Lisa O
Raising kids in the 1970s was an entirely different universe. Parents let children do things that would have someone calling authorities before you finished your morning coffee. Kids rode in cars without seatbelts, disappeared for entire afternoons, and played with toys that were one bad throw away from a hospital visit. None of it felt shocking back then. It was just life. The gap between then and now is enormous once you stop and really look at it.
Riding in the Back of Pickup Trucks
Kids used to pile into truck beds like they were riding a roller coaster. You’d see five or six of them sitting on wheel wells with wind whipping through their hair. Nobody thought twice about it. Parents would drive down highways with children standing up, holding onto the sides of the car. The metal was hot from the sun. That’s definitely illegal in most states, and you’d be pulled over within minutes.
Leaving Kids Home Alone for Hours
It wasn’t uncommon for parents to leave their kids home alone all day during the summer. An eight-year-old would be in charge of younger siblings with just a phone number written on a notepad. You’d make your own lunch and watch TV until someone came home. The house would get quiet in a way that felt bigger than it should. These days, that would trigger a child protective services investigation.
Smoking Inside Cars with Children
Parents smoked in cars with all the windows rolled up. The whole backseat would fill with a gray haze that made your eyes water. Kids would just sit there, breathing it in, during long road trips. Sometimes you’d crack a window an inch, but that barely helped. The smell would permeate the upholstery and remain there for years. Most states now have laws against smoking in vehicles with minors.
No Car Seats for Toddlers
Babies and toddlers just sat on regular seats or in someone’s lap. There were no legal requirements for car seats in most places. A mom would hold an infant while dad drove seventy miles per hour down the freeway. Older kids would stand up in the front seat and lean against the dashboard. The concept of a five-point harness wasn’t around. Now you can face fines for not securing your child properly.
Sending Kids Out Until Dark with No Check-Ins
Parents would send their kids out the door after breakfast and not see them until dinner. You’d roam the neighborhood for ten hours with zero supervision. Nobody had cell phones, so there was no way to check in. You’d show up when the streetlights came on. A scraped knee was something you’d deal with at a friend’s house. Today, this kind of parenting can lead to police visits.
Letting Children Ride Bikes Without Helmets
Bike helmets weren’t really a thing that parents insisted on. Kids would fly down hills and do jumps off homemade ramps with nothing protecting their heads. You’d see dozens of children riding around with the wind in their hair and not a helmet in sight. Sometimes someone would fall and hit their head on the concrete. Parents just figured it was part of growing up. Now, helmet laws are in place in many areas.
Keeping Kids in Cargo Areas of Station Wagons
The way-back of a station wagon was where kids sat on long trips. You’d face backward, watching cars behind you while lying on the flat carpet. There were no seatbelts back there, and nothing to hold onto when the car stopped fast. The space would heat up like an oven in summer. Parents thought it was fine because everyone did it. These days, that’s a serious safety violation.
Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy
Women who were pregnant drank wine at dinner sometimes. Beer at a barbecue wasn’t unusual either. Doctors didn’t talk much about how bad it was for the baby. You’d be at someone’s house and see a woman with a clear belly holding a glass. Nobody said anything because the information wasn’t available yet. Try that now, and a doctor would be making phone calls.
Using Corporal Punishment in Public
Parents hit their kids right there in the store. You’d be walking past the cereal boxes and hear it happen. It was just discipline. Teachers had wooden paddles hanging in classrooms. Your parents signed a form saying it was okay. At home, it might be a belt or a spoon from the drawer. You can still spank your kids in some places, but doing so at the grocery store now might result in a charge.
Letting Kids Play with Lawn Darts
Lawn darts were metal-tipped projectiles that kids threw around in backyards. They were heavy and sharp enough to stick deep into the ground. Children would run around near where others were throwing them. The potential for serious injury was obvious, yet people continued to play anyway. Someone would always throw one up too high and lose track of where it was coming down. These were banned after causing deaths.
Leaving Babies Sleeping in Cars During Errands
Parents would leave sleeping infants in locked cars while they ran into stores. The windows might be cracked an inch or two. You’d finish your shopping and come back twenty minutes later. Summer heat wasn’t something people calculated the same way. The baby would wake up red-faced and sweating. Today, this is illegal in all states, and people will call the police if they see an unattended child in a vehicle.
Allowing Kids to Hitchhike
Teenagers would stick their thumbs out and catch rides with strangers. Parents knew their kids hitchhiked to get to the mall or the beach. It was seen as a normal way to get around when you didn’t have a car. You’d stand on the side of the road waiting for someone to pull over. The danger of getting in vehicles with unknown people wasn’t emphasized. Now this would be considered seriously negligent.
No Supervision at Community Pools
Kids as young as six would go to public pools alone. Parents would drop them off for the whole afternoon without staying. The lifeguards were teenagers who might be distracted or understaffed. You’d swim in the deep end, and nobody was watching specifically. Sometimes you’d get water in your lungs and cough it out on the concrete. Modern supervision standards and liability concerns make this level of independence impossible at most facilities.
Giving Children Adult Responsibilities Too Young
Ten-year-olds would often operate lawn mowers and power tools. They’d babysit their neighbor’s kids for money without any formal training. Some would have paper routes that had them out before dawn. Operating machinery or caring for infants was just expected. A child might cook full meals on a gas stove while home alone. Current child labor laws and safety regulations largely prevent these scenarios.
Kids Walking to School in Kindergarten
Little kids walked to school alone back then. At five years old, they’d head out the door with a backpack. Parents might watch from the porch for a minute. That was it. The kid would cross streets where cars were going and just figure it out. Maybe grab candy at a corner store on the way back. It seemed fine to everyone. Now you’d probably have someone calling the cops on you for that.