Childhood

What does childhood look like? I think everybody has different answer and different experiences. When talk about childhood, most people would think of happiness, freedom, carefree... Yet, in reality, how many children actually have one like that? Child abuse, domestic violence, child soldiers...all these horrible things are happening right now around the world on these innocent children. Sitting alone in my room, I can even feel and imagine that somewhere around the corner of the world there is a child being abused or hurt. This is our today society and there are some people trying to fix these problems. They try to retrieve "childhood" to the children and try to convince people that "childhood" still exist. However, I have a question always want to ask. When does childhood end? When we reach eighteen years old? Then what we call the next episode of life? Adulthood? What does Adulthood look like then? Does adulthood means no more happiness, no more freedom and non-carefree?
I do believe in childhood. Yet, I would not define childhood as happiness or innocent. I would define it as a period of time that shapes who we are today. I always believe that what we experienced, what we learnt and what we saw effect greatly on our personalities and how we behave. Childhood does not always mean happiness. It is a time for us to prepare ourself to be mature enough to take good care of ourself and to be able to live alone.