To all of us kids who survived the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's & 70's

[luvmychicknkids]

'70 baby here.

I often wish I had been born a bit earlier so I could have fully appreciated the 70's, but that is life.

My brother and I were seldom seen during the day....we walked for miles, up and down the railroad tracks, the main highway, and to far off creeks. We would play way out in the woods where the biggest danger was the venomous snakes we often encountered. There was a cleared out area we loved. I would grab my barbie dolls and my brother would get his GI Joe dolls and a pack of matches. We would pile sticks and build a fire. Poor Barbie would sit in the fire screaming "HELP" until big brave GI Joe rescued her.

When it got dinner time my mother would come hunt us down and we would grudgingly trek home. LOL

 

[mrsengeseth]

we drove from north carolins to maine with me in a car bassinette thing. It sat on the back seat. The same one my mom was in when she was a little one. It was probably loaded with all kind of stuff outlawed for infant use now. We played outside for most of the day, wadering about with the local kids (foriegn country, i was an army kid) eating God only knows what candy product, with out sunscreen in the summer, picking strawberries as we went. Sigh, good ol days...

 

[key west chick]

Yup, 67 here. While in middle school in the early 80's, we lived in the mountains of Ga. We were gone ALL day, playing in the creek, riding horses bareback with no helmet,running through the woods. We drank creek water,(I know now, gross) ate blackberries off the side of the road, (whats a little red dust) and swam in the pond (what snapping turtle?) Those were the best times off my life. It's sad my kids were never able to experience that way of living.

 

[Dar]

1974 ... was the year I was born and i remember

my dads 1972 GMC Jimmy with no seats in it at all expect for a drivers seat and a passenger seat..

my sis and I used to bounce around the back cargo area of that thing all the time as my dad would take the corners at mach 3 cause he thought it was funny to catch the kids off guard and watch 'em bounce...(no he didnt drink..lol)

I remember falling asleep in the bushes playing hide and go seek one evening and no one came and found me till about 830..(wayyyy past my bed time)

I grew up in an apartment building and during the summer and on weekends it was not uncommon for all the kids to crash at one friends house all over the living room floor...we took turns on who place we were at ..boys and girls slept together...(we were 6..lol)

I remember climbing the tree out front of the building (it was also on the same side my balcony was on) anyway I climbed up to the top of the tree cause it was an emergency...the ice cream truck was there and I would miss it if i actually ran up all 5 flights of stairs so I wanted my mom to throw money off the balcony... she did just to get me to come down out of the tree

aaa the good ole days


I will admit...but dont tell anyone I told you...I am such a bad mom...when we go to the drive in i will take the seats out of my van and let the kids sit back there on an air mattress

 

[luvmychicknkids]

One thing I think is interesting, my mom had a fit when I told her she COULDN'T let the two girls she is raising ride bikes without a helmet. "You and your brother never had helmets and neither did I" she argued!!! I just had to remind her of my dear husband. He was born in '76 (yeah, I got a young one) and he actually HAD a bicycle helmet!!! Thanks to that, he is alive. He had a wreck and spent a couple of days in the hospital with some seriously nasty scars on his side and arm to show for it. Without the helmet he would have been dead.

 

[Bettacreek]

1988 here, but was raised the same way. All except drinking out of the hose, we drank straight from the creek, lol. We were raised in the woods on the mountain, so instead of parks, we played in the woods, but still, same concept.

 

[Lobzi]

Born 55 and raised out of doors. I still, to this day, prefer being outside and I get so much enjoyment and pleasure out of simple things. I wasnt too old that I shunned the computer and using the Internet, but I could easily live without it.

 

[turney31]

Ahh...1960 here! I was never in the house if it was daylight, We had big lakes stocked with channel catfish,bass and white perch. one lake had an island with bamboo on it, it was like a world unto itself. You had to wade, swim or boat to get there. Every where i went I went horseback, to the store, dairy queen, swimming pool.I probably put a thousand miles on every horse I've owned. We lived 5 miles out of town. My grandfather was a rice farmer so I spent a many a day in the ice cold rice canals. My grandfather was a great gardner, had a big enough garden to have each grandchild sell garden truck so they could buy school clothes. He raised 300 satsuma orange trees. We had a huge hay barn full of square bales, to which we built hay tunnels to my gf horror. Nights were an experience also horseback june bugs on strings ,fireworks..........I have provided this life style to my children ,and am proud to say my children are also .....the good ole days continue!

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

1970 here

We used to disappear for hours into the woods behind the houses.

We used to ride the horses all over the place. Rode into the town square a few times. Rode to Cumberland Farms and took turns going in for drinks and snacks.

We walked EVERYWHERE.

We went bowling, by choice.

No one wore sunblock. A sunburn was something to be proud of.

We didnt have chestnuts. But we had Catalpa Bean Pods. Ouch those hurt when you were hit of whipped with em.

We spent so much time in the hay loft of my barn it was THE place to be. *I am now cleaning it out and oh man the memories!*

Dirt bikes. nuff said.

We used to all go down to the "hill" at the end of the street. Alone. And sled down the hill. Which BTW ended at the street!

there was a drainage ditch that went under the street that we would walk through and catch crayfish in.

We caught salamanders and garden snakes.

The neighbors had a truck back camper(the ones that fit into the pick up truck backs) and we would all spend summer nights in there.

Where I live now there is only my dd in the neighborhood. No other kids her age. The closest kid lives a few streets over. But there are no sidewalks. One house has a large dog they let run loose all the time. And frankly it just is not safe here.

At my moms? Kids still have dirt bikes and 4 wheelers. BB guns and such. There are sidewalks and street lights. Big back yards(my moms included) still. When my daughter is there the kids down the street, who are 8 and 12 come to hang out with her. One of the kids stops by daily to ask my mom if she needs help. The neighbor across the street clears her driveway. Kids still walk around after snow storms during snow days and weekends to ask if someone needs their drive or walk shoveled. Come lawn season they push lawnmowers ahead of them(that they keep running themselves!) and ask for some money for taking care of the lawn.

I want to move back home.

edited to add - and we got spanked if we did something that deserved it. And our parents ALWAYS found out because ALL the parents knew us and who we belonged to. So did the police

 

[twinlights]

Born in the 60's here.
I used to hop on my pony bareback, with no helmet, and ride off. No one knew where I was, I rode everywhere, in the woods, down town, on the beaches, to the ice cream shop, you name it, I rode there. No one worried, unless I didn't show back up til after dark, then I was in big trouble, lol.
Now if I could just get my kids on their ponies, even just in the yard I would be happy.