Pecking orders are established in early childhood and, try as you might, it's quite hard to get away from them; ditto the parcelling-off of talents.

She was my very early childhood sweetheart.

My own early childhood I had the kind of childhood destined to drain the confidence out of any man, woman or beast.

Their rapport influenced the whole atmosphere around them, and for that reason my early childhood was calm, untroubled and very happy.

Colin singles out one incident from his early childhood.