Insp. by debate - which childhood is better

[Tiggeroo]

Growing up in the fifties and sixties, and even early seventies - Kids had a certain innocence. Parents knew you had to protect your kids but you could go out and play for hours and nobody worried. Kids rode in cars with no seatbelt, even infants, you still could get measles or chicken pox or mumps, we often swam in swimming holes or jumped of bridges to swim, we rode our bikes and skated down big hills with no helmets or pads, etc....
Sometimes kids died or were hurt. I never knew anybody who was but it did happen.

Growing up now - You definitely don't let your kids play alone. Nobody would ride without a seatbelt, We think about safety for everything. Deep ends of pools and diving boards are being removed, etc..
But kids are more protected and parents have more peace of mind.
Keep in mind though, that I think the death rates for teens have climbed as a result of drugs and drunk driving.

Which do you think is better? Which type of childhood did you have?
I was in the middle being born in the mid 60's. Mostly an unstructured care-free childhood though. All summer long we just hung out.

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

I was born in 1967.

I remember we were always outside all day long during the summer without our parents constantly checking up on us. We felt safe and secure and we went wherever we wanted to without worrying about being kidnapped.

We had very little to do indoors except for reading or tv(which there weren't many channels to choose from)or listening to the radio. I spent countless hours listening to the Weekly Top 40 and writing down every single tune for that week.

I wish my kids had a life like I did. I never worried about terrorism, sex offenders, etc. I had freedom to do whatever I wanted to do. My parents never second guessed just dropping me and my friends off ice skating or roller skating or to the movies.

My teenage DD doesn't have it like I did. I need to know where, when and what. I don't just let her go sleepover people's homes where I hadn't met the parents and I make sure she has my cell phone if she goes anywhere.

When DS goes out to ride his bike I'm constantly checking out the window, why?? I live in a nice neighborhood, but I feel I have to watch my kids all the time.

I think my childhood was much better and definately more innocent. Unfortunately kids grow up too quick nowadays. It's sad.

 

[WishingStar]

I think about these questions quite often. I was born in '73, and it seems like my childhood was worlds away from the way I'm raising my wn children. I could ride my bike around the block and even cross the street alone. Now when my kids go outside I go with them. There are just too many people out there that want to cause harm. Not to mention that I wouldn't even want to think about how many more cars are on the roads. It's very scary.

 

[caitycaity]

in the place where i grew up, parents still let their kids play alone, and you can still ride your bike by yourself too.

 

[WDWHound]

The old way was better. Its sad, because the number of criminal acts against children was just as high then as it is now. Its not more dangerous now, its just that the media makes it seem like it is.

 

[helenabear]

Originally posted by caitycaity
in the place where i grew up, parents still let their kids play alone, and you can still ride your bike by yourself too.

I second that... fortunately I was able to move to where I grew up. Very nice to watch kids playing hockey in the street as I drive home from work. And it's nice for me so I don't worry about walking alone at night nor do I really worry about the doors being locked. I wish it was like that everywhere. Btw, I was born in the late 70s and we still had a lot of what you spoke of in the earlier years.

 

[Tiggeroo]

Its sad, because the number of criminal acts against children was just as high then as it is now. Its not more dangerous now, its just that the media makes it seem like it is.

I believe this too. I think we are trying to isolate our kids and ourselves from any risk and losing alot in the process. It's more then just child abductors, it's falling without knee pads on, not picking just the right car, not getting started in dance lessons young enough, not going to the right schools.
I live at the ocean and I have siblings who won't let their kids swim there for fear of bacteria and sharks.

 

[caitycaity]

helenabear, i'm still trying to convince dh to move where i grew up. he is anti-snow.

 

[JohnTBap]

I agree with Hound. The media makes a circus out of EVERYTHING. I refuse to live in fear.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I was a kid in the 60's and 70's. It was great! My friend and I would go for a bicycle ride all around town just about every day. As long as we were home by dusk, no one freaked out. When we were in the yard, I remember our moms occasionally checking out the window on us. But they didn't do it constantly like I did with DS on the rare occasions he was out. Every day after school we were chased to play outside. These days, DS only goes out if I'm there to supervise. It's sad! I used to walk alone to kindergarten which was about 2 miles away. Jeeeezzz...DS is headed to 5th grade, and there's no way I'd let him walk alone!! Times have certainly changed, and I don't think it's for the better.

