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Bullying in school was accepted behavior. The bullied kid was usually led to believe he or she had brought on themselves.
I was very bullied all through grade school. I was extremely thin, shy, dark Italian, and had a 'mustache'. The boys especially were just horrible, But I never, ever thought of killing myself. Not once. It just never crossed my mind. And what was even worse was that my homelike was terrible also. And I had no other family. There was just no one to turn to. (Strange -- I had THE BEST time in HS and was fairly popular.)
My heart goes out to these young people who kill themselves over bullying -- it is so tragic -- but I just can't understand why they do. I had one or two friends in college who committed suicide. But I don't think that suicide among the young was nearly as rampant as it is today. And I don't think it is the parents' fault in most of the cases. I've known very loving, good parents who have lost a child to suicide.
Some of these are re-states of what others have mentioned, but in my experience the differences are:
1. Kids' parties definitely were simpler. However, one thing that has always been extravagant (in relation to norms) in my part of the country is weddings which have always been a big deal. The big catering-hall "to-do" was always the norm here or at least the desired goal to strive for whenever possible. That hasn't changed other than the price tags, lol
2. Bullying was accepted as part of school life back then. I know because I was one of the victims.
3. Playing outside and/or riding bikes afield unsupervised okay then, not done now.
4. "Acceptable" television content has changed tremendously since the 1950s and 60s. Of course part of it is due to the emergence of cable but still, watch any Disney-owned broadcast series (such as Greys Anatomy or even Once Upon a Time) and you will see characters and situations that would never have even made it into a script submission back then.
5. Of course, 24/7 worldwide connectivity through the internet and computers.
6. I never even HEARD anyone use the F-word before the 1970s. The worst any adult ever said in my hearing was hell, damn, or sonofab*** before that. I don't think I heard the S-word before entering high school. People just didn't talk that way in front of kids.
7. Speaking of talking in front of kids, a common philosophy was "never argue in front of the children." Remember that?
8. Being afraid of the draft is something today's generation doesn't have to experience. I had several friends who got married simply so that they'd get a lower draft lottery number.
9. Which reminds me of another change: Getting married only because the girl got pregnant. And for that matter, not getting married at all. What was then called "living in sin" used to be a cause for scandal. Now it's commonplace. My eventual husband and I lived together for 10 years before we got married, and kept a low profile about it all during the 1970s. We didn't lie, just didn't "advertise" the fact, LOL
10. Christmas card lists. Back in the days, husbands would bring home lists from work and everybody had to be sent a card. My mom used to send out at least 100. Don't miss that 'tradition' in the least, lol
Duck and cover. I don't think these last couple of generations understand the fear that could generate in young children. That's why the first version of Red Dawn did so well. The Russians and Cubans taking over the U.S. was a real life threat. There was no similar fear to use in the remake.
taking over the US? we were very afraid Russia would drop the bomb and most of the world would be destroyed. What wasn't directly destroyed would be so contaminated as to be unlivable. Thus, bomb shelters.
Some of these are re-states of what others have mentioned, but in my experience the differences are:
6. I never even HEARD anyone use the F-word before the 1970s. The worst any adult ever said in my hearing was hell, damn, or sonofab*** before that. I don't think I heard the S-word before entering high school. People just didn't talk that way in front of kids.
9. Which reminds me of another change: Getting married only because the girl got pregnant. And for that matter, not getting married at all. What was then called "living in sin" used to be a cause for scandal. Now it's commonplace. My eventual husband and I lived together for 10 years before we got married, and kept a low profile about it all during the 1970s. We didn't lie, just didn't "advertise" the fact, LOL
10. Christmas card lists. Back in the days, husbands would bring home lists from work and everybody had to be sent a card. My mom used to send out at least 100. Don't miss that 'tradition' in the least, lol
Every one of those memories you posted was absolutely true for me, too, but just wanted to comment on the three above:
6. I did not actually hear the f-word until the Woodstock coverage, and then being with one of my friends' boyfriend who considered himself to be a radical (he wasn't really, but he enjoyed shocking people by using that word). And I remember how absolutely shocked I was the first time I heard my dad cuss and heard my mom saying the word "damn", and both of these were when I was in my late 20's! Even though my dad was an ex-Marine, I didn't think he EVER cussed -- and certainly not my very reserved and proper mother!! (Funny to think now how naive I was!)
9. Yes, any girl who got pregnant back then without being married faced a ruined reputation, and more often than not, a "shotgun" marriage. (My sister was one of them.) This did not really change until the mid-70's, I think.
10. Oh, yes, the Christmas cards! My mom made me help as soon as I was old enough to write in cursive neatly -- and handwritten notes seems to be another thing that is going extinct -- and although I thought it was actually fun, my mother considered it to be mostly a necessary chore. (I still feel slightly guilty that I have not sent out more than three Christmas cards a year since I was in my 40's -- about 20 years ago.)
We had a neighborhood elementary school about three blocks from our house and we would walk by ourselves (at six years old), come home for lunch, and walk back for the afternoon. There were probably ten kids on our block who walked together. Our first month of first grade (there was no kindergarten) was only a half day, and the teacher would visit each mother separately in the afternoon to brief them on our progress and how we were adapting to school.
So two things here: our parents had no fears about us walking to school alone, and it was a given that mothers would be available in the afternoon at home.
Back in the day, we had an hour and could leave campus. Now they give them 30 minutes or so
Kids are just so rushed now. We didn't have to know how to read when we started school. That was what school was for. Now if your kindergarten kid can't read - it is bad parenting.
And then they wonder why they are bored. I remember my last niece that graduated 3 years ago from high school. She only had to go half a day because there wasn't anything else she needed. Heck we were busy with classes all year.
Well there were those that worked half a day, but that was also sponsored by the school. They called it DECA.
Duck and cover. I don't think these last couple of generations understand the fear that could generate in young children. That's why the first version of Red Dawn did so well. The Russians and Cubans taking over the U.S. was a real life threat. There was no similar fear to use in the remake.
Good one. I remember during the Cuban missile crisis being afraid to go to sleep at night because a nuclear war might start in the night.
Bullying in school was accepted behavior. The bullied kid was usually led to believe he or she had brought on themselves.
I remember being bullied my freshman year of high school. There hadn't been any physical education during my grade school years. I did play kickball on a team after school with other girls and learned how to play softball when I was 12. Still I was uncoordinated and didn't know how to play volleyball. Three girls thought it was fun to purposely run into me, then apologize and say they hadn't seen me standing there. This was always a lie.
I got revenge in the spring when we went outside and played softball. I was the third baseman and a fly was hit to me. One of these girls thought I couldn't catch the ball and came running towards me. I socked her as hard as I could with the ball in my fist. With my stomach punch, she went down on the ground and cried. Of course, I said I had only tagged her None of the three ever bothered me again.
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None of the three ever bothered me again.
