for those born between 1930-1979-

i got this forwarded as an email today, i thought it was rather cute and thought it was worth sharing-

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930s, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

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 it.
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 learned 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 put out 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 e 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.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

Mon. Jan 7, 4:03pm

I was born in 1982 and I remember all of this! But I grew up in a VERY safe community!

Now I'm frusterating my husband b/c I want to be able to find the same for our future kids, and it just doesn't seem to exist!!! He didn't grow up with it - lived in farm country, so didn't have neighbors, etc., to play with, and had a very overprotective mother, so he doesn't understand why I want all of this!

Wednesday, January 09, 2008, 6:20 PM

Ah, I remember all this, one thing was forgotten though, we played on playgrounds made of cement with metal jungle gyms, and slides that in the summer were so hot you could fry an egg on it and still we played.

Its very sad this bubble so many children live in nowadays and how lazy they are. I am a mom of 2 and I do make my kids go outside and play.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008, 6:47 PM

love it

This brought back so many memories! Wow, we really did take some chances, didn't we? Not only did parents side with the law, they respected their kids' teachers too! I also remember playing road hockey until dark and taking bottles back to the corner store to buy a little brown bag full of penny candy. Ah, the good old days!

Wednesday, January 09, 2008, 9:20 PM

Yes I also remember the time when parents respected the teachers opinions and if you failed you were held back. I also remember 8 tracks. Its sad to think that in just another decade most kids won't even know about some of this stuff. Remember when kids actually respected their parents and elders? And they had to work at be able to buy something they really wanted?

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 1:11 AM

I fear for the future. We're all in big trouble.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 7:28 AM

We also had a much higher incidence of severe trauma- often crippling, as medicine wasn't as advanced-, disease (sometimes crippling disease) birth defects and fetal alcohol syndrome. Child abuse was more prevalent and there were fewer agencies to deal with it. We were smaller, on average, than kids are today- average height has climbed several inches since the 30's- this is due mainly to better nutrition. Car crashes were horrendous before car seats and seatbelts. I grew up with a kid who's face was horribly scarred from going through a windshield.

Sure, at one time there were only 3 channels on TV. And you could watch Fred Flintstone sell Chesterfield cigarettes.

I guess the creative minds that produced the Pinto were pretty happy that there was very little in the way of consumer protection back then, too. Lucky for them no one sued... Oh wait. That's why we have consumer protection these days...

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

Are you kidding me? Baby Boomers were so coddled by their parents that we're still cleaning up their messes. And Yay for that experimental attitude, boomers. Thanks to Y'all, we've got epidemics of drug use and sexually transmitted diseases. Good job.

Kids today will be just fine. There were brats 100 years ago, there will be brats 100 years from now, but in the end, the kids will be fine.

The who said it best. The kids are alright.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 9:41 AM

ignorance is bliss

9:41 - I think you hit the nail right on the head there.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 9:46 AM

PP I completely agree. Although I do wish it were more common for kids to play outside more often istead of texting and iming all afternoon.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 4:20 PM

I've gotta admit...I am a bit offended by this thread because there are some exceptions. I was born in 1986, yet my parents raised me completely different than most kids. I used to hate that but now I can see why they did so, especially seeing how others my age are.

-I don't have a car, ipod, a fancy cell phone (I use prepaid), video games, cable TV, etc. If I want these things, I must buy them my own, but I don't need it.
-I take public transportation and I walk a lot to get to places.
-I developed very healthy, organic eating habits.
-I was taught to be socially aware.
-I go to a nearby inexpensive state university, instead of my parents forking out tons of money.
-I have a part-time job and use the money to pay for my books, clothes, cell phone, extras, and other expenses, while at the same time saving thousands of dollars for after I graduate.
-I'm very active-- walking, swimming, aerobics classes, etc...I don't like ipods, video games, etc etc.
ETC.

It's funny b/c there are a couple of full grown adults who think the way I do things are "different"...like taking the bus and saving my money lol.

Furthermore, many adults in this country are overweight, inactive, don't care about the world outside of them, spend money on useless stuff, etc. And also here they're raising these spoiled kids in this generation.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 6:49 PM

Yay 6:49. I was born in the 60s and always had an independent streak, so I have never had a problem with public transportation or doing without the perks, or doing it myself. I don't mind walking after dark or wearing a backpack. And my kids and I walk just about everywhere we need to go (even shopping) and we live in a fairly suburban community where everything is not really convenient by foot. Friends, it is up to us to train our kids up in the way they should go and they will not depart from it (thats in the Bible) but it is true. Its up to us to not let them have ipods and cell phones and spend hours on the computer just because society tells them its right and good. A little is fine a lot is not fine, in my opinion. Its up to us adults/parents to ensure that they have one-on-one contact with other kids their age instead of having contact mainly through social networks. We know kids who don't come outside, who spend all their afternoons and evenings on the computer or in front of the TV, and they are either pretty chunky or pasty or both. We make the changes for them, they are are kids and we are the adults since we are the rule setters. We don't have to keep up with the Joneses, really. It will be better for their health and ours. Sorry to get preachy but I feel pretty strongly on this one.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 9:22 PM

I think 6:49 and 9:22 missed the point of the message. And the point being is that they basically live the life the we did way back when. You had to walk places to get there or take public transpot. Your parents didn't hand you everything you wanted, you had to earn it and often times it took a long time. We didn't have ipods and cells and we respected ourselves and our parents and others. We didn't sit in the house playing games on computers or tv's we played outside and often till dark. The point being that the generation now is spoiled and don't really know what it is to earn something save for a few out there who's parents taught them lifes real lessons. You 6:49 have obviously been taught that. I bet your parents would agree if a teacher wanted to hold you back because you couldn't read, not fight the school to pass you anyway.

Friday, January 11, 2008, 2:13 AM

6:49 here

Yeah I admit I did go off topic lol. But I saw a couple posters saying how they are scared for the future and kids these days are spoiled. I really do agree with that, but there are exceptions like myself and I know of other ppl as well. Also, I gotta say there are a lot of stupid, ignorant adults in this country...I'm serious lol. Another thing is that these adults are spoiling these kids to boot.

I know, I know..rambling away...but even before I read this thread, I have always felt that this is such a big issue that ppl forget about.

Friday, January 11, 2008, 3:17 AM

SO true!!

Thursday, April 14, 2011, 8:36 PM

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