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Article How times have changed

By Kelly Elliott
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41 Comments

I’ve recently been thinking about when I was younger, and the normal things that happened as a kid back then. Things like, how playing out on the road with the neighbours kids until the sun went down, was completely normal.

The parents would be inside, probably drinking wine, and never checked on us. Just yelling out to us to “Dinner’s ready. Get inside!!!”, every 20 minutes.

Don’t get me wrong……I’m not having a go at parents back then. I am just saying that it was the ‘normal’ thing to do then. It hardly happens anymore though. Well, actually, I think the wine drinking still happens for most parents.

But that innocence of leaving your kids outside for hours (depending on age and where you live) doesn’t.

Out of your view. Where anything could happen – be it hoons in cars, or other kids bullying, or just horrible people stealing children.

So I did a bit of Internet browsing to see the changes over the years with standard kid stuff.

The car seat

When I was a bub, it was all just “Chuck the kid in the back seat in the bassinet. Or just chuck them in the back seat with no seat belt”. None of this safety crap. “She’ll be right. Hell, why not let the kid drive! They need to learn some time anyway.” Every parent in the 80’s would be proud if their kid could drive by the time they got out of nappies.

How hilarious is it that in one generation, we have gone from this……..

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© Shutterstock.com

Don’t worry about putting both hands on the wheel….it’s the 80’s!

to this……….

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Source: www.childcarseats.com.au

There are rules upon rules for kids and their carseats now. Makes sense obviously. But how times have changed!!!!

Soft drink

I found this advertisment online yesterday and I couldn’t stop laughing. It is telling Mums to start giving their kid cola at an early age! It will make them gain acceptance and ‘fit-in’ easier when they grow up.

Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Crazy man. Just crazy……….

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My Mum never had soft drink in the house (only on extremely rare occasions). So the only time I had it as a kid was when it was a friend’s birthday party. They thought it was best to put a dozen or so kids in one room,  give them a soft drink they hardly ever had, and just watch them. As you could imagine……we bounced off the walls for hours and gave our parents plenty of laughs while they drank their wine.

These days if you give your kid a soft drink, you may as well go to jail – according to society anyway. It’s the devil’s booze and you will be frowned upon by all. How times have changed!!!!

Sun awareness

In Australia, we have the highest rate of skin cancer anywhere in the world. Apparently the sun is hotter here. Weird. I thought everyone in the world had the same sun. But over here in Oz, it’s super deadly and you will be fried like an egg if you go outside for more than five minutes.

When I was young, we had an advertisement on TV called ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’. It was to make you aware that you had to put on sunscreen, a hat, and put on a shirt. Now, it’s advertised as ‘Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek & Slide’. They keep adding bits to it, as the sun over here is relentless and is getting more evil!

1980’s toddler outside wear was either nappy with singlet or just go naked…….

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© Shutterstock.com

Hats were only for special occasions when I was young. Actually. I don’t think I even owned a hat until I was a teenager.

In ten years if you want your kids to go outside in the sun in Australia, this is what they will have to wear…………..

(image from www.kidsdreamspot.com)

The sun will be really deadly then. How times have changed!

Kid’s entertainment

Back in my day, if you wanted to play or be entertained, you had this…..

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© Shutterstock.com

or this….

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© Shutterstock.com

or this…..

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© Shutterstock.com

 It was called imagination. And I had to use it a lot.

Now a lot of the time, it’s this…..

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© Shutterstock.com

How times have changed!!!!

Don’t be offended in any way if you are a Mother from the 1980’s or a Mother from today. I’m not having a go at you. I am simply explaining, or showing how times have changed.

All Mums do a good job no matter what the era. I just think it’s hilarious how man-kind changes their opinion and are more aware as time goes on.

It shows we learn as we go, just like our kids. Life goes on.

Can you imagine when our kids are grown up and they are having kids. What the hell is it going to be like then?? I wonder if it will be illegal to even give your kid soft drink, or even drive in a car with them (without super extra padding on their body). Oh the wonder!

If you have a childhood memory that has significantly changed to your child’s era, please SHARE in the comments below.

Main image courtesy of © Shutterstock.com
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Comments

  • Foods i would take to school for lunch. A potato chip sandwich. Sometimes Mum would just send me with 2 slices of buttered bread and a packet of chips so i could make my own sandwich. imagine if a Mum did that today.

    Reply

  • Ah, how the times are a changing.

