If you grew up in 70s/80s what things did you do which would be unimaginable these days.

[newlabelwriter]

Just thinking about this. When I was about 9 my friend and I used to go around knocking on our neighbours doors to see if we could pick dandelions (or something similar) for her pet rabbits. Seems such a random thing to do and obviously v v young to knocking on doors to go into their gardens!

We lived on a building site for about 2 years. We were one of the first houses to be occupied. That became our playground whether it was climbing scaffolding, jumping on tractors or hopping up and down between half built houses. No such thing as health and safety back then 😆

anyone remember the red spiders ?

Yep, we used to see how many we could squash at break time with stones 😢

Yes to neighbourhood dogs everywhere too. I used to have a plastic comb that I used to groom a couple of the dogs that lived on my road. I remember one in particular loved it and would make a beeline for me to comb him. Or we would go and ask for the lead to take them for a walk.

There were also several cats and dogs in my neighbourhood that used to hang out together - they would sit together in peoples hallways as everyone's front door was always open.
Even the animals were more chilled out!

Accept the fact that if you had done something wrong then the primary school teacher was going to smack you on the back of the legs. Hard.

Bizarre that this was thought to be ok and that no parents ever stormed in to the school!

My sister and I used to take a neighbour’s children out for the day eg to the park, local lake etc. we,d have been around 11 and 9, the children 3 and 5. We also used to take them swimming to the local pool, walking there and back. The mum went on to have another baby and we would take her out in the pram as well.

Agree with everything here

Parents sending me to the shop for fags from a young age, shops even splitting packs to sell singles.

Running to the shop at night because my mum had run out of lacquer, her gypsy impulse or because her tights had got ladders. Got sent back a number of times to get the right ones. Also fixing the ladders with nail varnish and curling her hair with her tongues almost choking on all the lacquer she sprayed on her hair.

Going to the shop with an empty pop bottle to get the 10p for returning it, then buy a 10p mix.

From about age 9 going into town on my own

Chippy tea every Friday night

Playing out all day without my parents having a clue where we where.

Climbing scaffolding’s on building sites just for fun. Exploring derelict buildings, just because we could, our parents didn’t blink an eye.

Playing out after dark

Making swings from trees over the river and jumping in, never mind the dangerous pot holes, reeds or rapids or walking home in sopping wet clothes.

Random one but I loved it, sitting in the middle of the road popping tar bubbles in summer.

Drinking babycham and snowballs at Christmas. I remember when I was 7 being so excited I was nearly 8 and thinking I’d be legally allowed to drink babycham when ever I wanted.

Parents sending us to the bar with their drinks orders, no one questioned we wernt getting it for our parents. This was usually at functions. Getting so drunk at 11 because I was swiping a few sneaky ones for myself 🤮

Parents going out leaving us home alone with a bottle of tizer and prawn cocktail crisps as our baby sitters. It was never a problem as all the neighbours knew each other and were just a shout away.

Being sent to the pub to drag dad home for his Sunday roast. Mum getting pissed off and taking the roast to the pub to throw at him when he wouldn’t come home.

Parents coming home drunk and dragging us out of bed to have an all night party with the neighbours who dragged their kids out of bed too.

Learning to go on the potty in the middle of a pub were men had been drinking all day, anybody??? Just me then 🤷🏼‍♀️

Being allowed to watch extremely inappropriate movies from a young age such as poltergeist, jaws, best little whore house in Texas.

Teachers throwing blackboard dusters at your head for talking, teachers swearing and a massive fog of smoke billowing out of the teachers room every time the door opened.

Playing knock a door run

I’m sure there are so many more.

I was born mid 70s. Totally normal things then:
Dogs wandering about in the street.
Walking to school from aged 6.
Playing out all day until dark.
Being hit at school by a ruler (though was made illegal when I was very young).
Going to random neighbours houses (without kids) and playing with cats and dogs.
Drinking in pubs from 13. (I had to get my mates who looked 15 to get served).
Going to raves all night from 15.
Eating spaghetti with ketchup and butter.
Obviously no seatbelts /8 kids in the boot.

Good thread idea, times have changed so much.

