Growing Up on the London Estates | Tower Block Kids E1

Part one of two. Documentary following children growing up in high-rise flats, who explain what it is like for youngsters living in tower block communities. Jordan has her first GCSE looming, but sharing a bedroom with younger sister Lexie is not ideal when she needs to revise, while their brothers Harley and Kyron do not get much quiet either, as antisocial behaviour on the estate keeps them awake at night. Siblings Blake and Drew are both animal-mad, but the lack of a garden in their tower block home means that they have had to get creative with their choice of pets.
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[@jordyn335]

‘Actually we were born in a hospital so we haven’t lived here our whole lives’ 😂 I love kids so much

[@tanyasmith7123]

Unless your born at home but even if you are born in a hospital it's still considered your home town if you don't move to another county or state.

[@cherylmysliwczyk2145]

They are all just the sweetest families. Those kids are so sweet.

[@pineappledinosinspace]

I wonder how COVID19 has affected their lives without the kids being able to go to the park together and everyone living in the building together

[@amandab8433]

All of the families are just lovely. They were all smart, well mannered, and absolutely sweet. Thanks to their parents I have a feeling they'll all be wonderful and productive adults.

[@teresatv9209]

I know it seems sad that these kids live in the tower blocks however millions of children across the world live in far more awful places. Many kids across the world live in similar circumstances - which means the families must make the most of the open spaces around them. I grew up in a concrete jungle council estate in London and my childhood was excellent - we played with lots of kids and had a great community. My parents took us all over London, to the parks and museums, which were free. I know this was in the 1970s however I think I had more adventures than my children ever had growing up in a middle class suburb where kids don’t play out.

[@elisa_740]

I grew up in a building like that. Never even thought it was an issue. I had a great childhood

[@ameilioracryptos5298]

@@elisa_740 same Singapore is full of tower blocks as well

[@demijour1234]

@Teresa Tv I am in Canada and to me a tower block looks like an apartment. It is a residence and we should respect it as such. Not everyone can afford a home. Most apartments are usually max 3 bedrooms so there may be sharing of rooms. It all comes to affordability. Again, it is a residence and they have proper amenities. So I agree with you, you make what you will with the place you live in. It is a home, end of question.

[@gatchaworld5305]

No it was not filmed in the 1970's BC the girl had a iPhone 8 plus

[@morukgibuludag]

@@demijour1234 it's normal to live inside a tower block here in Europe and there even are really great and big flats in some countries in europe

[@teiabryant2165]

But can we take a minute and realize that all of these children are beautiful❤️

[@yennxo]

This isn't normal?? Where I live, most of our housings are high-rise like this :O

[@courtlovesgucci4768]

i couldn't imagine living like this but its its all you've ever known I'm sure it isn't bad.its probably really nice because you'd have a lot of friends to play with. i didn't have any friends around for miles so that's one negative about living in a house with a lot of land.. i was an only child and could only play with friends at school .... around my parts "tower blocks" are mostly for old retired people who don't have a lot of money. families don't live in them but that's just where i live which isn't anywhere near a large city.

[@yennxo]

@@courtlovesgucci4768 My country is small, therefore they can only build upwards to save space. This type of housings are considered the norm here. I guess it really differs with how we've been brought up.

[@courtlovesgucci4768]

@@yennxo yeah for sure. i think bigger cities there is less space so they have to build up like that. i think its probably more convenient too. like i have a 20 minute drive at least just to get to any type of grocery store, its way to far to walk anywhere, no restaurants near me, none of them will deliver to me because i live so far away. i think there's positives and negative to both ways of living.

[@5trace]

These children are lovely..they are being well cared for and loved. I hope they all grow up and do well for themselves. It's not an ideal living situation but they are making the best of it.

