only be grateful.

I Was The Nerdiest Child Who Has Ever Existed

Emily — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:02:11 -0400

With proof, from my 5th grade diary.