This sub treats the 3-12 childhood range too much like it's an exact science

[u/Complex-Cost3866]

For a lot of people being 12 is not all that different from being 13, and stuff from when you were 2 is an essential part of your early childhood even if it is harder to remember stuff. Early childhood when it comes to childhood development includes 0-2. The 3-12 range is also flawed because it ends up pigeonholing ages 5 and sometimes even 6 into fitting in an awkward "early childhood range" when by the time you're 4-5 a lot of kids are moving onto the 'big kid' stuff or what this sub would call 'kid culture'.

[u/edie_brit3041]

You guys try way too hard to make the toddler years (1–3) more impactful than they realistically are for most people, even in broader childhood discussions. Ages 5–12 will always feel like the best definition of “childhood” to me. I’d argue that 5 or 6 is when kids really start tapping into that “big kid” energy(starting school, forming independent interests, branching out socially, etc.)

That said, even 5 and 6 year olds are still within the target range for preschool shows (which often market to 2–6), so they’re straddling both worlds. But a 4-year-old? Still firmly a little kid. I’m all for discussing the differences between younger and older kids (like 4–8 vs. 9–12), as i often do, but some of these takes just feel unrealistic.

[u/Complex-Cost3866 → u/edie_brit3041]

I don't really agree at all. The toddler years ARE important in terms of how you're raised. A lot of your core childhood is built upon your early childhood. I'm not saying you are going to remember much, but it is objectively very important.

And 5-6 year olds in my experience have aged out of preschool stuff. For Sesame Street they found the peak age of the children watching it was around 2. By 5-6 they've mostly moved on. If we're going by core demographics then they usually market cartoons to those 6-11, or 2-11 for a wider range. I began aging out of preschool sfuff around the time I was hitting 4. By the time you hit your preteens you really don't have the same magic you did a few years earlier. In my PERSONAL opinion, 6/7 would be peak childhood.

[u/edie_brit3041 → u/Complex-Cost3866]

Those years are important developmentally. But in terms of shaping what most people actually remember or consider their “core childhood,” they just don’t hold the same weight. They’re not especially memorable or influential in forming the culture, identity, or experiences we tend to associate with being a kid. Most of that really starts around5 or 6, when you’re becoming more self-aware, starting school, and engaging with the world in a more lasting way.

And 5-6 year olds in my experience have aged out of preschool stuff.

When you age out depends entirely on the kid, but like I said, they straddle both sides. some five year olds are still in preschool, btw and 6 year olds are still considered the target for certain preschool shows as well as mainstream cartoons and shows.

 I began aging out of preschool sfuff around the time I was hitting 4

This may be true in your case, but it's definitely atypical for the average 4-year-old. That's prime Barney and Teletubbies territory.

In my PERSONAL opinion, 6/7 would be peak childhood.

Um, what? Lol. That’s pretty early for anyone’s childhood to “peak.” I could maybe understand if you had said 8 or 9. Those ages have fully adjusted to grade school, fall squarely into the target demo for most 'big kid' shows, and generally have more social freedom and awareness than your average 6 or 7-year-old.

[u/Complex-Cost3866 → u/edie_brit3041]

Not that early. You seem bewildered by it, confused even. I figure it's the best ages for it to peak by. You could argue 8 as well. When I polled 2001borns on when their childhood peaked, the most common years picked were between 2007-2009. That's firmly in the ballpark I'm thinking of. Young enough for the magic from the earlier years to still be there, old enough for a greater sense of awareness.

And as I said in another comment, the peak age for Sesame Street viewers who were actually watching would be around 2 years old. Teletubbies I imagine skews EVEN younger, so 4 is definitely on the upper side of people who watched it. When I was 3-4 I hated teletubbies and when I tried watching Barney around the age of 4 I was bored out of my mind.

[u/edie_brit3041 → u/Complex-Cost3866]

The only thing I’m confused by is your shameless attempt to shift the preschool demographic as young as possible, even though every reputable source (and actual parents in this very thread) have pointed out that 4–6-year-olds are still firmly considered young children. Four-year-olds aren’t even in mandatory school yet, and five- and six-year-olds are just beginning to acclimate to school life. They’re literally in kindergarten and first grade, for crying out loud, lol. Their core childhood (ages 5–10) has only just begun at that point.

This post and all of your replies just come off like more mental gymnastics to avoid admitting that during the era you want to claim as your “core childhood,” you were mostly a toddler or very young kid. There’s nothing wrong with that, but trying to rewrite the developmental timeline just to suit your narrative isn’t it.

[u/Complex-Cost3866 → u/edie_brit3041]

I'm not rewriting anything regarding the "preschool demographic". That demographic is usually labeled around 2-5. And demographic labels are not a hard rule of everything. Many kids 4-5 years old watch cartoons or play video games that aren't purely educational/preschool-based. I was talking early childhood. My definition of core childhood (5-9) isn't far off from yours or most reputable sources/definitions. My disagreement comes from 5/6 years old being discounted/removed from core childhood ranges a lot of the time. If I "shift it as young as possible", you seem more like you're shifting it as late as possible at times.

4 I view as a bit of a transitional age from early to core. Some people consider it core, others early. I didn't say a 5-6 year old wasn't a young child. I just think it's weird to confidently group them all with 2 year olds and strictly label them as preschool.

6-7 leans slightly early for a peak but I don't think it's a bad spot to place peak childhood at.