[@momofmany9954]

Awe these kids are so sweet. My husband and I have 4 girls and we recently moved into a large suburban home with lots of a space indoors and out. Prior to that we were living in a tiny 900 SF home sharing 1 tiny bathroom. Our neighbors had vicious dogs and I was terrified of letting my girls play outside. It took us a decade to get into a position to afford a large beautiful home. We now have a large yard and live in a beautiful community where they can safely ride their bikes. Don't be so quick to judge. I can only imagine what this pandemic did to so many families finances.

[@laureenphotiades519]

All these children are Absolutely Beautiful, it's sad kids cant enjoy their childhood.

[@Animallover2011ful]

They totally can. They just have to look past what they don't have and realize they'll grow up knowing a lot more than some kids. And know what's it like to live with less space when many kids don't know.

[@crumpfamilyvalues7935]

Yay Hayes👍👍 Public transportation will always be needed and I wish him the best as a future bus driver.

[@crumpfamilyvalues7935]

Keep these videos coming, I'm tired of politics 🥺

[@nw22122]

“I was born in a hospital” 😂

[@amiriskandarani3608]

i was born in a sewage canal XD x''d

[@officialjonas9163]

I just like the facts that these parents try their best

[@jenniferlutz4499]

such a sad life for these families...These children know so much more than they should.

[@kercchan3307]

I firmly believe that growing up in a small rural community is the best for kids, tons of open space to be a kid in.

[@mlonardoxu]

Meanwhile the countryside in Europe is being abandoned. There should be policies and incentives to help families move to the country where they have more space...

[@avleonar]

I never understand why parents have so many kids. 4 kids in one room? That's ridiculous. Plan ahead! I feel so bad for them

[@Cristinact]

I find that to be their very respectable decision

[@sandischmidt5028]

Young people nowadays are very spoiled, my two sisters and I shared one bed and at one time of our lives, we lived in a one bedroom home so shared the bedroom with our mother, she had her bed and us 3 girls had a bed to share.

[@avleonar]

@@sandischmidt5028 that's poor planning on your mother's part and irresponsibility. Sharing a bed with your mother isn't normal. It's not being spoiled to want your own bed. Geez. You poor people are in denial at how bad your situations are.

[@sandischmidt5028]

Amelia Leonard , we didn’t share a bed with our mother, we had to share a bedroom with her until we could find a two bedroom house. Poor planning.....no, it was due to the fact that there was a divorce. Poor planning (or no planning), is having kids out of wedlock. Let’s get real here, I have a feeling that I’m older than you and wasn’t spoiled like kids are now days. Having big houses doesn’t mean that you have good planning, when we were young, we used our bedrooms for studying and sleeping, that’s it. We weren’t in our bedrooms most of the day, we were doing chores and playing outside like ‘normal’ kids of my age and older.

[@pansprayers]

@@sandischmidt5028 your positional judgment is really flooring, you know that?

[@1127snowbunny1127]

High rise apartments building are very common in the united states. These types of building are within walking distance of public transportation, rent doesn't cost an arm or leg. Space might be a problem. Not to sure what's wrong with living in these types of buildings.

[@emberdt7998]

Noise lol

[@rose_thee_stallion]

Clever Haze (idk if I heard his name right) is going places with his incredible memory

[@thevampirexxx22]

I felt he's a bit unsettling..

[@gwendolyn0515]

@@thevampirexxx22 why?

[@nexus9deluxe]

Going on about the horror of tower block life seems to be a bee in the bonnet in the UK. They certainly don't maintain themselves, and it does seem a bit short-sighted not to have an infrastructure around them, for example playgrounds, play areas, gardens. I live in a tower block in Hungary and there are gardens and playgrounds aplenty here

[@kercchan3307]

The ones from the 50's 60's and 70's weren't really designed with that in mind. The 1950 models tend to be the worst examples.

[@corababy9021]

Lol seriously 🤣. Millions of people live in apartments. I grew up in low income apartments wasn't that bad.

[@elisa_740]

Right? I remember my first apartment when I was little, it was so small me and my sister slept in the living room. We had a great childhood nonetheless. I don't really see the problem.