I know I was sent out of the house to wander freely as a toddler, not much more than a baby, as I have an old injury incurred during that time. Walking to school on my own (2 miles) and looking after sibling from age 6. My mum wasn’t happy tbf. I had my own key as she was working. Left in charge of much younger siblings, expected to sort their teas and school work from age 11 or so - I was pulled out of secondary school for it one day. That school was totally uncaring.
Left to roam free in the hols afternoons - I got landed with siblings in the mornings - and would often be 6 miles or more away on a bike.

Smoking outside school "were not in school sir, can do what we want"

Definitely walking to school from about 7 yrs. And taking my 5 yr old sister with me. We were supposed to take 2 buses, but often walked to have money for sweets! At least 6 roads to cross. Not a lot of cars though.

Disappearing for the day on my push bike with a friend with a 'picnic' (bread and cheese pinched from the pantry) to watch the planes flying into Heathrow. Going up to London on the train with a friend and riding around on the tube all day. Both when I was 10-11 yrs.

Going shopping for mum on my own and spending the change on a bunch of flowers. When I was 8.

So much freedom.

Shopping at 5, school alone from 6, park with my younger brother and cousins at similar age

That was 80s, pressed post too soon. Also when babysitting got landed with a young baby to feed whose mother would be out until 2 or 3 am.

Oh and the classic sitting on the pub step with a bottle of cold and packet of crisps whist dad was inside with friends when he was meant to be looking after us (mum at keep fit)

I remember running home to my mum crying because a neighbour has smacked my backside to be told I must have done something to deserve it 😂😂😂

Motorway pile-ups. I live in the midlands so the M6/5/42/40 all feed into one another. It wasn’t unusual for there to be a pile up of 10+ cars on the evening news.

Anti-lock brakes and ABS stopped a lot of it.

When my dad put a seat belt in the back of the car for me people thought he was being a little bit over the top.

Going in the phone box and ringing directory enquiries and asking for the number for famous people 😂 also biking round checking for change in them!

We went to Majorca when I was a kid in the 80s with another family. To save money, the adults decided to only hire one car. We had four adults and four small kids piled into one car with no seatbelts.

walking to school from age of 6
school buildings were spread out at junior school by age of 8 was getting fed up with it so just used to walk out and go home or up the woods when I felt like it. schools were not locked then
always used to spend all school holidays from breakfast to tea time just wandering around the woods. I guess that my dog was with me so everyone thought I would be safe, that dog Penny was my birthday gift from my dad from age of 6 she went everyone with me.
from age of 8, my mum was working so when I walked home after school key was just left in the coal shed window sill for me. when I was in used to start the tea no worries about burning etc
our dog never had dog food only scraps and a handful of winalot but was never hungry
up until the end of junior school always did PE in knickers and vest and also drama which we did to 78 records at the youth centre. we were left to walk down there ourselves and if we did not go no one questioned us walking around town.

In the seventies as a primary school child knocking on the doors of neighbours and asking for, and got toddlers and babies to take out for a walk. I was about 9 when me and my friend started doing this.

I was born in 1972. My mum used to leave me in the library when she did her errands. I was about 8 or 9. Have no idea if this was normal then but she seemed to think I was safe there.

Just go roaming for hours, all weather. We couldn't be kept indoors. Would pack a sandwich, take bikes (late 80s)

Also Bob a Job was still happening in the seventies. Cubs encouraged boys to knock on neighbours doors and ask for a job to do for a bob.

Yes to playing out all day in the holidays and only coming back when the streetlights came on. DSs asks me what would my mum do if she wanted me? He thinks it's odd that she's either wait too k came home or if really urgent would find a passing child and ask them to go and find me.

A scout camping trip with no proper leaders - just 2 venture scouts (would now be explorers) with my parents having absolutely no idea where in the country I was. Went for a week at 15 with 4 other girls the same age and these 2 venture scouts who were 17!

Walked on my own over a mile to primary school (and back all year round).
Went to Safari Park for a friends birthday - 10 of us in the boot of a volvo estate.
Went to the teenage afternoon session at the local nightclub (and then back again in the evening).
Taking gym in my knickers because I forgot my shorts (wasn't impressed with that but didn't ever forget them again).
Got the belt in high school (well, I didn't but many others did).
Went to the woods/park/field all summer long and came home when we were hungry.
God I miss all those years!

Playing ball and marbles in the street (yes I did this)

My friends and I used to play on a building site of new houses! The foundations had been laid and we could see the outlines of the rooms, there’s no way I’d let my dd’s have done that!