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!

I was working with kids in the eighties. So no police checks, very little legislation, no Ofsted. Some of the venues would not be allowed now. Such as an afterschool club that had a separate toilet block. During the winter kids would go outside in the dark by themselves to the toilet block.
Also children's holidays meant sleeping in the same dorm room as the kids.

I was always on my bike or roller boots, no helmet, giving people backies. Some lads on my street made a ramp for the bikes to jump over. Also, putting quilts at the bottom of the stairs and seeing which step we could jump from.

We are in our 60s so this was the 1960s. I was sent to nursery at age 4 (kids didn’t start school till age 5) My DM used to walk me to the top of the road, a van would pull up and I was plonked in the back section with a load of other kids, all rolling around, no seats or belts, and driven off to nursery.

My DH’s parents used to go to the pub every Sunday. He and his sisters were left in the car park (not in a car) with a bottle of lemonade and packet of crisps each. At home, his family shared an outside toilet with the next door neighbours and the kids took turns in a weekly tin bath in the kitchen.

I would go and ask neighbours if I could take the baby for a walk when I was about 9/10 - my neighbours would happily hand over their prams/pushchairs and baby and off I went with a friend

Standing up in the car with our heads through the sunroof opening.
When a friend and I were still in primary school being allowed to take next door's baby out for a few hours to the park.

@Stiffcondomhat

Doing PE in your vest and pants because you forgot your pe kit. 21 year old dd is horrified by this!

There was no pe kit in the 70s. We all did pe in knickers/pants and vests

All these 10 year olds in sole charge of babies all over the place. No mobile phones even. And they were all fine. Can you imagine that now?

Being allowed to try my dad’s cigarette at around age 10.

Ice cream van just outside the school gates at break and lunch selling cigarettes 10p each.

Being allowed to leave school premises from what is now called year 9 and walking into town most lunchtimes. Going to the off-licence a few times and going back to school drunk at age 15+.

Children under 14 not allowed in pubs. Sitting in the beer garden drinking sherry age 10. Also loved and was allowed to drink babycham and snowballs (didn’t like the latter) from around age 8.

Going out for the day, piled in the back of my dad’s van. Proper diy modifications to vans to create motor homes or back seats. No seatbelts in the front let alone the back. Everyone grumbling at the ridiculousness of obligatory seatbelt wearing in the back.

Going for walks for hours with parents having no clue where we were.

Getting served from age 14 and by 15 being regularly pissed, Friday and Saturday nights. Walking into town with a friend from 15 through deserted streets, over the canal bridge in a secluded area whilst drinking a 2l bottle of bitter or a couple of large cans of extra strong brew so we didn’t need to buy too many pints when we arrived. Landlords knowing a lot of the patrons were underage and didn’t care. First went clubbing age 14.

Driving off road and allowed to chop kindling wood with an axe age 8.

Going to bed at 9.30pm because there Was Nothing To Do.

Corner shops near the secondary school selling single cigarettes to all takers for 10p.

@DaisyWaldron

Big groups of kids crammed into the back seat and boot of big cars.

Adults would drink and drive with kids in the car.

Not quite the same thing, but the levels of sexism, racism, ablism and homophobia demonstrated by the teachers at my primary school would be utterly unacceptable these days. And at an institutional level, sexism was ingrained- boys did woodwork and girls did sewing, girls had to get a higher mark to pass the 11+etc.

At my school we were separated into girls and boys on a Friday afternoon. Girls went off with a female teacher to do sewing. Boys went off with a male teacher to do geography. When my mum queried this she was told that girls didn't need to know where different countries were because we would never be going anywhere but the small market town we lived in.

Teachers getting drunk on primary school residential trips! They left us all in the Youth Hostel and went to the pub in the village. Came back all giddy and we thought it was hilarious

Never wearing a seatbelt in a car; let alone sitting in a car seat / booster seat.

Walking 1 hr each way to and from primary school, alone.

@RoyalFamilyFan

I was working with kids in the eighties. So no police checks, very little legislation, no Ofsted. Some of the venues would not be allowed now. Such as an afterschool club that had a separate toilet block. During the winter kids would go outside in the dark by themselves to the toilet block. Also children's holidays meant sleeping in the same dorm room as the kids.

I co-led a playscheme for children with disabilities in the '80s.

We used to take 25 non-ambulant kids to Alton Towers, swimming and god knows what else with a handful of teenage volunteers.

No police checks. No paperwork. No named social worker/CP person around.

When I had a dentist appointment during a school day (primary school) being sent off to walk there and back on my own, through the local park. And yep, got accosted by the pervert hanging round the mens toilets - walked off prepared to run like hell if he tried to catch me. I was about 8.

First year at secondary school. The PE mistress insisted we had showers and stayed around the communal showers whilst we did.

The estate car thing was common. My parents specifically got one when we were tiny so we could sleep flat in the very back of the car while they drove us to far flung holiday destinations though the night - across Europe etc (luggage in the back seat or on the roof).

Broadcasting the national anthem on the bbc once broadcasting had finished for the evening.

Getting incredibly excited at the prospect of one new tv channel being added - channel 4, just Wow.

Broadcasting the test card on some channels during the afternoon as there was nothing to show.

Children’s tv an hour an evening. Children watching unsuitable tv and the news in droves because there was nothing else on.

Sitting watching the new washing machine… because it was exciting… and gave respite from watching the test card.

When I was 8 Every Saturday I was given a list to do the week's shopping.

I played for the local pubs darts team when I was 14 and would go to the bar and buy a lager.

Getting into nightclubs aged 16 was easy.

Boys would grab and grope me in school corridor.

@ProfYaffle

Teachers getting drunk on primary school residential trips! They left us all in the Youth Hostel and went to the pub in the village. Came back all giddy and we thought it was hilarious

Pupils getting drunk on school trips! Why else was the purpose of a 6th form ski trip to France? And I have the photos to prove it!

@evilharpy

Being allowed to lie across the back seat of the car with no seatbelt and have a nap when I was maybe 5 or 6 in the mid 80s.

A big open paddling pool in the park with no supervision (nobody ever drowned in it).

We used to drive to Cornwall and France like that Luggage in footwell so that the back seat made a bed. Brother and I would sleep while Dad drove overnight. I don't think it occurred to anyone that it wasn't terribly safe!

Boys would grab and grope me in the corridor.

I’d forgotten about that. Yuk. Yes. If you weren’t cool enough or didn’t have big enough boobs they didn’t do it. Therefore it was a status symbol. Off the scale misogyny.

Childhood seems such a serious business now. I am so glad I was a child of the 70s and 80s rather than today.

Things I remember which would be very much frowned on today -
Travelling in the boot of the car and waving at drivers behind. They would always wave back.
Playing in the park all day on metal climbing frames (which were pretty lethal).
Leaving dogs tied up outside shops - there were metal rings that you could use for this.
Being hit on the hand at school.
Having angel delight every day for pud.
Tonsils being removed was pretty standard and I was in hospital for about five days without my mum able to stay. I loved it, just remember eating ice cream and playing in the play room.
Being taught how to roll up fags by my great grandad.
Cycling on the road outside, not a helmet in sight.
Knocking on doors to see who could come out to play and having very young toddlers join in.

I'm sure there's more. My childhood was a happy and carefree one.

Had an accident which involved blood running down my legs. A man walked me home. And no relative thumped him!!

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