[@corababy9021]

@@elisa_740 same here! Actually I remember liking it lol. All my friends were close to. The only thing i didn't like was the laundry room only cause it scared me because it was in a basement 🤣

[@emberdt7998]

You got lucky bruh. Some low income places are drug ridden and neighbors being a terror with noise and fighting. (I'm a mom living in low income places so I know lol. Lived in them as a kid sometimes too.)

[@susiefairfield7218]

LOVE these families ❤️ no different than ours Cheers for sharing 🌈🐱

[@alilclosey28]

It’s just and apartment, I’ve grown up in one sharing my room with my brother. It’s not that big of a deal that it needs a movie.

[@rubytwoshoes9152]

Frankie Khan yeah but it’s a dangerous area and they need a yard and a bigger space and this series probably gave them some money

[@1GGBEE]

You all are amazing. Don’t forget that.

[@katekortbus3965]

this is the frst vid i watched from this channel its preety cool

[@jojomomapimp]

Stay around they show great content.

[@RealFamilies]

Thank you, Kate!

[@divahc1]

I grew up in a housing commission home. 7 in a four bedroom home. I have 4 brothers, so they slept 2 to a room. My parents had a room, but my eldest brothers had the largest room, as my mum felt they needed the space more. I was the only one with my own room. We had one bathroom, and , at first, we had an outside toilet, which was a 'can' with a lid. Nobody complained about lack of space. We did have a yard to play, tho, which is the main problem living in a tower block. In winter, we were allowed 1 toy in the lounge room at a time. It worked, and we were happy. Today, everyone thinks they should have a huge house, a bedroom for each child. There are large families who have 4 children to a bedroom and it works. It's about organising, keeping things tidy. Mum was an expert at that, and we learnt how to do it, too. If you create a "tent" around each child's bed, they have a private area to retreat to. There's so much you can do to make this work. The real concern is the crime, safety, and being exposed to things they shouldn't know about. I wouldn't allow my children outside alone. Even if you can see them, there'd be nothing you can do if something went wrong. I feel sorry for these kids having to put up with this.

[@sandevieira5674]

These 2 brothers are a scream🤣.

[@Lexagirl958]

exactly what year was this?

[@demijour1234]

Tower blocks?? You mean apartments or high-rise? What is wrong with this? Is it not a living place with proper amenities. If you are talking about sharing of rooms. Well, that is nothing new. It comes down to affordability and not a lot of apartments have more than 3 rooms. You are making it sound like a prison. Not everyone can live in a HOUSE. You should not be offending those who do live in a apartment or tower block. It is a residence and we should respect it as such.

[@alexz3585]

IKR, i've lieved in an apartment building my whole life and I'm 19, sure i wish i lived in a house, but in my country most people live in apartments

[@demijour1234]

@@alexz3585 😊❤ I wish I lived a townhouse or house too. I am proud of where I live and I think that docu should never have been made. They are making it look like the kids are suffering. I did not even watch the whole thing. I couldn't. Stay safe and well in your beautiful place you call home. ❤

[@demijour1234]

@I Said What I Said. I know what the difference is and that was just a freakin faux pas in writing home instead of house.

[@AllieJL]

I'm sorry but what exactly was offending about it? Tower blocks are literally what they are called in England. Nothing offensive about it.

[@demijour1234]

@@AllieJL I have no issue that you call it tower blocks. It:is the fact that this documentary is saying it in a negative way. Lots of ppl grow up in tower blocks, apts, condos erc

[@m.t.6868]

This just seems very entitled. Most kids that grow up in large cities like São Paulo, Beijing, Seoul, live in apartments, that’s why the families only have 1 or 2 kids max. That’s how it is, if you can’t afford a home large enough for a bunch of kids don’t have a bunch of kids, or a bunny really that’s crazy 🤷‍♀️

[@1musketeer311]

I have to agree, I’m from ny and unless you’re rich and can afford a penthouse, you need to take into account how many kids you have and how much space you have. I’ll never understand why these family’s have so many kids when they know they can’t afford a lot of space

[@alexz3585]

i have a bunny and i live in an apartment :D ofc I'm an only child but i have a bunny :D, had a dog growing up but he died of an old age when i was six

[@gracedeas2027]

Tower block? Do u mean an apartment building?

