What did you do when you were a kid that is considered dangerous now?

[Karlwho]

Just out of interest.
When I was little (7-10), I'd play outside around the neighbourhood with no adults and not a mobile between my friends and I. We'd go home when we were hungry.

My parents left me in the car in my carry cot to have tea and sandwiches when I was a newborn (in their defence they claim they parked under the window and could see me)

My best friend and I walked to school by ourselves at age 5

We played on building sites including climbing up unsecured ladders to top floors of partially built houses

We played out with friends from age 5 to whatever with absolutely no adult supervision

No safety belts until about age 12 when they came in

No helmets at all - they came years later.

I don't think my childhood was any happier than my kids tbh. Just different.

Most "normal" childhood things when I was a child are totally taboo now. I prefer the days when children played out and developed their social skills with other children, when all meals were home cooked (no fast foods) and children were happy and carefree. All my friends were thin. None were chubby. No child stayed indoors after dinner. Everyone was out playing. Everyone was home by 8pm (or whenever the street lights came on) and teachers were respected by pupils and parents alike.

Some of the games we played at school would never be allowed today. There was good old British Bulldog, a game called 'Blocky' where we split into two and had to make it to the other side of the playground without being blocked by a member of the opposing team (this was often girls against boys) and 'Chainy', where we all held hands and ran in a straight line until the first person in the line came to an abrupt stop, sending everyone else flying. Eeeh, those were the days...

GibbonLover.... Yes I remember those games. Also we went to school in heavy snow and couldn't wait to get out at playtime to build snowmen, have snowball fights and create skid trails.

Elf and safety don't allow children to have fun now 🤷‍♀️

Playing kerby in the road, paddling/swimming at the river, climbing trees and just generally not being indoors ever were how I spend my days! My Mum used to just open the door and bellow when I was due back

Playing out all day age 6 upwards (1950s/early 60s) and just going home for meals, going into anyone's house - parents there or not - and eating what we liked, playing down by the railway line, sitting on the embankment waving to the passengers, walking to school, as an infant, with just an older primary age child and crossing roads, playing on a building site, walking home late at night by myself in a mini skirt as a teenager, going to football matches age 14 by myself.

1960s. Riding in the back of the station wagon with my sister. Playing outside until dark, running around the neighborhood pretending we were "spies." Playing in the "gulley" which I think was an abandoned construction site that had been excavated and then left. In the winter we created "avalanches" down the side hills and shrieked as we rode them down. In the summer we built forts amongst the tree roots and debris left there. I remember my Dad having to come and find us when we missed dinner one night. He was not impressed.

Biking without helmets. Roller skating with these crazy clip on skates that always fell off, again no helmet. Climbing trees. Pretending we were horses and chewing leaves and spitting them out, we thought to be safe (my brother got sick and we had to confess).

Walked to school alone from grade 3.

It truly is a wonder we survived.

Playing out alone all day. Many, many things as a 14-16 year old- drinking and partying in the pitch black around an abandoned quarry that was filled with water. Swimming in all conditions, going off with random boys in random cities. Makes me cringe now.

Grew up in the 70s and 80s Lake District. Used to get a rowing boat out in the lake for free with mates. It was free because it had holes in that you had to bale water out with a can!

Lordy, I don't know how I'm still alive... As a child I:

Played on building sites.
Swam in unknown rivers.
Climbed very tall trees.
Played in farm barns, I can remember peering down into a huge grain storage silo which if I'd fallen in I would have died. We used to climb massive piles of hay the height of a barn.
Making rope swings out of unsuitable ropes (broken arm for me!).
On a Saturday used to walk right across town with my mate to go swimming, we'd stay there all afternoon - aged 8 onwards.
We used to try and sit on any horse we came across in a field.
We had a very steep, long hill near us which we used to rollerblade down at about 40mph in shorts and t shirts #shudder.
I used to leave the house and just go wandering round the countryside by myself at about 7.30am when everyone else was still asleep, I came across some right weirdos.

