QOTD: Thurs 27 Jun: What are they missing out on?

[snuffaluffagus]

Skip rope and dodge ball games in the middle of the road. Having foot races with the neighbourhood kids up the street. Doubling on those old banana seat bikes because many of us actually had to share bikes (and we used them!). Oh, and that jumping elastics game where when you couldn't find anyone to play with you, you'd use a lamp post and a sturdy chair you dragged out of the house.

I did everything outdoors when I was growing up, no matter the weather. As soon as the sun rose, we were up and out and only came in reluctantly when the sun went down. I tried to raise my boys the same way. Kids miss way too much of outdoors time.

[snuffaluffagus]

Oh oh oh, just remembered the lemontwist and hula hoops , and being ever so grateful if a neighbour offered you a glass of water while you were out playing .

[lecale]

Nature. I think we are a much more urban society than we were 40 years ago

[saddlebag]

ok first off...I had the BIGGEST crush on Fred Flintstone...The Flinstones rocked.....Cubby (club) Houses were the coolest things to build and hang out in...playing pick up sticks, mother may i?, was an awesome game...hopscotch...what was any better than that???......walk through culverts at the brook, walking through the woods, skipping rocks at the lake, falling asleep on the floor snuggled up with the dog.....

[Patty Smyth]

I don't think my kids are missing out on too much. If anything, they are missing out on it is personal freedom. I will not let them play out front alone or wander to their friends houses to play, but neither does any other parent in my area.

My kids go and do almost anything. I am restless in the house so I am always doing something.
We camp, bicycle, do sports, go to the park, travel, go to the drive in....constantly on the go.

Oh I am with you on this, I never sent my kids out in the front yard alone to play. It's a different world today. That being said we are never bored and frankly my kids can barely keep up with this old lady

[ninna]

party lines--so when a phone attached to the wall in your house started to ring and you had to a) listen for whether it was your ring or not...and b) answer the phone without having the slightest idea who was calling and c) sometimes if you wanted to torture your neighbors, you could ever-so-subtly pick up the receiver and eavesdrop on their conversation or d) you could annoy your siblings by sitting in the same room and listening to what they had to say and they couldn't escape because the phone was attached to the wall with a 3 foot cord to the receiver. hahahaha

And prank telephone calls were way more fun when there was no call display. the old, "Is your refrigerator running" joke never got old...hehe...and they never knew who it was.

oh oh oh! And phone booths and the "how many people can you fit in a phone booth?" game was always fun. Pay phones are a total rarity these days. They used to line the entrances of every mall. I don't think I would even know where to look for one in a mall anymore.

[Darth Penguin]

friend dying cos he came off his bike and bashed his head on the pavement, no helmet laws.

another one badly injured cos she was sleeping on the parcel shelf and an emergancy stop sent her flying through the wind-screen...no seat belt/ car seat laws.

we didn't go too far nor not tell any-one because the Moors Murders were still a recent memory and the Yorkshire Ripper was just starting his reign of terror.

there were( and still are ) unexploded bombs and mines from WWII .. we knew men who had been injured in WWI and WWII.. we saw bombings and shootings in Northern Ireland as well as mainland Britian and the continent...

we were bullied for being smart or wore glasses or were fat or because of any number of other reasons..

If you parents were divorced, then you could be excluded from friend's parties and free school trips because divorce was catching, though male adultry wasn't!

life as a 60's and 70's kid could be deeply unpleasant ..and that's without mentionaing all the medical advances which aided our health.

[oscarandme]

As much as I love the convenience of stores being open, late and open on Sundays, I think children are missing family time together when everything was closed on Sundays, closed at 5PM? on Saturdays.

Seems things started to go down hill starting then as I look back, people working these days as well, kids too earning extra money, parents too WM, Home Depot, SDM and several others. Altough sometimes it was a pain to follow my parents to my aunt and uncles' place that played guitars and violins and sing-a-long songs (I am french canadian) looking back those gatherings were so much fun and the laughter that we shared. Although we do not have children I know these are things that I would regret them not experiencing.

Family time would be my regret.

[Lynn49]

As much as I love the convenience of stores being open, late and open on Sundays, I think children are missing family time together when everything was closed on Sundays, closed at 5PM? on Saturdays.

Seems things started to go down hill starting then as I look back, people working these days as well, kids too earning extra money, parents too WM, Home Depot, SDM and several others. Altough sometimes it was a pain to follow my parents to my aunt and uncles' place that played guitars and violins and sing-a-long songs (I am french canadian) looking back those gatherings were so much fun and the laughter that we shared. Although we do not have children I know these are things that I would regret them not experiencing.

Family time would be my regret.

Oh, so true! We learned a lot, being "dragged" to other people's homes and being " seen and not heard"! Or having 'company over' and behaving like hosts not centres if attention! We listened more than today, when it's all about NOT ignoring the kids! The adage "seen and not heard" was wisdom worth it's weight! Now it seem the world revolves around kids...no wonder they grow up feeling entitled!!!

[snuffaluffagus]

Just wanted to thank you Dan for getting me reminiscing about my favorite past times when I was little .

Ok, so not the lemon twist but this skip ball is going to have to do . I was looking for a kiddie pool for my dogs at RCSS when I saw it and couldn't pass it by, lol. Also picked up some sidewalk chalk to draw a hopscotch game in the yard. Can't wait to play! Wonder if I can convince dh to join me, lol. Also saw some hoola hoops...it's going on my birthday wish list.

[Natalka]

The lemon skipping thing must have come later - the one I had just had a red hard plastic ball at the end.

Oh, and the hours and hours of skipping rope, playing hopscotch (even alone), and Chinese skipping - thank goodness my mom was a sewer, there was a never-ending supply of elastic!

[Natalka]

So cool to find this - went with the '60s memories!

[Natalka]

Was anyone else a member of The Archies club? Sure wish I had kept my membership card!

[Andit]

Anyone else remember these (I got the DVD for my last b-day and have been watching it every couple of weeks since Jan ).

[danger_dan]

anyone else remember these (i got the dvd for my last b-day and have been watching it every couple of weeks since jan ).

yes!