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sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
I would consider my parents' house income to be middle class though my parents had a tendency to live way above their means and they were always in debt. they would go from buying a bunch of really nice things to frantically selling everything a month later.
I think my parents' financial situation definitely pushed me into the adult industry. at 13 years old I couldn't wait to move out and get my own job and start managing my own finances.
when I started out dancing I worked in this tiny little dive bar and girls would average MAYBE $150 a night. a lot of the girls still lived with their parents and didn't drive so I'd offer rides home and it seemed like the girls lived in tiny crappy little houses.
most of the dancers I've worked with talk about growing up poor and a few girls who grew up in middle class families strip to work their way through school.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Middle class. My dad was a garbage collector and later mechanic and both actually pay well. My mom was able to stay at home but did go back when I was in later grade school. My parents weren't rich but they always managed to find money for me whether it was dance classes, Girl Scouts (my mom was a Brownie leader for 3 years), or other activities. I had my own bedroom which was full of Barbies and stuffed animals and I got a stereo and tv later on. We had a full basement with a bar and front room, along with an area I used to roller skate during winter. We had a pool outside and I was always there in the summer. We always went to movies a lot and to drive-ins during the summer. We went on a 2 week vacation every year where we piled everything in the station wagon.
However, there were times my parents struggled. Time to time my dad lost his job and me and my brother got free lunches at school (but my parents never went on welfare). These were the times where I had to stop many activities because of money but eventually things got better again.
Our neighbors were a diverse bunch with professions such as doctors, lawyers and even a state senator who lived down the street. I know my parents didn't make as much as most of our neighbors but we did fine. Sadly, the area is no longer middle class. It is now low income and the majority of people living there are on welfare. The dance studio is long gone and so is everything else.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Lower middle class. To start, Mom was a housewife while my dad was an Air Force meteorologist. They got a divorce when I was 5 and so it was a single parent home with my mom working 2 jobs (processing credit cards or as part of a factory line. Always 3rd shift) and keeping my siblings and I afloat on that as well as child support. My siblings and I weren't raised to see money woes and therefore I'd say my childhood was pretty great. Reality came knocking every once in awhile in terms of repossessions and foreclosures and there was that year where we did have to resort to welfare, but she didn't sweat it so neither did we. We didn't get everything we wanted, but we had everything we needed and that was good enough for us. Mom always splurged where she saw fit and even though we're all adults now, she still tries to take care of us. She offered to get me another phone the other day (more so that I could call her more often). XD I told her no, I'm good.
I was a hustler from a young age though. :D My primary school classmates knew that if you wanted candy contraband to see me, lol.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Mine was kind of mixed. When I was a baby & very young child it was poor (living in a trailer w/ mommy) -but in my teens my parents came into middle class & whatnot. Now that I'm older myself & my little brother is out of the house My parents are very comfortable -I would definitely say they are upper middle class now. Interesting watching it change.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Lower middle class. We managed to keep off of welfare, but life was filled with scummy houses and trailer parks, weeks without food in the cupboards and hand me downs. I don't know what they are now, whatever you'd consider people who abandoned their house to join an out of state cult (tho apparently leaving it this fall)
As far as 'me' goes, I'm only just starting to realize that just because that was my childhood, it doesn't mean that has to also be my adulthood. But learning how to want more, even just believing I deserve more is proving to be a challenge. So right now, I'm still in the lower class of things, but trying to (or planning on trying to...) dig myself out of gutter once and for all.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Poor as fuck. My mother lost our apartment when I was 12 and we were homeless. She ended up calling the Children's Aid Society (I think you guys down in the USA call it CPS- child protective services) and begging them to take me and my younger brother.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Upper middle. My father was career military, then went into oil after he retired. He retired at 37 after 20 years in the military, and stayed home for three years before going into oil. My mother was in medicine. I wasn't allowed to work, because my dad said I had my whole life to work, and if I needed anything, to ask. I never had chores but was freely given cash if I wanted it. Always had new clothes for school etc etc. Two vacations a year; I've been to over 200 amusement parks. You get the idea.
Admittedly it was difficult when I moved out (at 17), but whatever. My dad and I had a blast.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Upper middle class. There were some years when I was younger where my mom picked up a second job because we were struggling, but now my dad is a manager and makes almost 6 digits by himself, and they've been well off for awhile.
