Time To Go Home

[RedAngie]

As kids this was our signal to head home from where we were playing.

There were no play dates or anything organized. After dinner in summer we’d just wander the neighborhood looking for other kids to hang out with.

 

[White Cat]

The good old days. When the playgrounds and ball fields were filled.

 

[NannyBeBe]

We used to play hide and seek after dinner and hide in all the neighbors' yards. I cannot imagine doing that today.

 

[White Cat]

We used to play hide and seek after dinner and hide in all the neighbors' yards. I cannot imagine doing that today.

People would call the police.

 

[sam_gordon]

The good old days. When the playgrounds and ball fields were filled.

"the good ole days weren't always good
And tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems" - Billy Joel

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

The mosquitoes starting to bite was our signal to go home.

 

[robinb]

People would call the police.

Or worse, shoot the kids out of “stand your ground” fear.

 

[robinb]

On a happier note, we would also play and hang out in the summer until the streetlights came on. I was a little disappointed for my daughter as she was between kid generations in our immediate neighborhood. There was a kid pack that was about 2-3 years older and then another that was 2-3 years younger. Her friends came from school and sports and not the neighborhood.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Those were the best times of my life as a kid!

The good old days. When the playgrounds and ball fields were filled.

 

[darnheather]

I grew up in an area without street lamps. Lightening bugs was my cue in summer.

 

[Imzadi]

We used to play hide and seek after dinner and hide in all the neighbors' yards. I cannot imagine doing that today.

We used to play hide and seek from our DOGS after dinner. We'd have the dogs sit and stay on the front porch. Then run and hide in the neighbors' yards and call out to our dogs to come find us. (It was a time before leash laws.)

 

[slo]

Yep….coming home when the street light turned on was my parents rule too .
My stepdad also had a super loud whistle that I could here anywhere on my block when I was outside.

At our house now, we have a large cast iron bell (very heavy) that my DH anchored on a pole up high and attached a pull string to it. When it was time for me girls to come, I’d pull the string by the back door and they could hear it from 2-3 blocks away. Truth be told….I still use it today when DD19 is home from college. If she’s next door and it’s time to eat dinner I ring the bell. I could text her, but ringing the bell is just what we do, so why stop now. If she’s in the neighbors house my neighbor will tell her…,,I heard the dinner bell - time to go home. There was one time my neighbor walked in the house and said..,I’m here for dinner - what are you having? We’ve all been neighbors for 19 years.

 

[Kitty 34]

Ahhhhh.....the good 'ole days. Glad I had 'em.

Now I'm usually in bed before the dang things even turn on in the summer!!

 

[leahgoogle]

We used to play hide and seek after dinner and hide in all the neighbors' yards. I cannot imagine doing that today.

We frequently played hide and seek in the neighborhood after dinner. No yard was off limits. I'm glad I got to experience growing up back then. I will say that we live in a great neighborhood now so my kids have experienced some of that.