My mom did this. I can't believe they let us do it.
Shoot - I remember so many restaurants that sold them in vending machines. No ID needed! That went on in to the early 90's!
There were lots of corner bars that had cigarette vending machines when I was in college (95-99). And when you went to big bars and clubs, the cigarette companies would have stands and tables and hot people recruiting you to "sign up". Give your name and address and 4-6 weeks later, walla! A 4-pack of parliaments would arrive, free of charge.
An 11 yo being left home w 3 younger siblings (9, 8, and 5) at night for a few hours.
I think I started babysitting when I was a young 12 - an 8, 4 and 6 month old. That was normal back then, right?
I started babysitting at that age. Granted, it was for the literal next door neighbor and my mom was usually home, so it wasn't too big of a deal. Then again, the oldest kid had some emotional disturbance issues and once threatened me with a steak knife when I wouldn't give him an oreo, so...
I cannot imagine leaving my children home alone with a 12 year old. I'm hesitant to even leave them with anyone younger than a college student.
Shoot - I remember so many restaurants that sold them in vending machines. No ID needed! That went on in to the early 90's!
There were lots of corner bars that had cigarette vending machines when I was in college (95-99). And when you went to big bars and clubs, the cigarette companies would have stands and tables and hot people recruiting you to "sign up". Give your name and address and 4-6 weeks later, walla! A 4-pack of parliaments would arrive, free of charge.
I forgot about that!
Students on my campus just can't believe it when we show them where the smoking areas INSIDE the buildings used to be. I'm glad they can't imagine what that was like. Shoot - our entire campus is now smoke-free, they have to go to the edge of campus.
That reminds me that my siblings and I used to put a sled on a skateboard and ride it down hills on our street. I grew up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, so these were not tiny hills.
This reminded me that my MIL still laments that she had to buy her kids 4 Big Wheels in one summer when they kept breaking...because the kids were building ramps at the end of their very steep driveway.
Oh, man, she was nice. My parents would have told me too bad after the first one.
My grandma bought my brother a bike. It was stolen because he left it outside overnight. She bought him a replacement and that one was stolen too. She was going to buy him another one and my dad told her he couldn't have any more bikes since he didn't take care of them.
I think I started babysitting when I was a young 12 - an 8, 4 and 6 month old. That was normal back then, right?
I started babysitting at that age. Granted, it was for the literal next door neighbor and my mom was usually home, so it wasn't too big of a deal. Then again, the oldest kid had some emotional disturbance issues and once threatened me with a steak knife when I wouldn't give him an oreo, so...
I cannot imagine leaving my children home alone with a 12 year old. I'm hesitant to even leave them with anyone younger than a college student.
I had something similar happen but I was 18 at the time and hired to be a nanny during the summer. The Mom conveniently failed to mention that her daughter had severe mental health issues. She was throwing things at me, hitting me, trying to bite me etc. I quit that day and never looked back.
Post by pegasuskat on Oct 19, 2017 12:49:48 GMT -5
I have so many.... My HS Spanish teacher took us out to eat at Mexican rest. several times for field trips and he would always order Margaritas. My history teacher always had whiskey in his big metal thermos - straight up, didn't try and hide it. He was finally fired when my brother was in HS 15 years later.
My worst teacher ever was Mrs. Hooker - I got unlucky and had her for 1st and 2nd, she would tape out mouths with duct tape and the skin would be gone for days, she would also hit our knuckles with a wooden ruler.
I lived in Detroit, and would walk home from school, I was never scared but looking back now it was not a safe thing at all.
The 70 and 80's were full of "what in the heck were we thinking".
I had something similar happen but I was 18 at the time and hired to be a nanny during the summer. The Mom conveniently failed to mention that her daughter had severe mental health issues. She was throwing things at me, hitting me, trying to bite me etc. I quit that day and never looked back.
I was 14 and hired to babysit a boy who was 9 and a girl who was 6. The Mom never mentioned emotional issues with the daughter. Yep, I ended up in a struggle over a hammer...I just let go, walked to the phone and called their grandma who lived nearby and said she needed to come right away. Then I called the Mom at work and told her it wasn't going to work out and I left.
I can appreciate that parents don’t have many good options for care during the summer. But maybe mention that your kid can be violent? Especially when the nanny is 18 and ill equipped to deal with it.
I'm another who was babysitting regularly by 12, mid 80s. Totally normal then and expected by my extended family. Pretty sure today's moms are pearl clutch about a kid that age sitting.
My dad would put me in a back pack (my head sticking out, I was obviously like a toddler) and ride his bike around the city with me in the backpack. Lol.
I also used to walk alone to the corner store and buy my mom cigarettes. I think I was around 9 when the owner said he couldn't sell them to me anymore.
In middle school we could leave school grounds at lunch. Sometimes we'd go to the convenience store where they had dirty magazines, I saw my first penis there.
I totally forgot, my mom used to send me into the store to do this too! lol
I have a memory of there being a paddle at our school when I was in 1st grade and kids being taken out to get paddled, but my siblings tell me they don't recall this, so i don't know if its true or not.
