Things that would be completely un-PC today

[clori]

When I was in elementary school in the 70s if the weather turned bad enough in the winter or was getting really bad we would have an early release. I think there was a fire alarm horn that went off across the city indicating early release but otherwise it was just go home. Parents were not called (before robo calls) and not enough time plus just 1 school phone line to call all parents. At that time the school was grades 1-6 and no matter how young you just walked home. No one was concerned about someone being home to let you in. My mother had an in home day care so she was usually home but that wasn't the case for all.

At my school parents never picked kids up even in first grade. The school was considered a walkers school and everyone lived within 1/2 mile. I don't recall a single kid in my class of about 18 getting a ride on a daily basis. Also I had a friend a grade apart from me. If her mother ever came to the school for some event like a grade specific concert that ended before school would get out she was always allowed to bring me home early as well and it never counted as a dismissal.

 

[CPanther95]

When I was in elementary school in the 70s if the weather turned bad enough in the winter or was getting really bad we would have an early release. I think there was a fire alarm horn that went off across the city indicating early release but otherwise it was just go home. Parents were not called (before robo calls) and not enough time plus just 1 school phone line to call all parents. At that time the school was grades 1-6 and no matter how young you just walked home. No one was concerned about someone being home to let you in. My mother had an in home day care so she was usually home but that wasn't the case for all.

At my school parents never picked kids up even in first grade. The school was considered a walkers school and everyone lived within 1/2 mile. I don't recall a single kid in my class of about 18 getting a ride on a daily basis. Also I had a friend a grade apart from me. If her mother ever came to the school for some event like a grade specific concert that ended before school would get out she was always allowed to bring me home early as well and it never counted as a dismissal.

We used to walk to elementary school also. I always remembered it as a very long walk, but I recently Google mapped it and it was just under a mile.

 

[cijay]

I took public transit (by myself) to school in the first grade and would stay at home after school. These days a kid might get placed in protective care for that.

Actually, my friend is teaching his 7 year olds to take the bus. He's driving them to/from school this year but come spring, they're going to be taking the bus (stop is outside the house and outside the school) and then after school walk to their grandparents' which is a block away.

 

[aprilgail]

When I was a kid in Minnesota in the 60's, our little public school (about 15-20 kids per grade) had "release" classes on Wednesday for maybe an hour. The bus would come and drive us around to one of the three churches in town, depending on your religion. We had religious instruction during that hour. I'm pretty sure this would not be allowed today! I still remember being scandalized when a new family moved to town and their kids DID NOT go to any church. Gasp. They stayed behind in the classroom while we all left.

We had that in grade school- but it was just the Catholic kids that left, which was basically everyone except me and one other boy. The teacher would have us clean out the supply closet or wash the desks. I think that was punishment for her having to stay there with us because otherwise she would have been free! I remember hating when all the other kids left!!

 

[bethbuchall]

When I was a kid in Minnesota in the 60's, our little public school (about 15-20 kids per grade) had "release" classes on Wednesday for maybe an hour. The bus would come and drive us around to one of the three churches in town, depending on your religion. We had religious instruction during that hour. I'm pretty sure this would not be allowed today! I still remember being scandalized when a new family moved to town and their kids DID NOT go to any church. Gasp. They stayed behind in the classroom while we all left.

I was in elementary school in Western New York in the 70s, and Wednesday was an early release day for CCD classes for all of the Catholic students. Those of us who weren't Catholic, stayed in the classroom and had pretty much a free afternoon.

 

[E&Cmom]

No seats belts or car seats. Piling as many kids in the car as possible one on top of the other.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

When we moved from New York to California (back at the dawn of creation), we three kids (ages 8, 6, & 4)slept in the back of the station wagon, on top of the foot lockers my parents had packed. No seat belts - didn't actually sit in seats.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I remember in HS everyone carried a knife, most in a pouch on their belts. They weren't considered a "weapon" unless they exceeded 9 inches when open. And if you were found to have one larger than that, they just asked you not to bring it in anymore.