 

[Tiggeroo]

But do you think our kids are safer today? And if they are, is it by much? I don't think so. I think the perceived threat is much greater then the actual threat. What have we gained for our kids by becoming so paranoid about things. Check out some of the points on the debate board.
Are kids safer without monkey bars and seesaws. There is some risk to diving boards and trampolines, but how great in a large population using these things is that risk. There are alot more things that we have eliminated to keep kids safe and give adults peace of mind. I wonder if part of it has to do with a loss in faith in God. In my grandparents time, sometimes bad things happened, but they felt that it was God's choice at the time. Now if something bad happens, somehow the parents must have been neglectful.

 

[Uncle Scar]

I remember my first visit to Disney in 1976. I was 7 (giving away my age) and I didn't want to go into the Haunted Mansion at night. The rest of family went in and I stayted outside sitting on a bench waiting for them.

I wasn't scared (well, just of the Haunted Mansion). They weren't bad parents, it was just a different time back then. They or I didn't fear someone taking me or doing bad things to me. In fact, an older gentleman sat down next to me and talked with me until my family came out.

This wouldn't happen now a days, due to the climate, or perceived climate. And the gentleman that kept me company probably would be looked at suspiciously, instead of being thanked for keeping an eye out for a kid. It's sad how things have changed.

 

[kaseyC]

I grew up in the 70's and I remember being able to go outside and play all day. Sleeping outside on the front porch with my friends. Big neighborhood games of "Kick the Can" with kids of all ages playing together.
I am now an over-protective mom, my DD-7 does not go outside to play without me out watching her. If she goes next door to play with her friends, she checks in with me every hour. She does not attend a B-Day Party of someone we do not know. There are so many other ways she is sheltered, it would take me all day to list.
I feel it is my responsibility as a parent to protect her. I do not think my parents were irresponsible, it was a different time, a more innocent time and the media makes us so much more aware today. I really do not know if that is a good thing. I swear almost anytime you turn on the TV, open the paper or turn on the computer, there is a story about crime against children.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I think we have info overload and things are probably not that much different you just know about it quickly.
My guess is sickos were around back in the 50s, 60s, 70s (met a few) etc.
Now people actually believe the victims. I think alot was overlooked or under reported in the past...just out of disbelief. Now we have DNA baby! It is just bringing to light what was already in existence.

 

[FOJMO]

I think a lot of the things everyone mentioned happened in the 50's, 60's, 70's too. It's just that your didn't HEAR about them. It just wasn't talked about...

 

[Blondie]

I grew up in the late 1960's, early 1970's. There was no such thing as helmets, knee pads or signing a piece of paper saying I wouldn't sue them if I got hurt while jumping on their trampoline! (I had to do that with two of my son's friends so they could jump on their trampolines)

In this particular subdivision the kids play all day outside until dusk. I feel fortunate that we live in an area where it's still safe to do so. I hope that never changes.

 

[Kitty 34]

Originally posted by caitycaity
in the place where i grew up, parents still let their kids play alone, and you can still ride your bike by yourself too.

My children are growing up in the same area I played as a child.......sounds like a similar spot as your parents, CaityCaity.

 

[SDAngel101]

I wish i could say i knew how it was in the 60's and 70's but i wasn't around then. I know that as i was growing up, I still had alot of freedom. Maybe because it was the lack of TV that we had in our house, but with 5 kids there was no way my mom and dad could watch all of us. From 5th grade to 12th grade i walked a 10 min walk home from the bus stop, and i was never afraid that someone was going to approach me on the street. After school, all the kids would meet at one part of the neighborhood and climb trees or play in the grass. Then again i had a 7pm cerfew on the weekdays but only because i wouldn't do my hmwk so that was sort of like a punishment.

I grew up in a rather carefree enviroment, and i liked it. When i grow up and have children, i would like to raise them the same why my parents raised me. I think it is better for someone to learn by their experiences because I know that kids and teens don't like to take their parents words into advise.. they would rather experience it for themselves and THATS when the parents get to say "I told you so!"