After school, the latch key generation let ourselves into the house and spent the afternoon watching cartoons, dabbling in witchcraft, eating Jiff on saltines, or having various types of sex with the other kids whose parents also wouldn’t get home till at least 5:30.
Wow. I'm 56 and I watched all of those tv shows you mentioned (some in syndication a second time) and I don't remember even ONE of the episodes you referenced. Maybe my brain chose to block them out.
I was just talking about this to a friend of mine. The way I describe it is that our parents raised us as if they didn’t think we were sentient. Whether it was getting left in the car for the better part of an hour with nothing to do while mom ran into the store for “just a minute”, to being on our own all afternoon running around in the woods or watching TV every day, to getting slapped around when we were “malfunctioning” so that we would behave and stop being a problem, I’m pretty sure our parents didn’t consider us to be people. When I would ask them about it, their only response is, “That’s all we knew.”
I don’t know what they were thinking either. After the divorce my Mom had to work full-time, so that was part of it. Perhaps they just trusted the system too much, not realizing how much rot we were experiencing at school and through the TV.
But the more I think about it…no…they must have known about the make out parties and such.
Nailed it - Looking back as a parent, it's night and day - totally different reality. It's like growing up on caveman planet - I wouldn't change anything. I lived a 100 lifetimes this time around. I put myself to bed while my mom worked as a bar maid. I woke up and sent myself to school in the mornings and bumped into my mom from time to time... and that was just grade 1 - it got more interesting from there - lol - I wouldn't have it any other way - it's a lifetime to remember! She was a cool mom - young, but one hell of an adventure!
This is so spot on, I had to share it!! How did we survive??? WE HAD TO! However, I am thankful my parents let me grow up....today, kids are treated like kids well into their 20's and 30's (which is even more harmful I would argue). Thank you for making me giggle today!
WHAAAAAAA! Get counseling!
I know, right. 🥴😂
Wow. I'm 56 and I watched all of those tv shows you mentioned (some in syndication a second time) and I don't remember even ONE of the episodes you referenced. Maybe my brain chose to block them out.
I was just talking about this to a friend of mine. The way I describe it is that our parents raised us as if they didn’t think we were sentient. Whether it was getting left in the car for the better part of an hour with nothing to do while mom ran into the store for “just a minute”, to being on our own all afternoon running around in the woods or watching TV every day, to getting slapped around when we were “malfunctioning” so that we would behave and stop being a problem, I’m pretty sure our parents didn’t consider us to be people. When I would ask them about it, their only response is, “That’s all we knew.”
I don’t know what they were thinking either. After the divorce my Mom had to work full-time, so that was part of it. Perhaps they just trusted the system too much, not realizing how much rot we were experiencing at school and through the TV.
But the more I think about it…no…they must have known about the make out parties and such.
Need some Boomers to chime in.
Nailed it - Looking back as a parent, it's night and day - totally different reality. It's like growing up on caveman planet - I wouldn't change anything. I lived a 100 lifetimes this time around. I put myself to bed while my mom worked as a bar maid. I woke up and sent myself to school in the mornings and bumped into my mom from time to time... and that was just grade 1 - it got more interesting from there - lol - I wouldn't have it any other way - it's a lifetime to remember! She was a cool mom - young, but one hell of an adventure!
This is so spot on, I had to share it!! How did we survive??? WE HAD TO! However, I am thankful my parents let me grow up....today, kids are treated like kids well into their 20's and 30's (which is even more harmful I would argue). Thank you for making me giggle today!