What from your childhood would be UNTHINKABLE today?

[Malthus]

Having a kid of my own, I'm just getting used to the "modern" standards of what is appropriate and what is not - and how very different they are from when I was a kid.

For example:

- I walked home from school from at least when I was 6 or so. Today, parents would be called up by child social services if they tried than.

- I and my brothers used to ride in the back of my dad's ford pick-up when in the country, bumping along with the rest of the cargo - this was normal.

- Also in the country, my dad would give us his .22 rifle, tell us to take turns and be careful, and send us out to shoot at tin cans - I was 10 or so.

- My parents drove to California with 3 kids. Not only did we not have child seats, there were no seat belts at all in the back seat.

- After dinner, we kids were sent out to play in the neighbourhood - often on our bikes (no helmets of course). We were told to come back when it got dark.

[ulmont]

Having a kid of my own, I'm just getting used to the "modern" standards of what is appropriate and what is not - and how very different they are from when I was a kid.[/quote

I think a lot of these depend on where you live.  The pickup and .22 bits I feel certain are still acceptable in the country.

[Richard Hakluyt]

It was similar for me, walk home from school from age 5 onwards, out playing back in time for the evening meal etc etc

At boarding school we bought a small motorbike which we used to ride around the school grounds, with no helmets on and up to 4 people riding at once. The staff, so strict in other ways, would not have dreamed of putting a stop to this.

We could only ride it when there were no lessons of course.

[Savonarola]

Not my own childhood, but my mother used to ride the bus alone to downtown Detroit to meet up with friends she had made in summer camp.  Even when I was growing letting a 13 year old white girl ride the bus through southwest Detroit alone would be the equivalent of child abandonment.

[viper37]

Having a kid of my own, I'm just getting used to the "modern" standards of what is appropriate and what is not - and how very different they are from when I was a kid.

For example:

- I walked home from school from at least when I was 6 or so. Today, parents would be called up by child social services if they tried than.

- I and my brothers used to ride in the back of my dad's ford pick-up when in the country, bumping along with the rest of the cargo - this was normal.

- Also in the country, my dad would give us his .22 rifle, tell us to take turns and be careful, and send us out to shoot at tin cans - I was 10 or so.

- My parents drove to California with 3 kids. Not only did we not have child seats, there were no seat belts at all in the back seat.

- After dinner, we kids were sent out to play in the neighbourhood - often on our bikes (no helmets of course). We were told to come back when it got dark.

did you get the same powerpoint I got this morning?? 

All of this stuff was listed...
so yeah, everything except California is there.

Aside that...
- driving an ATV at 10 (no helmet, of course)
- driving a pick-up at 11-12 (not on the road of course)
- driving a tractor, using a chainsaw, using a axe, etc, etc.
- working on construction sites at 13
- eating french fries without remorse
- using plastic bags for grocery shopping
- having my driver's license at 16 and my first car at 17, getting arrested at 17, nearly losing my license twice (with todays laws, I would have lost it)
- a whole bunch of other things I can't think of right now...

[Norgy]

Being allowed to play with sharp tools.

[Neil]

Smoking.

[Malthus]

did you get the same powerpoint I got this morning?? 

All of this stuff was listed...
so yeah, everything except California is there.

Powerpoint? No.

[Malthus]

Smoking.

Oh yeah - my mom smoked all the time, including when pregnant, and there were ashtrays in the hall in my junior school for convenience of teachers. 

[Mikael Hakim]

Wow, being a kid these days in North America sucks

[Zanza]

- I walked home from school from at least when I was 6 or so. Today, parents would be called up by child social services if they tried than.

Do parents have to pick up their kids from school? Over here, I often see kids walking home from school alone or in groups without an adult.

[Brazen]

I grew up with no double glazing, no central heating and no shower. My nan's house had an outdoor toilet and she used to plug the iron into the light bulb socket.

I used to carry a penknife to school to cut up apples when I had a brace.

As soon as the weather got warm, we used to strip off to our knickers in the playground.

New clothes were a rare treat. Most were cast offs from older kids and as you grew out of them you'd just let down the hem or sew on some lace.

Brushed nylon sheets and brushed nylon nightie. Oh, the blue sparks

[Malthus]

- I walked home from school from at least when I was 6 or so. Today, parents would be called up by child social services if they tried than.

Do parents have to pick up their kids from school? Over here, I often see kids walking home from school alone or in groups without an adult.

I get the impression that they do, yes, until they are at least 10 or so. I could be wrong in this - I'm just learning what is "normal" myself.

[Richard Hakluyt]

The mollycoddling sickness is most advanced in English-speaking countries as far as I can see. Hopefully the Continent will not follow all the way down this particular path.

[Neil]

Wow, being a kid these days in North America sucks

Indeed.  The media has everyone panicked about the possibility of children getting abducted.