Little kids fall and get hurt. And sometimes they have to cry. Even little boys. Unfortunately, a few decades ago, little boys were always encouraged to be big strong men who never cry!
Thankfully that’s changed and we now know little boys cry, and even big and strong men too.
No Safety Nets on Trampolines
Today this seems like a total hazard. Strangely back then, it didn't seem to faze parents that much. As you can imagine, they weren't short of injuries. If ever there was a trampoline in the neighborhood, all the kids would zoom over as fast as possible, only to come home limping and wailing from the all bruises.
As you can imagine, countless kids would suffer from broken arms, bumped heads and various sprains. Did it stop them? Not for a moment.
Going to a Friend's House Alone
Today, playdates are an endless burden in modern-day parenting. The scheduling and the planning involved in getting our kids socialized can be a little bit of a headache. But also those decades ago, a kid would just simply tell their mom that they're going to a friend. And that was that.
The kid would make their own way to the friend and likely stay there the whole day, sometimes even for dinner. No cellphones, no internet. Parents didn't always know where their kids were.
People Hitchhiked Everywhere
For long distances, or cross country traveling, many young Americans simply stood on the side of the road with their thumbs out, waiting for a ride. This was particularly common for all those free-spirited hippies who were probably heading for California to live in peace.
Other young kids would also hitchhike to run away from their parents! Scary! Somehow, there wasn't much fear for creeps and weirdos out there. We wonder what happened.
Blood Brothers and Sisters
Before Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat, kids may have had fewer connections, but their bonds were definitely tighter. And in some cases... maybe a little too tight. Best friends wouldn't simply seal their friendships by exchanging cute bracelets or secret handshakes.
These kids would honor ancient oaths by becoming "blood brothers" or "blood sisters". Pretty gruesome, right?. Aside from the obvious 'ouch' factor, this was a great way to exchange endless bacteria and diseases.