I don't think any specific kind of girl gets drawn to sex work... I was well off my entire childhood, but maybe that's why, now that I'm on my own, I want to still make the money that will allow me to continue living well. On the other hand, I had several friends who grew up rather poor, with shitty mothers, who would never dream of doing sex work because it goes against their mighty morals. :shrug: I think it just depends on the person, honestly.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Upper middle until my late teens, then dirt poor. My parents can't handle money.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Aurora_Sunset
Upper middle class. There were some years when I was younger where my mom picked up a second job because we were struggling, but now my dad is a manager and makes almost 6 digits by himself, and they've been well off for awhile.
I don't think any specific kind of girl gets drawn to sex work... I was well off my entire childhood, but maybe that's why, now that I'm on my own, I want to still make the money that will allow me to continue living well. On the other hand, I had several friends who grew up rather poor, with shitty mothers, who would never dream of doing sex work because it goes against their mighty morals. :shrug: I think it just depends on the person, honestly.
clearly :D interesting to hear everyone's responses.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Lower...
For an indication of what it was like for me growing up...my goal as a mother was to make sure kiddo had a home, with running water and electricity and food in the fridge, cause I know what its like to live without the basics.
Never made sense to me then or now, since my mom always worked at least two jobs, so she was never home, and when she was....she was in a crap mood and blamed how we lived on me...cause she wouldnt have to work so hard and would have more to show for it if she didnt have me to to take care of.
What little money we did have, she gave to the church, and always would say the lord will provide. If it wasnt for school lunches, I probably wouldnt be here today, no exaggeration...for a few years thats all I ate, weekends and holidays I went hungry.
When I had my own kid, I just always knew....I would do whatever it takes to make sure she doesnt have to go through what I did. The adult industy allows me to make money, be here for kiddo as a stay at home mom, and be able to do fun things together whenever possible too. Shes anything but a burden..shes the whole reason we live as well as we do...I want her to have as good a life as I can possibly manage giving her, the kickback is I get to enjoy it with her.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
upper middle class but maybe upper class. but my parents and i didn't get along so i left home early.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
I put middle, because I've lived in 4 different households.
My mom and dad before divorce were middle.
Dad and ex-step mom: upper middle
Mom alone: Lower middle
Mom with ex-step dad: Upper middle.
Mom now: Middle
Dad now: Middle
I had a lot of adjustments to go through...
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
I was shuffled around a lot, my Mom didn't do the best job of providing stability.
It started with her and my Dad, until he got my step Mom pregnant with my sister a month after I was born. They were pretty poor, but my Grandma was very wealthy at the time and could afford to buy me everything I needed.
Then she married an abusive man and we lived with him until I was about 3-years-old. Again, my Mom was poor--she was waitressing/bartending at this time, but my Grandma was still very wealthy and bought me everything I needed.
My Mom then divorced the abusive man and married my step father. She then had my sister when I was 4-years-old and my brother when I was 6-years-old. My step father joined the Navy and my Mom went to cosmetology school. She had odd jobs in between. We were lower middle class at this time, and since we moved from Michigan to Florida and then to California we were away from my Grandma for some time. We were gone from the time I was in 1st and 2nd grade.
When we moved back to Michigan (around age 7) we moved in with my Grandma. My Grandpa worked overseas selling technology so he wasn't home much, but he contributed financially. They had taken advantage of the real estate market when it was booming in the 1980s and put away about $400,000 between the two of them--not to mention two properties valued at about $450,000 total that were paid off as well. We lived very well at this time, my step father dropped out of the Navy (dishonorable discharge) and my Mom kept cutting hair.
Eventually we moved out into a rental house. It was a big place but it was kind of run down. We weren't doing too well economically as a family, but my Grandma was always helping and because of her we always had nice clothes, school supplies, food, toys, and big Christmases.
Once we moved into the house my Mom still lives in things became complicated. My Mom went to Nursing School and became an RN. She made good money but acquired about $25,000 in debt by the time her and my step father split up. My Grandma bailed her out of that debt, she also co-signed on the mortgage when my step father was taken off because my Mom's credit/income was not enough to qualify alone. My Mom went hog wild with credit cards and even though she had a good job making $27/hour she filed for bankruptcy because she had so much debt.
Toward the last 4 years of my childhood things got really bad. My Grandma spent the last of her money (even just in the past 1 1/2 years) sending my Mom to rehab, bailing her out of jail, paying court fines for her DUI, paying probation fines, buying her an attorney, helping her with her mortgage payments when she was in and out of jail and rehab. My Grandma is broke now because of my Mom, it's really sad. She doesn't deserve it.
