How times have changed! What do you think?

@ersmommy1 (12588)
United States
August 19, 2008 10:13am CST
THOSE BORN 1920-1979 TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70' First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day.And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes After running into the bushes a few times, we le arned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms....... WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke ou t very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good . While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.
1 person likes this
4 responses
• United States
21 Aug 08
I don't think things have changed as much as people think they have. In the previous decades, some things were done which had risks we didn't know about. We know about them now, we protect the children. That is an improvement. As to the other point about playing outside, I think kids need to do a little more of that. However, playing outside all the time can also lead to skin cancer on down the road. At least use sunscreen.
@valeria1 (2721)
• United States
19 Aug 08
This is fantastic and I totally agree with you, was so much fun today is all about pcs and video games, kids have no friends are isolated and do not learn how to become smart and what is life about! One day maybe we get back to that time and I wish I am alive to see it, so much funnnnnnnn!
@whywiki (6066)
• Canada
19 Aug 08
I remember riding my bike to school and actually walking to school on other days. My parents didn't even have to hold my hand. We could cross streets on our own without a crossing guard stopping traffic for us. Oh those were the days alright. I feel sorry for today's overprotected youth. Thanks for bringing back the memories.
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
19 Aug 08
Well I was born in the 80's, but I still remember some of that. I don't agree with half of what we're told today, and I still raise my kids the way I was raised as a child. I really miss those days, it seemed we had so much more freedom than our kids have now. I remember when I was a kid, about 20 of us would load up in a car or truck to go somewhere. There was no qualms about if there were enough seats or seatbelts. We'd ride in the bed of a pick up, or in the back of a station wagon. Now, families with more than 5 kids have to take seperate cars in order to go somewhere because everyone needs a seatbelt or car seat. Heck, kids need to be left in car seats until they're like 7 years old, how ridiculous!