My son has changed so much but also stayed the same

@sissy15 (12734)
United States
June 16, 2026 9:43pm CST
It's crazy to look back at old photos of my son and realize how much he has grown. He went from my tiny (well, not tiny for a baby but tiny in comparison to now), chubby baby to my tall, skinny teenager. You can look at any picture of him and tell it's him. He has changed so much in looks, but he also still looks the same. My son used to talk up our neighbors when we lived in our apartment. They loved it when they saw him come out. They'd get excited and say "Hey, the little biker boy is out" (we used to take him outside to ride his bike). He would chat them up and get them laughing, and they really seemed to enjoy having him out. We had neighbors with kids, but they either stayed inside or were rude. My son was friendly and liked talking to people. He is the reason I learned who any of our neighbors were. He felt the need to talk to them all. If it weren't for him, I probably would have never known who any of our neighbors were. He knew not to go with anyone he didn't know, and wouldn't talk to anyone unless I was nearby, but he'd get excited when he saw someone new to talk to. He went through a phase where he didn't like being talked to (from about 2 to 4), but it was hit or miss depending on his mood. A lot of the time, when he was 3, he did enjoy chatting people up, but he'd get in a mood where he didn't want anyone talking to him. He was a fun kid. My son has always been incredibly polite, even when he was just starting to talk. He has always used please and thank you. I remember he was about two and a half, and we were in the store, and he was helping me push the cart, and a woman was coming up, and he goes, "Oh, excuse me," and she laughed and said, "No, excuse me". She got a kick out of him. My son was around a lot of adults, so he really did have a very large vocabulary, and he knew how to talk to adults. It took him a little longer to figure out how to talk to kids his own age. I used to babysit, so he was around some kids, but not to the degree he should have been. His teachers always seem to love him, and I've been told by teachers that he also gets along well with his peers and is genuinely kind to everyone. Even now, while he is quieter than he used to be, he can be incredibly outgoing. He talks to everyone and is decent at holding a conversation. Most people do genuinely like him. Some people find him a little weird, and he can be, but not in a bad way. He's got his issues, and he struggles sometimes, but he is well liked. He isn't popular, but those who know him like him. A lot of teachers have told me he is like a breath of fresh air. He isn't a toddler anymore, but I can still see some of those qualities in him. Thankfully, the random screaming at people when he didn't feel like talking is no longer something he does lol, but that curious, sweet, funny, kind, imaginative toddler is still in there. His personality has changed a lot over the years, but there are still some similarities to those earlier days in there. The photo is one that makes me laugh and say "aww" now, it's my son's 2-year-old pictures. We have some of him smiling, but this was when he was going through his "I don't like strangers" phase, but his three year old pictures were all smiles. I thought about one of his baby pictures, but the toddler years were probably the pictures I got a lot more different expressions as he was figuring out what he did and didn't like. I do have a baby picture where he touched grass for the first time and had the biggest pout on his face I'll have to find. Man, they grow up so fast. He's 15 and a half now.
4 people like this
4 responses
@garymarsh6 (24114)
• United Kingdom
16h
He sounds a charming young lad & hopefully his popularity will grow. He sounds similar to our grandson. He absolutely adored his older sister but she hated him & was really nasty to him but he shrugged it off & is a very kind pleasant lad. Keep hold of your precious memories!
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12734)
• United States
15h
He doesn't care about being popular. He is happy with the friends he has. He doesn't care what others think and is pretty laid back. I think sometimes older siblings hate younger siblings because the younger siblings take the attention off of them. I had a similar situation with my brother as a kid. My parents claimed he loved me when I was a baby, but then started resenting me when I started walking and talking and getting more attention than him. We get along fine now, but we both realized the reason we struggled when we were kids at times. He could be a good older brother at times (he taught me how to swim and ride a bike), but he would also be mean to me without reason a lot of the time, something he realized and apologized for later in life. Kids can be so different sometimes. My son was a difficult but sweet toddler, but turned out to be a super polite and kind teenager.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12734)
• United States
8m
@garymarsh6 My son is super polite and sweet, and those who know him love him. He just doesn't care to be the center of attention or do things to be noticed. I work with a kid who's like that. Super funny without even trying. He's on the spectrum, but all of the adults love him, he just struggles with kids his own age. I swear there is something about those youngest children (I say as the youngest child lol). My brother was usually more well-liked than I was, though. I was favored by my dad and grandma, but my brother was favored by most people outside of the family. It's great that you have a bond with her.
@garymarsh6 (24114)
• United Kingdom
9h
@sissy15 Oh no she is the same to everyone & yet as a toddler she was definitely a delight. Harrison is such a polite & thoughtful boy & is very popular with everyone. The real star of the show is the youngest she is hilarious. I call her devil child because she teases me all the time! She does not even have to try to be funny she just is! I absolutely adore her!
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (122353)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
17h
Your son is a wonderful young man.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12734)
• United States
17h
Thank you, I think so, but I'm biased.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (122353)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
3h
@sissy15 You are welcome.
@rsa101 (41086)
• Philippines
15h
You must be proud parents watching him grow and mature over time. Life has its phases, and will be challenges along the way. There are likely more surprises ahead as he continues to grow and discover what life is all about. As long as you’re there to guide him toward becoming a better person, he’s in the right place. I hope he stays the good boy he’s always been and grows into the good man he’s meant to be.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12734)
• United States
6m
Thank you, I love watching him turn into the amazing person he already is and is becoming. I don't worry about him staying a good person; he has an amazing head on his shoulders and always has. Even when he was little, when he could be a holy terror, he still knew right from wrong and was usually very good about listening.
@sallypup (69249)
• Centralia, Washington
17h
He was a cute little boy.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12734)
• United States
17h
Thank you, I remember at the time that photo was taken, we weren't sure how to feel because most of his pictures were of him crying, and it took us a while to find some of him smiling. Now I love his crying photos.
1 person likes this