When we were kids we did all sorts of stuff that was considered perfectly normal then. And now? Well if our kids did it now we’d FREAK! And it wasn’t that we were naughty either – it was just the way things… were.
Here are the things we did when we were younger that would have us reaching for the smelling salts if our own kids did the same now:
We were generally unreachable by phone
When we were younger we’d head off with our friends and come back at the time we told our parents we would – well mostly. There was no such thing as mobiles and there sure as hell was no such thing as being ‘tracked’ with an app. Cut to nowadays and if our kids don’t pick up their phones when we call them we have a meltdown.
We would walk to school alone
Remember the days when we would walk to school alone or with our siblings at five or six years old, schoolbags on the back and holding hands? These days we’d have a heart attack at the thought of letting our kids do the same!
Car seats were dodgy at best, optional at worst
Back in the day we’d be strapped half-heartedly into a basic car seat, if at all. Gulp.
Helmets were a no
Can you imagine letting your child on a bike without a helmet? You’re just as likely to leave the house without pants! But think back a bit to your childhood – how many of your friends wore helmets when they cycled? Probably none. Dangerous times peeps, dangerous times.
Suncream was another no
Can you remember being plastered in suncream every five minutes when you were a child? ‘Cos we can’t! And when we were younger there were like five different types of lotion – these days you’re looking at hundreds!
We’d be out playing – and our mums wouldn’t have a clue where
When we were younger we’d go out on the street to play with our friends – and the ‘street’ could be anywhere in a three-mile radius of our house.
We were 'latch-key' kids
Remember walking home from school and letting ourselves into our houses because our parents were still in work?
Any of these ring a bell mums? What sort of stuff did you get up to as a child that would make your hair curl now? And why do you think we’re so protective now, as opposed to how our parents were then? What do you think is causing this shift?