Also, I remember babysitting a sibling group of 4 when I was 11 and 12. I would also cook them dinner.
I babysat my friend's 18 month old sister for an entire day when I was in 5th grade.
Post by amberlyrose on Oct 19, 2017 13:15:56 GMT -5
It was really hot out one day, so my grandpa, dad, and uncle grabbed some plastic paint tarps, covered the bed of my grandpa's truck and filled it with water. Put all the grandkids in the back and drove it around our neighborhood.
My parents left my brother to watch us from a very young age. They both went back to school when I was in 1st or 2nd grade, so two days a week, my brother watched us while they were in school. He was probably 11 or 12.
The ice cream truck that came down my cul-de-sac regularly sold candy cigarettes.
I loved the bubble gum ones that blew out powdered sugar to look like smoke. My parents were anti smokers but I still got that candy, lol. They definitely wouldn’t sell that now.
I need ham like water Like breath, like rain I need ham like mercy From Heaven's gate Sometimes ham salad or casserole or ham that’s free range, all natural I need ham
Post by mrsukyankee on Oct 19, 2017 13:19:28 GMT -5
Playing "Kill the man" every day in recess, which went on for 1/2 hour. No such thing as seat belts and we piled in the back of any vehicle. Walking home, across a major thoroughfare to get home at the age of 10 with my 7 yr old brother. Running around the neighbourhood at those ages for hours, in the wood and on the streets w/no sidewalk as well as being allowed to walk to the local store to get candy (probably at least 15 min walk away). Riding my bike anywhere from a very young age. Being home alone for hours from probably 9 or 10 and looking after my younger brother.
Post by lovebug0516 on Oct 19, 2017 13:20:02 GMT -5
So many things! Lots have been mentioned, but never wearing sunblock unless we were at the beach. Cause you know, backyard sun doesn’t count!
I started babysitting at 11. Started with a 6 month old for a single mom who cared more about her BFs. She would tell me to try to offer the baby new table food and I did. I cringe now when I think about it. I would get summer jobs, watching multiple households of kids at once with pools. I made bank but what were these parents thinking!
Being out all day long. My mom would lock the doors so she could “clean” and told us to pee outside.
Riding bikes to convenience stores on really busy roads/pikes. And walking to the local mall.
Bikes with no helmets; laying in the back of my dads sports car to stare at tall Philly buildings.
Camping in the “woods” overnight without adults - and we were definitely younger than 9.
Sleepovers at any friends houses. A new beach friend would stay at my house for the weekend. Parents didn’t even know each other!
My parents would go away for the night and leave my older brother in charge. We were young and he was only 13 months older than me.
Parents smoking in the car with the windows rolled up.
I feel like I could go on and on. I must look like a helicopter parent to my parents generation.
It's really odd looking at all of these. I was born in the 70's, but whenever possible, we were always seatbelted and we had car seats until we were about three or four. On Friday nights we did cram about 17 kids in our van (seatbelts for those who had a seat, the rest on the floor or in the back section) for a church program.
I did babysit a family with kids that were 4, 2, and 6 months when I'd just turned twelve. That shocked me, but hey, if they thought I was old enough, why not? I also rode my bike about a mile to school starting in fourth or fifth grade.
I moved out into the middle of nowhere in middle school and things were so different. Even in the mid-90's my neighbor bought his mom's cigarettes because they knew he didn't smoke. The restaurant where I waited tables still had a cigarette machine until about ten years ago, maybe even more recent than that. Kids would drive tractors by middle school and of course have their own guns for hunting in elementary school.
Post by karinothing on Oct 19, 2017 14:30:21 GMT -5
My school bus driver took all of us to peter piper (a local pizza place) instead of home on one of the last days of school. I think I was in ES at this time. It is insane now that I think about it. I know we didn't have permission slips and the idea that she just took us cracks me up. I Think I must have asked my parents? But I don't remember.
Hay rack rides. Being allowed to walk over a mile to the city swimming pool by myself starting at age 8. The school bus just dropped us off, didn't check to see if parents were there or not.
One of the nearby farms used to have a rope swing off a stacked bales of hay into more hay. After years of broken bones, it was finally gone.
I think my parents were always safety-oriented. We always had seatbelts/car seats (born in ‘79) and certainly didn’t go anywhere without being buckled in. She also told off my kindergarten teacher when she told me I had to smile before answering a question after a kid kept interrupting me.
It's really odd looking at all of these. I was born in the 70's, but whenever possible, we were always seatbelted and we had car seats until we were about three or four. On Friday nights we did cram about 17 kids in our van (seatbelts for those who had a seat, the rest on the floor or in the back section) for a church program.
I did babysit a family with kids that were 4, 2, and 6 months when I'd just turned twelve. That shocked me, but hey, if they thought I was old enough, why not? I also rode my bike about a mile to school starting in fourth or fifth grade.
