Things our kids can't imagine...

[Klayfish]

Maturity
Responsibility
Accountability
Patience

Oh wait, you mean technology? Using a stove/toaster/oven instead of the microwave.

 

[Tattylou]

I'm not that old. I'm 34. lol We had remotes as a kid but there were times we didn't have the money for cable and had a 13" tv with a turn knob. My kids couldn't imagine.

I'm 39. I remember being really little and my mom had a black and white tv in the basement. It was old then and we had a color tv with cable in the main house, but the fact that I even had a black and white tv anywhere in my house. I don't think my kids know there was such a thing.

Having to sit and watch live tv. No pause, no rewind. If you go to the bathroom you miss it.

This^^^^ My kids say pause when they get up from playing to go do something. It's not even just for tv for them.

 

[msdaisy]

Only getting to see The Wizard of Oz once a year. I always looked so forward to that night and loved every minute of it.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Learning to swim by being tossed out of a boat.

BTW, didn't happen to me, but it did to many people I know.

 

[Tattylou]

Maturity
Responsibility
Accountability
Patience

Oh wait, you mean technology? Using a stove/toaster/oven instead of the microwave.

My microwave broke last week and for 24 hours we didn't have one. Made me appreciate that sucker!!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

The excitement of going to pick up a newly-developed roll of film to see how the pictures turned out. I always looked at them as soon as I got back to my car.

Yesssssssssssss!

 

[brockash]

A pager....lol not really that long ago, but so obsolete now.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

A pager....lol not really that long ago, but so obsolete now.

Tell that to one of our nurses. She REFUSES to give out her cell phone number and still uses a pager. She will send an email "I'm off today. Page if needed." I forget how to even send a page!

 

[Magpie]

As for things that seem absurd to my kids...

Certainly not playing outside. They did that, and kids still do that in our town, running from door to door in the neighbourhood. When I went to the corner store this morning, I waved at a neighbour's little boy, who was out shooting pucks at a net in his driveway.

Not records or corded phones, either, as we still have a landline and my son and his friends collect records (which continue to be released). And both kids can use a stove and other kitchen appliances (really, the microwave isn't very good for actual cooking).

But, I do think they do find it hard to imagine not being able to Google an answer to any question that occurs to them, the moment they think of it. They find it strange to think of having to write physical letters in order to stay in touch with absent friends, and then have to wait weeks for a reply. They're used to being able to reach out to almost anyone, anywhere, at any time (except for Grandma, who doesn't have a cellphone).

While my kids did play with my old typewriter, I think they would find it hard to write an essay for school on it. They're used to being able to move chunks of text around, and look things up on the fly, and have all the research they need right at their fingertips. I'm sure they've never used White Out/Paper Mate - or even more Old School, literal cutting and pasting, with tape and glue.

I'm not sure they know how to use card catalogs, either, as all the libraries are organized digitally now, and searchable online.

One of my son's university classmates HAS deliberately chosen not to have a cell phone, or even a landline - my son is very irritated about this, as it makes it difficult to coordinate with him for projects.

 

[sksjasams]

Using the Dewey Decimal System and card catalog at the library to find books.

Research papers were hard back in the day! Limited to what your library had for books and having to hand print or use a typewriter.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Growing up, we had a party-line on our farm. That meant that eight different families shared the same telephone line. If the phone rang, it wasn't always for you. You had to listen for your ring. Ours was two longs and a short. When you answered a call, anybody on the line could pick up their phone as well and listen to your conversation if they were so inclined.

We only had TWO TV channels and cable was not available outside of the city. Before I graduated high school, my dad bought a GIGANTIC satellite dish so we could watch more channels and movies.

As kids, we often rode in the back of the pick-up truck to go places.

The banks used to only be open during certain hours, usually just 9 to 5 on weekdays. Bank machines, online banking, online bill-pay, etc. were all non-existent. Come to think of it, I remember when stores first went to being open limited hours on Sundays, which my Grandma thought was absolutely the worst things that could happen. And then there were the grocery stores who were only open limited hours as well...none of this opening from 6 am until 10 pm business (or even 24 hours). Stores were closed in the evenings, Sundays, and all holidays, which I think helped protect family/down time.

There were no extended or weekend hours for doctor's or dentist's offices. All of your appointments were made during the day, HOWEVER, I do remember our family doctor making a couple of house calls to my Grandma's home in the city, coming in with his black doctor bag.

The strap as a means of punishment was just being phased out of our elementary school when I was in about grade 6 or so???

And speaking of schools, we were still using stencils with the purple ink that you would put through the mimeograph machine to make copies of handwritten tests, etc.

 

[sksjasams]

Twice now, I'm typing the same thing at the same time as another poster! Great minds

 

[punkin]

No spell check on your handy dandy manual typewriter.

 

[diznygirl]

I'm adding another....

Listening to records and tapes

After Guardians of the Galaxy tapes were rediscovered. My kids love the poor sound quality. Weirdos.

And they bought a record and record player with their own money and then marveled at the technology. LOL

They certainly can't imagine a world without instant access to anything. Google, Amazon, Ebay, Twitter, Instagram... If you think it you can find it, share it, buy it instantly.

 

[sksjasams]

Making your Christmas list from the Sears Wish Book and JCP Christmas catalog!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

The excitement of going to pick up a newly-developed roll of film to see how the pictures turned out. I always looked at them as soon as I got back to my car.

Thank goodness for that. You know how many pictures I had that were crap, lol.

 

[RedAngie]

Telephone numbers with letters

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Calling a girl/boy and having to deal with the fear of their parent picking up the house phone and actually having to ask "Hi, Can I talk to Mary?"

With kids having their own cell phones and texting, they don't have this healthy dose of fear anymore.

 

[sam_gordon]

Waiting for a radio station to read the list of school closings and hope you heard yours. Now you get emails and texts, it's on FB and websites.

 

[mom2rb]

No YouTube instruction videos. My boys will take anything apart with no fear of putting it back together.