[@smileonlegs1]

No they mean tower block8

[@CanYouRememberWhen]

At least there's an area of grass outside, where kids can play at times. The children in this video seem well behaved and well taken care of. Although some seem overly tired or drugged as if they are on medication, dark circles under their eyes, which look tired. It's surprising not to see more kids who live there, out and about during filming. Maybe they usually stay inside, watching tv.

[@samimay05]

Hayes sounds like such a fun guy

[@CatMurray]

All of these parents are excellent and the kids are all well looked after and supervised. I don’t like the statistic about them being 50% less likely to go to a university though. God bless them all.

[@subject1683]

They all seem like such lovely kids. No one should have to live in a high rise.

[@myroom1913]

We were sooo very lucky, back in the seventies and eighties: growing up on acreage. We had all the freedom/ anyone could ever ask for!!!!! We went everywhere and did everything. I wouldn’t of swapped those days for anything. Would HATE to be a kid today!!!!! Though in other areas/ we suffered a fair amount of trauma: nothing is perfect!!!! Why can’t these parents take the kids out sometimes on weekends ??? Instead of being stuck inside.

[@lynnkueh]

To be fair, you should show gorgeous high rise apartments. There are many facilities within to enjoy like swimming pool, gym, theatre, sauna, bbq pits, tennis courts, conceige and is safer.

[@amiriskandarani3608]

They left that part out of the documentary so they can focus on the anguish, THE ANGUISH SUSTAINS THEM!!!

[@crocus5632]

We all lived in 9-storey buildings in the ussr, well some in 5 storey buildings. But the surroundings were much nicer: between the building trees, green, playgrounds. We had a lovely chilhood, going by foot to school, playing with friends outside. But yes, I wouldn't like to live in the buildings shown here. Now in Austria, Vienna, we also live in 9 storey building, but it is much nicer than the ones shown here.

[@countessofalava6532]

I grew up in an apartment building, in a penthouse to be exact, it wasn't bad, it was really sociable and fun, I miss living in an apartment building

[@virg0_lem0nade]

LOL was the title supposed to say "Grow Up"? because whoever posted this forgot the word "Up" 😂

[@gwendolyn0515]

They are so cute

[@sufletmik]

wecome to my generation lool i lived in a block too haha

[@CanYouRememberWhen]

I don't know why in so many documentaries they feel it necessary to have us watch people brushing their teeth.

[@talkingturtle2641]

No sprinklers!!!

[@lanalee8634]

4 kids to a room is not ok! I got claustrophobic just watching this video.

[@chickenfluffypants]

What’s a tower block? Is it some sort of British term that Americans don’t use? I’m so confused.

[@gwendolinehall1386]

Just a nickname or slang. But it's a way to house lots of people, really just apartments but I think there's a little differentiation because lots of these were built around the same time and have issues now. Really kicked off in the 60s, really grim age for architecture. They knocked down a lot of beautiful homes to build these ugly prison like places, architects all agree on that now, and in the end it didn't actually improve the housing problems. These buildings are aging and having more problems and safety issues as any old building does, but it houses thousands of people, lot of people depending on few reckless caretakers can result in catastrophic things like the Grenfell tower fire. Costs for maintenance are going way up and becoming a bigger issue. They weren't really designed for longevity.

[@chickenfluffypants]

Gwendoline Hall thanks!

[@mayjune7828]

How is 7 early to wake up I was waking up at 6 at there age to get to school. These are just apartment's nothing else

[@rose_thee_stallion]

Those damn apartments r too damn tall n small! I wish they had better

[@raynwhite1287]

ok? same?

[@gatchaworld5305]

Did she say figet lol

[@lezliedailey3140]

GCSE’s , is that like the graduation exams in the U.S. ?

