Remember the good old days? Life was simpler, kids roamed free, and safety was more of a suggestion than a rule. If you’ve ever listened to your grandparents’ stories about their childhood, you might have found yourself thinking, “Wait, they did what?!” It’s true, many of the things that were totally normal for our grandparents would be considered downright negligent parenting today.
From letting kids ride in the back of a pickup truck to giving them a swig of whiskey to help them sleep, the parenting practices of yesteryear are enough to make modern moms and dads cringe. Let’s look at 18 things your grandparents probably did that would get them into hot water with today’s parenting police.
Letting Kids Ride in the Back of a Pickup Truck
Can you imagine seeing a bunch of kids bouncing around in the bed of a pickup truck today? Back in Grandpa’s day, this was just how you got around. Seatbelts? What seatbelts? Kids would pile into the back of the truck and hold on for dear life as they zoomed down the highway. Sure, it was dangerous, but it was also a lot of fun.
Giving Kids a Swig of Whiskey to Help Them Sleeping
Nowadays, giving a child alcohol is a big no-no. But back in the day, a little nip of whiskey was considered a perfectly acceptable way to help a fussy baby or a toddler with a toothache get some shut-eye. Grandma might have even rubbed a little whiskey on a teething baby’s gums to numb the pain. Can you imagine the looks you’d get if you tried that today?
Letting Kids Play with Fireworks
Fourth of July just wasn’t complete without a few roman candles, bottle rockets, and sparklers. And who better to light them off than the kids? Grandpa would hand over the matches and let the little ones have at it, standing back and cheering as they ran around the backyard with sparks flying. It’s a wonder more fingers weren’t lost in the process.
Sending Kids to the Store to Buy Cigarettes
Back in the day, it was totally normal to send a kid to the corner store with a few bucks to pick up a pack of smokes for Grandma. The shopkeeper wouldn’t bat an eye at selling cigarettes to a 10-year-old. Can you imagine the scandal that would cause today?
Letting Kids Roam the Neighborhood Unsupervised
Grandma and Grandpa didn’t hover over their kids like helicopters. They kicked them out of the house in the morning and told them to be back by dinner. Kids would spend all day roaming the neighborhood, getting into mischief, and having adventures. No one worried about stranger danger or checked in every 10 minutes.
Not Using Car Seat
Car seats? What car seats? Back in Grandpa’s day, kids would just bounce around the back seat of the car or even sit on Mom’s lap in the front. There were no strict laws about car seat safety, and people didn’t give it much thought. It’s a wonder any of us survived those car rides.
Letting Kids Play with Dangerous Toys
Lawn darts, BB guns, chemistry sets – these were all fair game for kids back in the day. No one worried about the potential for injury or lawsuits. If a toy was fun and kept the kids busy, that was good enough for Grandma and Grandpa. Sure, a few eyes might have been poked out along the way, but that was just part of growing up.
Not Using Sunscreen
Grandma and Grandpa didn’t slather their kids in SPF 50 before sending them out to play. In fact, they probably didn’t use sunscreen at all. Getting a sunburn was just part of summer, and no one thought twice about it. Skin cancer? That was something that happened to other people.
Letting Kids Ride Their Bikes Without Helmets
Bike helmets were for sissies back in Grandpa’s day. Kids would hop on their bikes and take off down the street, wind in their hair and not a care in the world. Sure, they might have ended up with a few scrapes and bruises along the way, but that was just part of the fun.
Letting Kids Eat Raw Cookie Dough
Salmonella? What’s that? Grandma would let the kids lick the spoon and the bowl clean after making a batch of cookies, and no one thought twice about it. Today, we know that raw eggs can carry some nasty bacteria, but back then, it was just a delicious treat.
Not Childproofing the House
Grandma and Grandpa’s house was a veritable death trap by today’s standards. Stairs with no gates, outlets without covers, and cleaning products stored under the sink – it’s a wonder any of us survived a visit to their place. They just expected kids to know better than to drink the bleach or stick a fork in the socket.
Letting Kids Play with Mercury
Remember those old thermometers that used mercury? Grandpa might have let the kids play with the silvery liquid metal if one of those thermometers ever broke. They’d roll it around in their hands, marveling at how it moved. Little did they know they were handling a toxic substance that could cause serious health problems.
Smoking Around Kids
Everyone smoked back in the day, even around kids. Grandma might have had a cigarette dangling from her lips while she cooked dinner, and Grandpa might have puffed on his pipe while he read the kids a bedtime story. No one thought about secondhand smoke or the harm it could cause.
Letting Kids Drink from the Hose
Thirsty from playing outside all day? No need to go inside for a glass of water. Just take a swig from the hose! Grandma and Grandpa didn’t worry about what might be lurking in that rubber tube or whether the water was clean. It was just a convenient way to get a drink.
Not Using Car Windows or Seatbelts
Remember those old cars with the little triangle windows in the back? Kids would fight over who got to sit next to those windows so they could stick their head out and feel the breeze. And seatbelts? Forget about it. Kids would roll around the back seat like tumbleweeds, and no one thought anything of it.
Letting Kids Play with Power Tools
Grandpa might have let the kids help him with his latest DIY project, even if that meant handing them a power drill or a circular saw. He figured they had to learn sometime, and a few cuts and bruises were just part of the process. Can you imagine the gasps of horror that would elicit today?
Letting Kids Eat Nothing But Junk Food
Grandma and Grandpa might have thought that a balanced meal was a hot dog in one hand and a Twinkie in the other. They didn’t worry too much about nutrition or making sure the kids ate their veggies. As long as they were full and happy, that was good enough.
Letting Kids Run Wild at the Playground
Playgrounds back in the day were like something out of a horror movie. Metal slides that would sear your skin on a hot day, swings that would launch you into orbit, and monkey bars that were just high enough to break a bone or two. But Grandma and Grandpa would just turn the kids loose and let them have at it, figuring that a few scrapes and bruises were all part of the fun.
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