My parents started studying when I was 5, became dubs when I turned 6.
I recall birthdays, Christmas, and gatherings with our rather large extended family, all of which were eliminated of course as my parents grew "stronger" in the "truth".
As a child with an overwhelming desire to please his parents (and not to be destroyed like the very scary pictures in the "Paradise Lost" book), I always adhered to my folks' wishes about everything. I recognized my life was different than that of my school "chums", but I guess I just accepted it, not ever thinking I had any other choice or course open to me (I didn't at the time).
The few times when I did rebel over things like Saturday morning field service, or Meetings, or having to give an "answer", I got pretty much "throttled" and made to feel like a very terrible person who merited harsh treatment at the time, and who was surely heading for death at Armageddon. As others in this thread have mentioned, [sarcastically]: What a fine thing to say to an impressionable young child. This was not because I longed for the "good old days", just was being a kid.
My [abusive] father was very very "touchy" about me not "setting a good example" and embarassing him with my actions (usually unintentional), resulting in him being "talked to" by those he was trying to impress (and be recommended for a position [before the elder/MS arrangement of course]. The other result was my getting physically whipped/beaten many times after meetings for various infractions of his rules [failing to raise my hand to answer/ talking too loud after the meeting/ running in the KH/ forgetting my "publications", etc]
Still I managed to accept the brainwashing that Witnesses had "the truth" and that any problems or issues I faced were due to the failings of "men", not of the organization.
I bought that BS until many decades later.
The feeling of a somewhat "wasted life" continue to haunt me to this day. How I wish things had been different.
-----Dan