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  • times have changed crazy like x

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  • time have changed

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  • I can remember heading out as a child, 8, 9, 10 years old, not coming home til tea time. We’ld visit friends, go to the pool. The tennis courts, I loved the library, go to the ‘clay pits’ no matter how many times mum told us not to. Lol. Was do free and easy

    • Play under the sprinkler, no sunblock. Ride bikes, no helmets. Travel in a car, no seatbelt. Times sure have changed!

      • Yes, I remember all those too. Especially the no sunblock and no helmet thing!

    Reply

  • It sure does bring back a lot of memories. Making your own fun. Cubbies in the back yard, riding your bike all around the neighbourhood- without a helmet! Exploring out in the open, what child needs a mobile phone or any electronic device in primary school. I know there are advantages to these devices today but they are also responsible for kids not knowing how to make their own fun.

    • I agree. I think using the imagination has gone down a touch these days. I still haven’t bought my son an Ipad. Everyone else has one, but I still don’t agree with them (for the moment anyway :))

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  • i just remembered the time when i was a child

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  • lol yep! they are already trying to stigmatise softdrinks and want to put labels all over them warning you and even talks to ban children from drinking them. It should be up to the parent to control. I am not saying give your baby softdrink but use your common sense! Little kids don’t need these drinks anyway

    • I agree. I haven’t given my son any soft drink (yet). And he’s not missing out on anything! Thanks for reading.

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  • Times have changed,there was alot of freedom in the old days regarding children.

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  • Trends have changed even between our oldest and youngest kids (in 11 years). And I realise we are well behind with the technology games – we’re definitely old school there. I’m amazed by that Soda ad, thanks for sharing.

    • And 11 years isn’t even that much! It changes so quickly! Yes, the cola ad is incredible. Thanks for reading :)

    Reply

  • Life for sure has changed.

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  • I miss the time when I was a child.

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  • Gone are those days! Just yesterday I was talking wit my daughter about walking to school and back. Nowadays it’s all about using the car. Have you seen the long line of cars at the school gates, they cause a traffic jam. Even mums who do not work cannot afford to
    do the short walk any more.

    Talk about playing outside, that is just like a history lesson to our kids. I am also surprised about the increase in allergies these days.

    • I agree with the allergies! It’s incredible how much you hear about it now

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  • It’s different. Some of it’s better, some worse.

    • For sure. Some good, some not so good. But completely out of our control (well, some of it is)

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  • Fully agree with you – I used to go walkabout in the bush – left home around 7 am with a sandwich and a bottle of water and got back home just as dusk was settling in – I helped people my parents never knew on farms, played in caves, swung over ravines on ropes from trees and looking back, if I had fallen and had an accident, I doubt I would have been found as no one knew where I was or even in what direction I went. And I did this on my own without any friends around for possibly 4 or 5 years growing up.
    My kids did have a reasonable amount of freedom but there were more people around then and everyone knew everyone else in the little village we lived in so I was quickly told if one of them had a fall off their bikes, or got into some sort of other trouble.
    How pleasant it was then – I do agree with you.
    Thanks for bringing back all those memories.

    • You sound like you had a great childhood :)! Yes, it has changed so much. But it is nice to look back on the carefree memories we had

    Reply

  • Growing up, we had to be home before the street lights came on! Now my niece gets a mobile phone as she has to get the train home from school….

    • So completely different now, huh? I was also the same when I was younger. Come home when it gets dark, or the lights go on :)

    Reply

  • Thanks for a blast from the past ..really enjoyed your article.
    Growing up we would play cricket in the middle of our street. Also would ride our billy cart down the hill on the foot path but wait for it …you actually crossed a street half way down, now a days you would be run over, oh so much busier. The good old days were so much more relaxed and carefree.

    Reply

  • I really miss the old days. I wish my kids were growing up in such a carefree time

    Reply

  • we have to make sure kids dont stay outside for too long

    • Why on earth would you not want your kids outside for too long?

    Reply

  • I think how my oldest was buckled up in the car to what is needed these days, yes things have changed. It has me wondering if that net across the bassinet with a seat over it was all that safe. The hook over the back seat baby car seat how safe was it. That was 1982 by 1986 had a better system but still not as safe as these days. My parents worked in the 70’s so a neighbour was our go to person if in trouble. problem was she would have to know you were in trouble first to do anything about it. Riding a bike without a helmet and doubling up on it. Extending the forks on our bikes to look cool, where were the safety police to stop us doing this. Yes thing have changed and will contunie to change.

    Reply
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