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Childhood now versus then

humble soul

humble soul

On Sabbatical from Rome
Member
I think I got a better deal than kids these days.
They are overwhelmed with choice especially technologies. I don't think I would bother playing outside now. Too many options like computer/tablet games.
In my childhood, we could explore outside also because it was safe to do so. Climb trees, play cricket, make up other games, participate in board games like monopoly. Play chess (against a real person not a cyber partner).
We got bored sometimes but it forced us to use our imagination. Make a billy cart? Assemble a mini model race car set. Play darts.
The only screen we watched was a black and white TV. It added mystery if you ask me. We get spoilt with colour now.
The only thing I envy is having YouTube and Wikipedia. You can self educate and learn guitar by yourself. The internet is such a good resource for education. (As long as you stay away from the sinful sites)
 
We spent a lot of our time building tree houses and snow forts, digging in a sandbox, riding bicycles, swimming (use our bicycles to get to the lake often), chasing frogs in ponds and coming home to have mom help us remove the leeches that found our legs, sliding down snowy hills, etc.

My parents grew or gathered much of what we put on our table. We grew our own veggies and picked lots of berries and nuts so we spent countless hours roaming the woods looking for wild strawberries, blueberries, juneberries, chokecherries, raspberries, plumbs, apples, and hazelnuts. Loved those homemade jellies and syrups.
 
Were outside most of the time too. Climbing trees, visiting farms, forever exploring. There was a deserted cottage with a large apple orchard at the back I loved going there. Sad to see it disappear.
We used to play a lot of sports too. Visited wildlife parks and museums. Loads of life games we knew. Used to ride cycled too.
I used to walk to school and spend the bus fare on a dandelion and burdock.
I think children miss out on a lot of fun nowadays.
 
My mother tie 20 cents in a handkerchief, for me to buy lunch at school. That was rare. She usually made sandwiches for me.
 
Vacation was hardly ever boring. I had 6 brothers and next door had 11 kids!! A real Catholic neighbourhood.
 
Tessa said:
When I lived in Aussieland I never locked my doors. I used to leave the weeks money for thei milkman on the doorstep and it never once went missing.
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My wife leaves cash for our monthly front lawn gardener in the electricity power box. She fired me as gardener of the front. I'm allowed to do the back though.
 
Tessa said:
When I lived in Aussieland I never locked my doors. I used to leave the weeks money for thei milkman on the doorstep and it never once went missing.
Click to expand...
Oh yes and my next door neighbours had 6 children. They used to trail into our house carrying pillows and blankets to stay the night. I miss those days.
 
Tessa said:
Were outside most of the time too. Climbing trees, visiting farms, forever exploring. There was a deserted cottage with a large apple orchard at the back I loved going there. Sad to see it disappear.
We used to play a lot of sports too. Visited wildlife parks and museums. Loads of life games we knew. Used to ride cycled too.
I used to walk to school and spend the bus fare on a dandelion and burdock.
I think children miss out on a lot of fun nowadays.
Click to expand...
Oh yes, sports. When in was about 12 and my brother was 11 we would get together with other kids to play football. That's real football to those of you outside the states. :biggrin2 It wasn't touch or flag football either, it was tackle football or as we used to call it, schmuck football. My brother and I would take newspapers and stuff them inside our pants and shirts to serve as padding. Playing with high school kids made things get a little rough at times you know. When you're 12 a 17-year old is huge!
 
Tessa said:
When I lived in Aussieland I never locked my doors. I used to leave the weeks money for thei milkman on the doorstep and it never once went missing.
Click to expand...
We still don't lock our doors here. Truth is, with our nearest neighbor 1/2 mile away and out of sight, if someone really wanted to they could come with a panel truck, load up everything we have, leave, and and nobody would be the wiser until we got home. If we locked our doors, they'd leave us a busted door as well.
 
humble soul said:
Impressive. Dad did when he had time. He never passed those skills on to us.
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With seven kids, growing enough to last for the winter meant our garden was not small either. I still enjoy growing a garden every year but not enough to supply all our vegetables.
 
WIP said:
I still enjoy growing a garden every year but not enough to supply all our vegetables
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You would have to give away some of your vegetables.
That's my excuse for not doing it now. The waste. Oh and I would have to make sure the dog didn't eat them.
 
WIP said:
Oh yes, sports. When in was about 12 and my brother was 11 we would get together with other kids to play football. That's real football to those of you outside the states. :biggrin2 It wasn't touch or flag football either, it was tackle football or as we used to call it, schmuck football. My brother and I would take newspapers and stuff them inside our pants and shirts to serve as padding. Playing with high school kids made things get a little rough at times you know. When you're 12 a 17-year old is huge!
Click to expand...
Sounds more like rugby. Love the newspsper bit.
 
WIP said:
We still don't lock our doors here. Truth is, with our nearest neighbor 1/2 mile away and out of sight, if someone really wanted to they could come with a panel truck, load up everything we have, leave, and and nobody would be the wiser until we got home. If we locked our doors, they'd leave us a busted door as well.
Click to expand...
That's so true. If they want to get in they will find a way.
 
My childhood was spent for the most part out of doors. Sometimes we would play games (football, hockey, baseball) but often we would go fishing or just go to the woods to see what we could find. I don't play those sports any more -- I'm 77 -- but I do take a 1-hour plus walk in the wilderness reserve near here every day (when the weather permits).
 
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