Things our kids can't imagine...

[kimblebee]

Telephone numbers with letters

That's so funny. I was just telling my daughter about this yesterday. Also, I don't know how widespread it was but here, you used to be able to tell where in the city someone lived by what their phone number started with... all the 237s were one area and the 452's in another.

 

[rastahomie]

Parking your car at high school next to trucks with guns mounted on gun racks (because they're going hunting after school).

Having to look through the lingerie section of the catalog; that was as close as I was ever going to get to, uh, "erotica" without having to pay a bum to go into 7-11 and buy me a Penthouse.

Also, I dare any parent of teenagers to watch The Breakfast Club with them. When the kids all reveal why they're in detention, it comes out that Brian (the nerd character) brought a flare gun to school. Bring a gun (even a flare gun) into any public high school in this country and you're not getting Saturday detention; you're going to prison. Similarly, the jock character taped a guy's butt cheeks together; there are very few school administrators in this country who are going to see that as anything short of 2nd-degree assault. These days he'd be facing misdemeanor charges and expulsion, not Saturday detention.

 

[PollyannaMom]

We had remote controls... my sister and myself.

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.

Heck, I'd really miss those things now, and I do remember doing it the old way!

Telephone numbers with letters

I have to admit I don't remember those. But I did live in a little town where you only had to dial the last 5 digits for local calls. (I still remember several phone numbers from that time. - I don't think I know more than a handful of the ones I use all the time today, because they're in my cell phone!)

 

[prprincess]

Using a pocket planner/wall calendar.

Having too heat everything up on the stove or in a toaster oven.

Using a cassette tape recorder to get a copy of your favorite songs.

Watching music videos.

Okay, now I feel old.

 

[Vijoge]

No ATM or debit card

Walking home from school every day to eat lunch

Manual typewriters

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Telephone numbers with letters

I'm no spring chicken, but I've never seen that before.

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.

Or running to the phone, while yelling "I've got it, I've got it!" to make sure your parents didn't pick it up.

Also, trying to get as far away as possible for privacy, when you were limited to the cord length.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

No ESPN or other sports channels. Only being able to watch the few games that we're shown on Network TV. Thankfully we got satellite, by the time I was in middle school.

 

[sksjasams]

Or running to the phone, while yelling "I've got it, I've got it!" to make sure your parents didn't pick it up.
Also, trying to get as far away as possible for privacy, when you were limited to the cord length.

Yes! We had a decently long phone cord, so I could go around the corner and into the half bath to talk.

Does anyone else remember being the dishwasher and the garage door opener??

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

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.

We took DD8 to our local library the other day. Unfortunately the librarian told us we would not be able to borrow a book because their computer system was down. I found that kind of ironic.

 

[Turn the Page]

Waiting by the radio with your tape recorder ready to try and catch your new favorite song so you could have a copy. Youtube sure is handy.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Singing the wrong lyrics to a song for years. Now kids can google the lyrics.

 

[DaisyJ]

Telephone numbers with letters

Is that a Canadian thing? I've never heard of phone numbers with letters?

 

[kimblebee]

Is that a Canadian thing? I've never heard of phone numbers with letters?

Not the pp, but I always thought it was mainly an American thing lol

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Parking your car at high school next to trucks with guns mounted on gun racks (because they're going hunting after school).

Having to look through the lingerie section of the catalog; that was as close as I was ever going to get to, uh, "erotica" without having to pay a bum to go into 7-11 and buy me a Penthouse.

Also, I dare any parent of teenagers to watch The Breakfast Club with them. When the kids all reveal why they're in detention, it comes out that Brian (the nerd character) brought a flare gun to school. Bring a gun (even a flare gun) into any public high school in this country and you're not getting Saturday detention; you're going to prison. Similarly, the jock character taped a guy's butt cheeks together; there are very few school administrators in this country who are going to see that as anything short of 2nd-degree assault. These days he'd be facing misdemeanor charges and expulsion, not Saturday detention.

Add to this - the teacher asking to borrow a pocket knife, and nearly every boy in class reaching for his pocket LOL

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Getting out of practice or an activity at 6pm and waiting for your parent to pick you up. Since you didn't have a cell phone to call or text them, you just hoped they remembered.

And the coach/leader would walk out, see you there, ask if you have a parent coming, then say "Ok - see you tomorrow" and leave.

Now, there is ALWAYS an adult that stays, even in middle school, and I get a text from my kid within 20 seconds of waiting if I'm not there waiting for her when she gets out:

5:00pm:
"Mom
MOm
MOM
Mom........
MOMMMM......
Where are you?
I was done at 5 (mind you, it's like 5:01 and 15 seconds)
Did you forget to get me?
MOMMMM!!!!"

5:02pm:
Never mind. Kayla's mom will give me a ride. She doesn't want me to have to wait.

5:03PM:
(me): GOOD. See you at home!

The good thing that came out of that one was, after a text like that ridiculous nonsense, I told DD for now on she can walk home or ask Kayla's mom for a ride since she is OBVIOUSLY a much better parent than I am lol

Win-win!

 

[CdnCarrie]

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.

You still use Dewey Decimal System in public libraries and schools. The numbers on the spine of the book are DDS. Still going strong.

 

[sksjasams]

You still use Dewey Decimal System in public libraries and schools. The numbers on the spine of the book are DDS. Still going strong.

True! Just no card catalogs anymore..

 

[DaisyJ]

Not the pp, but I always thought it was mainly an American thing lol

I texted my mom and asked her and she never heard of it, either. Maybe it's regional.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Getting out of practice or an activity at 6pm and waiting for your parent to pick you up. Since you didn't have a cell phone to call or text them, you just hoped they remembered.

And the coach/leader would walk out, see you there, ask if you have a parent coming, then say "Ok - see you tomorrow" and leave.

Now, there is ALWAYS an adult that stays, even in middle school, and I get a text from my kid within 20 seconds of waiting if I'm not there waiting for her when she gets out:

5:00pm:
"Mom
MOm
MOM
Mom........
MOMMMM......
Where are you?
I was done at 5 (mind you, it's like 5:01 and 15 seconds)
Did you forget to get me?
MOMMMM!!!!"

5:02pm:
Never mind. Kayla's mom will give me a ride. She doesn't want me to have to wait.

5:03PM:
(me): GOOD. See you at home!

The good thing that came out of that one was, after a text like that ridiculous nonsense, I told DD for now on she can walk home or ask Kayla's mom for a ride since she is OBVIOUSLY a much better parent than I am lol

Win-win!

2 girls from my volleyball team (6th grade) didn't have a ride when practice ended at 8:00 last night. Took until 8:15 to get a phone answered & 8:30 to get Dad there.

I graduated HS in 1985 and a coach was required to stay for the last kid in those days. Most who had to call had a "trick". You'd use the pay phone, make a collect call to Mom, she'd refuse the charges, but knew that was the signal to come pick the kid up LOL

 

[sksjasams]

Most who had to call had a "trick". You'd use the pay phone, make a collect call to Mom, she'd refuse the charges, but knew that was the signal to come pick the kid up LOL

Yep! This was how I called to get a ride home from work when I was done.