@anitagreen they were horrifying. I was also terrified of the fireworks ones where fingers got blown off.

I still get freaked out by the fire ones on radio channels like LBC. The hair dryers connected to the socket etc.

I also remember how nobody cared much smoking around kids. I used to always tell my Mum off and hope it was illegal in the future.

Sleeping in tents in front of our apartment building with the other kids that lived there (starting when we were 9 years old) for about a week during summer. It was a very safe area. Of course we all woke up during the night and went for a walk through the neighborhood. No parent ever spent the night with us in the tents.

I was also allowed to drive my grandfather’s tractor occasionally but he was always sitting next to me and never let me drive it on the street. I don’t remember how old I was but I had to slip down the seat a bit in order to reach the pedals.

Plus my grandfather let me use his air rifle. I never shot at a living creature but loved to shoot holes into plastic buckets.

@AhhhHereItGoes I remember that one too but they worked because I was way to scared to go anywhere near those things

Late 50s early 60s so most of the above
Plus the travelling fair was on route to junior school and would walk through it on way home, occasionally getting a free ride if they were testing. It wasn't open at that time.
By 11 going to the fair with friends and standing up leaning on the safety bars on the speedway.
In winter, long ice slides on the pavements - adults (understandably now) hated us for that. Sledging down the middle of the road - and home made go-karts down the road too.

I remember being allowed to drive my dads car ‘for a laugh’ on the fields. I was about 8 . I was sat on his lap so he could get to the pedals but I did all the steering.

We would open my mums hatchback estate car and sit at the back with our legs hanging out and drive up their lane.

Also sitting on my dad's knee while he drove on the motorway

I used to just lie down at the side of the road-not on the pavement, actually in the gutter. That was around 1985 BP (Before Pennywise)

I have been thinking for some time that my mum didn't seem stressed and anxious, she never shouted. Reading this i realise why....we were always out playing from about 5 so she wasn't looking after us for half the day. Whereas with my kids i am with them the whole time, constantly worrying about keeping them safe but occupied. I think the effect is two fold; more anxious/depressed parents and children who haven't been exposed to risk who are not independent and lack common sense, which in turn can lead to anxiety and other problems.

Walked 2 miles home from school regularly on my own aged 6 - in a rural area, admittedly, and it was in the 50s so not so many cars.

And I wasn’t neglected - I chose to do it.

I went to a primary in the next town along, we allsat 3 to a seat, that was school and the transport company's policy.

Played on building sites, found rhubarb growing wild so picking it and eating with a cup of sugar to dip it in.

Going to friend's houses without your parents meeting them first.

The total honour of going with your friend to their grandparents.

Being sent to the shop with a note to buy my mother's cigarettes aged about 4.

Sadly the walking home along rural roads still happens - a girl died walking home from her prom on a rural road

Back of a Volvo estate, lay down, playing games-no seatbelts etc. Out all day on bikes, miles away, came home when dark-As a teenager-walking down dark passages, drinking in parks etc etc, walking to friends houses from around age 8..maybe? Walking to school from similar age..

The slide that my Grandad let me go on - alone - when I was out for a walk with him (age 3)...! Nan went absolutely bananas at him when we got home and I proudly told her that I'd been on 'the big slide'

To be honest I'm glad things have changed and I'm not one of those people who looks back with any kind of nostalgia or thinks things were 'better back in the day.' Some things were, but others were just down right dangerous.

I remember:

Being left home alone for hours on end from about the age of 7 onward.

'Driving' the car on my dad's lap.

Playing outside on the estate for hours on end with no sign of any adult supervision. Said estate had lots of boarded up /derelict houses and we often broke into them and had 'adventures.'

Riding my bicycle with no form of safety gear or adult supervision.

Climbing pretty much everywhere; trees, into derelict houses, onto garage roofs etc.

Playing with metal cap guns that looked like the real thing.

Not being in a car seat and often sitting with the chest section of the seat belt wound behind my back.

Playing chicken on busy roads.

I'm sure there's more!