[@Sassy_Alaskan]

lezlie dailey yes

[@andjelamarkoski2320]

I live in Belgrade and I am dead serios 95% of our housing are 2 bedroom apartments…

[@michelel.7349]

They live in apartments. So what? Am I missing something?

[@mcgirlletsgo7135]

Hays could have Aspergers. He loves buses so much! Aspergers causes you to have a special interest and bused could be his!

[@Lisangel74]

The kids are sweet but their parents are entitled to the core. Don't have kids you can't provide for and if you do need help be grateful that you get anything. These kids lost out because of their parents, not society.

[@nataliedeyton6829]

Lisa J so true

[@papelmesa]

Many people have jobs and then have kids and then they loose their jobs. Or people have kids and have 2/3 jobs and still cant make enough to provide them, because they aren't paid a living wage. Or people are born into poverty and never get the tools, education or opportunities to have a better life, including family planning tools. It isn't no where as linear as you make it seem. And remember, if we didn't allow as a society for a very few people to hoarder and steal money from their workers until they are swimming in billions of money, there wouldn't be any poverty.

[@dorkybarbie502]

I agree. I'm American and I find it shocking the handouts that are given in the uk. Their lower class people have no motivation to work. they can completely make it on the dole as they call it. everything is paid for by the working tax payers for them, and their children.

[@rosejustice]

@tricia tucker - I’m also American and still get shocked that so many of my fellow residents get their goddamned panties in a bunch over the idea of helping other people. Bet you even call yourself a Christian, dontcha?

[@roberte5057]

Just because they are poor, why can't theey clean? I have lived in horrible accommodations with an outside communal toilet.

[@fairyonice9504]

Hey I’ve lived in a condo my whole life too! What’s the big deal?

[@livelifetothefullest721]

They have too many stuff

[@thevampirexxx22]

The bold family kids look terribly sleep deprived. I hope there's nothing to look into there..

[@Sassy_Alaskan]

These apartments are nice compared to some council houses I’ve seen. I don’t get why they’re complaining. It looks good to me.

[@kercchan3307]

Kids complain that is a fact of life

[@ashritadmello8354]

Stop portraying as though these blocks are not great you guys should swap places and come to india ...and see what a joy it is to live in families 10x10 feet homes. People got to stop whining.atleast they have a roof. In india people live woth kids in high rises with open railings

[@lynnkueh]

Strange. Where I came, skyscrapers and condominiums are much envied and more expensive than houses. They are located in prime locations like CBD. Imagine waking up to amazing views and with full facilities and security. I love my skyscraper anytime.

[@Animallover2011ful]

I may have lived in a house all my life. But that doesn't mean anything it just means I've had the chance to. But these kids shouldn't complain because there is worse out there unfortunately and at least they have a roof, clean bed, running water. They look well fed, taken care of, well behaved. Many people would love to have an apartment that size. Sharing a room or space isn't the worse thing in the world and it won't kill them.

[@pd-hh7tj]

I grew up with 7 people in a 2 bedroom apartment, i turned out just fine. They have a bed to sleep in, food in their bellies and a roof over their head, that's not good enough?

[@sesil0060]

They just seem to have to much stuff.

[@lmaree200886]

Not too much stuff, no room! Those apartments are tiny!

[@jrnoneya4992]

it's called an apartment and i lived in one. it's also known as condos etc. these are not bad housing... get into reality.

[@wandakrawiec8675]

Its nothing bad with living in it its the quality of it.

[@debbie3762]

I hope nobody on a council house waiting list is seeing this. They have safe nice homes, what's the problem?

[@emberdt7998]

Did you miss the entire part about the domestic violence? That also leads to other children witnessing that being bad influences

[@pink_bunny3835]

VERY EARLY 8th comment

[@goofyjared2007]

first

[@itsmelondon5831]

6th

[@AdventureHW]

it’s just a flat..that’s how we call it in Amsterdam...it’s normal, I grew up in one and just played outside. What a weird documentary....