My Mom basically ruined my Grandma and I resent her for it, it was a cruel thing to do. Last week my Mom's house went into foreclosure and my Grandma's credit is screwed.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
I was going to say middle but seeing how you guys categorize yourself I guess I was middle and upper middle. I went to private school, my university was paid for cash, my mom collects art. We were pretty comfortable.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Think this is a bit different to the uk 'classification' of class... By how everyone else is describing the 'boundaries' I'd say upper class now... That definitely wouldn't wash in the UK. I grew up very comfortably - got bought a pony as a young child, that turned into five and I competed nationally in almost everything 'equestrian' I could, without sponsorship. My university fees are paid fully on my completion by my parents. I study law. I went (and still go) to school with Lords.
My parents split up and now my dad is loaded and my mum has nothing. Money doesn't make you happy - although I am a very happy sex worker.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Hmm... middle i guess... My father was retired from Turkish Airforce AS A high rank sergeant and my mom is retired registered nurse and also anesthesia tech.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
lower class.
things used to be pretty shocking. i think we finally made it to middle class.
i dont like how the poll is in class systems though.
lower class makes it sound like dumb uneducated rednecks with junkie parents and as poor as we were, my mum raised us to be polite and educated on par with 'normal kids'.
i prefer the term low income. or extremely low income.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
anouk.oui
lower class.
things used to be pretty shocking. i think we finally made it to middle class.
i dont like how the poll is in class systems though.
lower class makes it sound like dumb uneducated rednecks with junkie parents and as poor as we were, my mum raised us to be polite and educated on par with 'normal kids'.
i prefer the term low income. or extremely low income.
We're specifically and clearly talking about economic class...not social class. Two very different things... So dont read into or take it that way...the two types of classes have nothing to do with one another :)
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Grew up lower middle class in Detroit.
Actually close to abject poverty for a while, as a very young boy, when my dad had trouble finding construction work during a real estate slump, and also when my parents got a divorce.
But my roots are upper middle class, everyone else on my mom's side especially were quite well off. We were the 'poor cousins' even after my mom started making decent money (especially for a single mother).
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BlkSharpie
....she was in a crap mood and blamed how we lived on me...cause she wouldnt have to work so hard and would have more to show for it if she didnt have me to to take care of..
How horrible! No parent should say that to their kid.
Interesting how divorce and single parenting can change an economic status from doing well to waiting in the welfare line.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
tabithacooks
How horrible! No parent should say that to their kid.
Interesting how divorce and single parenting can change an economic status from doing well to waiting in the welfare line.
She also had a few choice words to say to my daughter...which led to me not letting her be alone with kiddo and now no contact at all...next month will be 2 years since Ive talked to her.
In my case, my father died unexpectantly at an early age, but he was looking out and left her with *a lot* of money. She paid off my aunts house, sold our house to my uncle for next to nothing, had a house custom built here in FL and moved us here, then as far as we can figure, she gave the rest to the church, we went broke within 2 years, lost everything and thats all she wrote.
My dad came to this country, and within just a few years, had a business that did great, it was wierd visiting my uncle during the summers, while we had nothing, and he was in the house that was ours...which was an amazing one even by todays standard. My sis told me stories of how we were the first and for the longest time, the only house on our block with a pool, the only family on the block with 2 cars, 2 TV's (that was a huge deal back then!) the basement was set up like a bar, complete with an actual bar, pool table and beer mirrors...all major and expensive things 30 years ago. Heck, thats pretty cool even today! :D
If my father hadnt passed away, I might have actually grown up in a middle to upper middle class home. But alas..it was not meant to be.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Lower. My father was a musician and my mother was for the most part unemployed. I lived around with her boyfriends after my dad left for a while before social services got involved.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
Middle. Although my parents are both teachers of sorts (my dad is a climbing/caving/mountaineering instructor and my mum specialises in sport and special needs) we lived in a house provided by my dad's job until I was 8, and then they used their savings to move us to a big house in the country where my dad is a prominent figure in the local community.
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Re: sex workers, did you grow up in a poor, middle, or rich household?
poor...welfare/section 8 poor. i realized young that life is a bitch without money so do whatever the fuk it takes to not be poor...i do think that how i grew up is one of the biggest reasons i am in the sex industry.