It was such a different time, before the days of hand gel, smartphones, ordering online, house cctv, awareness etc.
This is from a background of a good home with values, DF worked hard, DM did everything for us 3 DC and also worked early before we got up and during school hours when we of that age.
Things we would do...
All 3 have a bath together every night when young, also go into after bath DF or DM.
Most clothes were hand me downs/passed on from friends and neighbours and anything new was for a special occasion.
If we wanted anything special we had to wait until Christmas or birthdays and were delighted and grateful
Lucky to have a house phone, it was in the hall way so no privacy and a shout how long are you going to be on there if you rang out
Bedrooms were sparse, we put colour on our walls with posters we got from magazines
Fun time meeting your friends, on foot or bikes, roller boots, usually at the school you've been at all day because it was known and had no big fences around it.
We collected tapes, later CDs, which we listened to over again and had to rewind, also recorded from friends on a double deck
Recorded our favourite songs from the radio, had to pause before next one to not include the DJ's blitherings
Young teens, oldest looking member of group bought a couple of 2L cheapest cider, we all drank from
Pubs, rarely enough loo roll, we never thought to bring our own, wipe by hand or drip dry
Need a wee, you went anywhere
You walked to meet your friends then walked/staggered back, split up on way to walk on your own as girls
You didn't dare argue with a teacher, even when it was unfair as a good student
If you went to university it was a shared bathroom and kitchen between 12, one tine fridge, old pans. Then when you moved out to house share the furniture was from the 1940s, mattresses had springs sticking out, slugs were a normal practice to put outside.
You qualify, get your own first flat, most basic furnished, the slug relatives are there, you still have to go to the laundrette as no washing machine. Single glazing, you put your own film up to help.
This was if lucky, friends from less privileged areas and backgrounds were left to roam, hungry, sniffed glue, caused chaos, were always dirty, same clothes every day. When 'naughty' they were beaten by their parents and disrespected, often hit by teachers.
Things have progressed so much but there are still many living this life within their homes.
So, with the observation of MN posts about things like should I be upset about DC not being offered his favourite food at lunch time just seems so trivial compared to the reality of us as older parents.
Are younger parents picking arguments about what could be deemed as insignificant just because they can now on SM?
Yeah, I know, I will seem as a dinosaur, but Im not. Basic values need to come from home, which we as gen X experienced growing up. When you're a young child and all you know is instant gratification from screens then this is their norm, then going forward their DC. Not saying all parents do this, of course not, but sadly many do.
My point? Oh yes, growing up in harsher times, which wasn't ideal at all but it was what it was and now we appreciate the positives of now, but without knowing what it was like before is it difficult to appreciate and not succumb to a lazier way of parenting?