 

[E&Cmom]

Candy cigarettes were called " Candy Cigarettes" not candy sticks.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Candy cigarettes were called " Candy Cigarettes" not candy sticks.

I loved those.

 

[Nettester]

When I was a kid in Minnesota in the 60's, our little public school (about 15-20 kids per grade) had "release" classes on Wednesday for maybe an hour. The bus would come and drive us around to one of the three churches in town, depending on your religion. We had religious instruction during that hour. I'm pretty sure this would not be allowed today! I still remember being scandalized when a new family moved to town and their kids DID NOT go to any church. Gasp. They stayed behind in the classroom while we all left.

We had this too! Minnesota back in the early 80's. A blue bus would come to our school and take us back, but we often chose to walk to "religious class" which must have been about a mile from the school. Yes, we did this in the cold of winter, too. I remember doing this in 4th grade. Sadly, it was not the best experience. I just did it because some friends were going. One of the youth leaders was particularly unkind. I wish I would have just skipped the whole thing.

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

We sat "Indian style". Now it's "criss cross applesauce".

 

[kimblebee]

Calling someone an indian giver, giving indian burns...

 

[E&Cmom]

This one someone mentioned to me the other day when it was my DDs birthday.

Getting or giving " the bumps" on your birthday. Today it would be bullying and abuse.

When I look this up in Google, apparently it was more of a thing done in Canada, the U.K. And India. Not sure if it was done in the US or not?

 

[mamamary]

This one someone mentioned to me the other day when it was my DDs birthday.

Getting or giving " the bumps" on your birthday. Today it would be bullying and abuse.

When I look this up in Google, apparently it was more of a thing done in Canada, the U.K. And India. Not sure if it was done in the US or not?

Was the bumps giving punches? I remember you'd get one punch for how many years old you were. Wonder how that one started?

 

[alicat8]

In first grade I played a professor in a play. I wasn't allowed to be a girl, so I had to wear my hair back and play a boy.

They also made me wear real glasses that hurt my eyes.

 

[smokeyblue]

We sat "Indian style". Now it's "criss cross applesauce".

My friends little boy came home from pre-school and showed mom and dad how he sat "criss-cross (insert colloquial expression for anus) sauce". They just about died.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I grew up in a neighborhood of 1st and 2nd gen immigrants and Irish from the great migration. We divided ourselves by race, by Catholic and Public (referring to schools somewhat). Most of our lives were non-pc. Our parents were kind to everybody but most parents and all grandparents were to some degree racist. As new groups came in you hated them but now liked the previous groups more.
We sang - Me Chinese, me play joke, me put peepee in your coke. And Chinese, Japanese, dirty knees, look at these (if you don't know it google it) We would sometimes wear black face as part of a costume. Teachers drove you home. We sat Indian style and played cowboy and Indian using play guns or sticks and ropes. We had a very crude word for dirt that got in kids necks and between their toes and such.
In high school young men took off for the first couple of days of deer season. They had guns in the back of their trucks. Nobody shot anybody.
Most of my family who left the city are not even a little racist. Those who stayed are a mixed bag but still pretty un pc.

 

[kamik86]

I'm under 30 and I ever remember a good number of these mentioned above.

When toy guns were allowed in school, even if they actually shot something (like nerf and water guns)
When you could pack a knife in your lunch to cut your apple or other food.
Posting the grades a student got on an assignment.

 

[mamamary]

When I was in 7th gr. we had a teacher who kept a hockey stick at his desk. When the class acted up he would grab the stick and hit it as hard as he could on the desk in front of him. It always scared the crap out of us. He would also make us stay late after school and everytime those of us with a younger sibling that we took home would have to go out and get that sibling and make them suffer the after school punishment with us. My younger sister was in 1st grade so she always got punished with us. I can't imagine a teacher making the students just stay after school now. He only lasted teaching there a year and when I went to high school guess who was teaching there? He only lasted one year there also. I actually liked him though.