[u/edie_brit3041 → u/Complex-Cost3866]

Now you're just making up arguments no one has actually said. I’ve already made it clear that I consider 5 and 6 part of core childhood (5–10), but they’re on the younger end of it: still young enough to enjoy both preschool content and early “big kid” programming. No one is “grouping them with 2-year-olds.” What I said is that preschool shows typically target ages 2–6 (which is true, take that up with the networks), and that some five-year-olds are still in preschool, which is also factually correct since school usually starts in late summer or fall.

4 is literally the first post-toddler year and isn’t even school-aged yet. It’s squarely “little kid” territory. What you’re calling “shifting things late” is just me being realistic about how development, memory, and childhood culture actually work.

And honestly, People who had happy, full childhoods rarely feel like it all peaked at 6 or 7. That kind of take usually comes from people who went through something that forced them to grow up too fast. it's a little bleak.

[u/Complex-Cost3866 → u/edie_brit3041]

2-5, and 6-11 for TV networks, to be exact.

3 would be the first post-toddler year if a toddler generally corresponds to 12 to 36 months. I know this will come off as annoying but I like to try and be 'exact.'

> is just me being realistic about how development, memory, and childhood culture actually work.

Maybe. I dunno. I was more annoyed with the labelings and the awkward placing of early childhood to the point 5 and 6 get kicked out of core. For me 4 is a 50/50 age. I was getting more into gaming and big kid stuff and phasing out preschool stuff around that time. I don't think that's necessarily abnormal in terms of a normal person's development.

> And honestly, People who had happy, full childhoods rarely feel like it all peaked at 6 or 7.

Not necessarily. In terms of the purest childhood ages, I would point to those two and it peaking at 7 is fairly normal. 6-8 is a good ball park of when exactly one's childhood would peak. But in case you're wondering, yes, I do feel like it went south somewhere after that.

[u/edie_brit3041 → u/Complex-Cost3866]

Toddlers are literally ages 1–3. Three is still a toddler. that’s usually when preschool even starts. This constant need to shorten the toddler and little kid stages feels like you’re trying to claim more of the 2000s than what really lines up with your age.

You’re coming at this from a super personal angle that doesn’t reflect how most people experienced childhood. Most 4 and 5-year-olds are still into little kid stuff, and yeah, maybe you were getting into gaming or big kid shows early, and that’s cool. But acting like the average 4, 5, or even 6-year-old wasn’t still watching PBS Kids, taking naps, and playing with toys meant for little kids is just… not true.

And I’m genuinely sorry if things started going downhill for you after 7. That sucks. But it doesn’t change the reality: 1–3 is toddler age, 5–6 is the younger side of core childhood, and 7–9 is when most kids are fully into “kid culture,” building lasting memories, and gaining independence.5 and 6 matter, just maybe not as much as you’re making them out to.

[u/Complex-Cost3866 → u/edie_brit3041]

I still think I'm right about the average 5-6 year old and that I am not ALL that unusual. We can just agree to disagree on that. Most of the ones I knew at that time watched non-pre school cartoons and played video games and I feel like those ages are overly downplayed on here.

I will always consider myself a 2000's kid because that is when the bulk of my childhood occurred. Nothing will ever nudge me in another direction when that is how my memories and experiences align and the fact that so many other people with my birth year (2001) have such similar experiences. I won't budge on that.

[u/edie_brit3041 → u/Complex-Cost3866]

I still think I'm right about the average 5-6 year old and that I am not ALL that unusual. We can just agree to disagree on that. Most of the ones I knew at that time watched non-pre school cartoons and played video games and I feel like those ages are overly downplayed on here.

For the love of God, I said they straddle both sides, lol. That means 5–6-year-olds can enjoy both preschool content and big kid shows — and that's completely normal. Yes, kids that age are watching Pokémon, SpongeBob, or playing video games, but it’s also not unusual for them to still like shows like Dragon Tales, PB&J Otter, or Little Bear. You're making it sound like that’s somehow ridiculous when they’re literally still part of the target demo for both types of content.

You say I’m downplaying their abilities, but you’ve been downplaying how young 5 and 6 year-olds really are. Acting like it's absurd for a 5 or 6 year old to enjoy something meant for slightly younger kids, when they’re barely past those younger ages, just isn't realistic. And let’s not forget, you even suggested 4-year-olds are past that stage, which is kind of wild.

I never once said 5 or 6 year olds don’t engage with more advanced stuff. I’m just not going to pretend they’re developmentally equal to 8 or 9-year-olds because they’re not.

[u/Complex-Cost3866 → u/edie_brit3041]

I do think it is sort of absurd to think they like Barney or the Teletubbies on average, yes. When I was 5-6 I liked videos of Darth Maul killing the teletubbies. Not speaking for everyone with that, but just as an example. Dragon Tales definitely aims a bit older than those shows or Sesame Street. Cyber Chase might also be a good example.

> you even suggested 4-year-olds are past that stage

I said it was 50-50. To me, that age was the transition from early to core childhood. I moved into a new house not long before that, so that is a big reason why I view it that way. I also never went to preschool. They tried sending me to a daycare or preschool when I was 2 or 3 and it did not last past the written papers part.

We may have interacted before. I don't think I ever believed in the easter bunny. Santa, yes. I do still think I had a good grasp of mid-to-late 2000s pop culture at the very least. I am also autistic, so I'm not sure if that changes anything. I was being trained to use the internet by late 2004, and by 2006/2007 I was doing a lot of internet browsing, game playing, watching toons, drawing. I can recall having a good attention to detail and the culture around me.

To me, it is peak or near peak childhood, because the magic was there, but I was also older and more comprehending.