THOSE BORN 1920-1979

[Diana Young, RD, LD/N, CDE]

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking

As infants &children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because,

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms.......

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

[David]

Wonderful post--and of course, true. After reading it, I'm wondering just how bad the after effects
our current approach to not letting children experience the normal activities of childhood will be.

A bit troubling.

[Lisa Newton]

Wow, it's amazing just how many of these things I did. Being born in a small town, I rode my bike everywhere, without a worry. No helmet or anything.

You brought back some great memories, Diana. Thank you.....................:)

[Andrew Scott]

WOW Talk about a blast from the past!

THANKS!!! :)

[Joe S]

Great post, I've been ranting about this to my wife for a while now. We are going to try and start a family soon. I'll try as much as possible to raise my kids the way I grew up. Also what about Dodgeball? I hear they don't play that at schools anymore.

[TB]

Thanks for making me feel old.

[Diana Young, RD, LD/N, CDE]

You're Welcome. LOL

[Susana]

I guess life was so simple before... since the advance of the technology everything changed... some for worse! :(

[Trimnasium]

I'm definitely sharing this. Thanks so much for the trip down memory lane. You hit the nail on the head, of course. I think we turned out pretty well.

[TR Hughes]

Long story short I think we were taught by default to take care of ourselves. Being brought up in a different era has provided us with the wherewithal to benefit from logical reasoning coupled with circumstance and ramifications of our choices. I used to go out to play in the morning ans come back in the evening without so much as a care in the world and the parents didn't even know where I was. Looking back now it seems a little dangerous yet I survived and gained insight into how to be normal socially in the world. Our kids today could benefit from some good old fashioned parenting. Great article. Love your way with words.

[Josie Maurer]

Ahh the memories. I miss these times.