9 things kids did in the ‘60s that would horrify parents today
The 1960s was a decade of culture, counterculture, revolution and great fashion. It was also a decade of horrifying social and safety faux pas when it came to children, and it’s honestly a miracle as many of us survived as we did. Here are nine reasons parents today would be horrified if the sixties came back.
1. Dangerous toys
Sharp, pointy objects, noxious fumes, relaxed age restrictions – toys in the sixties could be downright dangerous. You could be taking your life in your hands when you picked up the latest plaything.
2. Cigarettes everywhere
Not only did a significant portion of the adult population smoke – it was still actively encouraged by many parents. Look through family photo albums from the sixties and you’ll probably find a happy snap of a child with an unlit ciggie between their teeth as adults look on with mirth.
3. Stranger what-ger?
The sixties were so carefree that no one had suggested the classic “stranger danger” catchphrase yet. Kids were free to walk long distances to and from school from very young ages.
4. “No seat belt, thanks – I prefer suspenders”
“Click clack front and back”? More like, “mum’s arm held limply across a child’s chest in case of sudden stopping”.
5. Helmet-free bicycling
With no laws saying otherwise, children were free to ride their bikes and skateboards without protective helmets. Let’s not even talk about trivialities like kneepads.
6. Playground madness
Play equipment in decades gone by was designed for hair-raising fun and over-the-top aesthetics, but safety considerations weren’t necessarily at the forefront of people’s minds. Too-steep slides and finger-threatening closures were par-for-the-course at these veritable death traps. But gosh they were fun, weren’t they?
7. Sugar and spice and then more sugar
Breakfast cereals, ice creams, biscuits and more. Kids diets in the sixties were certainly less restrained than that of today’s youngsters – the term “sugar-free” wasn’t in regular circulation, and “diet” was something mothers did to get their wifely figures back.
8. Hitchhiking
This wasn’t one for the very young, but many teens were game to hitchhike to get where they were going. Many parents warned against it, but it still wasn’t a scary word like it is today, with most teens seeing it as a rebellious lark.
9. Smacking
Whether it came from a wooden spoon, leather belt, or just an outstretched hand, a good smack was all that many adults thought kids needed to keep them in line. And those adults over there – they thought the same thing about your kids and weren’t shy about taking matters into their own hands. Or spoons, as it were.
What habit from the sixties makes you shudder the most?