I would steal my younger self from my parents

This feels like propaganda to get me to want kids.

I would take care of alt timeline me because I know what I would have wanted and how that gets me to here.

Why on Earth would I want to be friends with a 10 year old?

Your question really isn’t matching up with your scenario.

Would I care for my ten year old self if my worthless parents and abusive POS brother were removed hell yes.

Does that have anything to do with how much I liked myself? NO.

Now with that said, I look back at myself and I was a really good dude always.

Now did i do all the clumsy stupid stuff that teenagers do? Yes of course. Did I treat anyone like shit or make my world a worse place NO.

10 years old me was way smarter than I am now. I'd take that little fucker to the casino.

Eww no, he's such an autist

My 20y.o self cringed at my 15 y.o. self.
At 30 I cringed at how I was at 20.
Now at early 40s I cringe at the thought of 30 y.o. me.

In conclusion: I'm probably still cringeworthy to my future self. But at least my younger self can feel comfort in knowing that it gets better.

Not sure your scenario is really about being friends. Choosing to take care of a child is more about my situation, than how much I might like them. If you are only taking care of a child because you like them, you are putting them at a lot of risk. Even great kids will be challenging, and a decent person cares for them even when they are unlikable or downright awful. That's pretty much the definition of unconditional love (though, reading through the comments here it sounds like a lot of lemmings didn't get that growing up).

As for, would I like myself? 10 year old me, sure! We share a lot of interests (I'd love to dm a game of dnd for him), and although a kid can be quite annoying, I think I'd be pretty fond of the little fella. I suspect I'd also gain a lot sympathy for my parents, and would love to try supporting him with some of his creative projects that he was always starting and never finishing.

20 year old me? Probably too wild to be close friends and I'd think he was an arrogant idiot at times, but probably find him kinda hot so I'd let it slide (my 'type' is pretty much younger me...). 30 year old me? Not all that different, could definitely be friends!

I've got so much cool shit to show the 10 year old me that I know he'd be stoked about. I bet we'd get along just fine. There's not many activities that the 10 year old me likes that the 34 year old me doesn't.

I genuinely don’t like being around kids or teens, they make me uncomfortable, so I wouldn’t like my younger self. Also I was a horrible child, according to my mother throughout my childhood, so.. yeah.

I’d help my 10yo self, but I wouldn’t take myself in and raise her or whatever; I’m far too negligent for that (why I’m sterile), and having had a negligent single parent myself, I have no interest in passing that experience down. Alternate me deserves better than I could provide. It would be a more frustrating version of my own shitty childhood if I did it - at least my own mother wasn’t physically disabled. And she only had the ‘tism (undiagnosed but almost certainly where I got it), where I have adhd and the ‘tism, as well as a slew of physical issues (headaches, back pain, digestive issues, bad joints, etc.) that would mean I can’t be fully present for a kid, even myself.

But I could probably mentor myself; I know where we fuck up and why, and if I could prevent that suffering (not necessarily change the way our life shakes out, but take away the negative feelings about it that took me decades to work through and are still a problem sometimes), I would like to. I think if I’d had some sort of supportive role model who wasn’t arms-length (seriously I have no memories of being hugged as a child, but lots and lots of being punished..), I’d probably have turned out way less of a disaster.

Not at all

Oh no I would hate to meet my young me, because school sucked so bad, my dad died, my mom fell apart, I just don't think adult me could provide anything that would help with most of what I went through, so no, that is a hard no.

In terms of liking young me? I was selfish, like most kids I guess, interesting enough, trying to remember 10, that's still elementary, I was bored out of my skull most of the time.

No, kids annoy me most of the time.

My goal in life is to become a person my younger self would be proud of.

I think young me and I would get along just fine, and as young me got older, I'm guaranteed to like every new experience introduced to me by myself!

Also, I generally have no idea what my actual kids are thinking or why they do the things they do, and I often wonder if I'm saying the things that they need to hear. But I think I'd have a pretty good idea of what young me is thinking, and how to inspire them to be a better version of me.

I dont like my younger self. Fault of my upbringing, but still.

And 2nd scenario, also no. No matter if its alt me or not, i dont have the patience and mental headspace to raise a kid responsibly.

Age 10? That's a completely different person. A person I feel sorry for.

I would hate him, but also pity him for having no aim or goal because there's no guidance from anywhere.

As for scenario 2, i will. If i can change the trajectory of my younger self even if it doesn't affect me, then i totally would. Why would i want to see myself suffer even more than what i currently are?

Nah, I don't think I'd choose to take on a 10-year-old with undiagnosed autism and ADHD, especially with the added pressure that he's me.

I think this question favours younger readers, and possibly more female readers (more young women are maternal than young men are paternal).

Also, at 46, I don't think I'd make a good friend to any 10 year old. I've been a good uncle to a few of them over the years, but that is not the same thing.

I hope I do not seem to be missing the point. I think I get it, but I'm saying that the logistics of it even if it's not me, but a kid who is like how I was, that would be challenging enough. But knowing it's me? That raises the stakes, and I don't see a good outcome.

Scenario 1: For me it won't be a matter of friendship or liking me. It would be a matter of duty. I would have a duty to save myself. Scenario 2: Oh…