I moved out into the middle of nowhere in middle school and things were so different. Even in the mid-90's my neighbor bought his mom's cigarettes because they knew he didn't smoke. The restaurant where I waited tables still had a cigarette machine until about ten years ago, maybe even more recent than that. Kids would drive tractors by middle school and of course have their own guns for hunting in elementary school.
I swear I just recently came across a photo on Facebook that had tractors in the high school parking lot. The kids drive them to school. Not everyday, it was for something special. I was tilting my head thinking "huh. I guess kids thst age in the country know how to drive them."
Ha yeah, kids here start driving tractors at like 12/13
It's really odd looking at all of these. I was born in the 70's, but whenever possible, we were always seatbelted and we had car seats until we were about three or four. On Friday nights we did cram about 17 kids in our van (seatbelts for those who had a seat, the rest on the floor or in the back section) for a church program.
I did babysit a family with kids that were 4, 2, and 6 months when I'd just turned twelve. That shocked me, but hey, if they thought I was old enough, why not? I also rode my bike about a mile to school starting in fourth or fifth grade.
I moved out into the middle of nowhere in middle school and things were so different. Even in the mid-90's my neighbor bought his mom's cigarettes because they knew he didn't smoke. The restaurant where I waited tables still had a cigarette machine until about ten years ago, maybe even more recent than that. Kids would drive tractors by middle school and of course have their own guns for hunting in elementary school.
I swear I just recently came across a photo on Facebook that had tractors in the high school parking lot. The kids drive them to school. Not everyday, it was for something special. I was tilting my head thinking "huh. I guess kids thst age in the country know how to drive them."
This really does happen in a small town near me. I'm not sure the rhyme or reason to picking the day but they all do it one day.
It's really odd looking at all of these. I was born in the 70's, but whenever possible, we were always seatbelted and we had car seats until we were about three or four. On Friday nights we did cram about 17 kids in our van (seatbelts for those who had a seat, the rest on the floor or in the back section) for a church program.
I did babysit a family with kids that were 4, 2, and 6 months when I'd just turned twelve. That shocked me, but hey, if they thought I was old enough, why not? I also rode my bike about a mile to school starting in fourth or fifth grade.
I moved out into the middle of nowhere in middle school and things were so different. Even in the mid-90's my neighbor bought his mom's cigarettes because they knew he didn't smoke. The restaurant where I waited tables still had a cigarette machine until about ten years ago, maybe even more recent than that. Kids would drive tractors by middle school and of course have their own guns for hunting in elementary school.
I swear I just recently came across a photo on Facebook that had tractors in the high school parking lot. The kids drive them to school. Not everyday, it was for something special. I was tilting my head thinking "huh. I guess kids thst age in the country know how to drive them."
Apparently my high school used to do this until about 20-25 years ago when they really built up my hometown and there were no longer farmers, just suburbanites. It was a tradition for seniors to do on their last day. When I was in high school, they switched it and now the seniors park in a megachurch's parking lot (they get permission from the church) and they all ride scooters/bikes/shopping carts/anything with wheels but no motor and park them in their usual parking spots, so the parking lot is just filled with these random...travel implements? I think it's pretty funny, especially considering the graduating classes are usually over 1000 (it's now the largest brick and mortar high school in Ohio).
Being locked outside by my mom to play all day in the summer, and only being allowed to use the toilet in our cold and dirty unfinished basement. She would hand us cold chicken nuggets on paper plates and have us sit in the grass alone, for dinner, while mosquitos ate us alive. I'm still bitter. LOL.
My 1st grade teacher wouldn't let you go to the office if you wet your pants. She made you stay in wet clothes for the entire day.
Dodge ball in gym class.
Playing in thick woods (Maine) during recess without supervision, and being able to go as far as you pleased. We often hung out on the train tracks, and just knew what time recess ended. (The elem school that housed 4th-6th grade.) There were active bear sighting in these woods, and ponds.
Playing outside alone, also in Maine, with a deep stream in our backyard since I was old enough to walk. My mom would check on me through the kitchen sink window. I have practically zero childhood memories of our parents supervising us outside.
We played tag during recess practically every single day, every single recess. My kid's school doesn't allow touch tag. They are only permitted to step on each other's shadows. This seems lame to me.
My mom also made treats for my birthday, as did other parents for their kids, and we took several minutes to celebrate the birthday kid and enjoy the treats at the end of the school day. We aren't allowed to bring homemade treats anymore.
On that note, parents were allowed in the school and in the classroom. I can remember various reasons for this happening. But at my kid's school, you have to be buzzed in the front door and then you stay in the office while your kid is summoned, no matter the reason, or you drop whatever off and they take it to your kid (on their timetable). I get that it's a safety thing, I really do!, but during the entire school year, I see their classroom once before the school year begins and that's it. It just feels odd to me, since that's not AT ALL how it was for me growing up.
Tag. TAG??
We played dodgeball at my school. Coed. For P.E.
I distinctly remember playing "Smear the Queer" in P.E.