Playgrounds, a child’s paradise, yes, but it was also a place filled with screaming, bloodied knees and bumps on the head. And it wasn’t always the kid’s fault. Sometimes folks would encourage their children to play a little too hard.
Spinning their little ones super fast on the merry-go-round could sometimes be fun, but could also be harmful by making them terribly nauseous, or even worse, accidentally flinging them off.
People Hitchhiked Everywhere
For long distances, or cross country traveling, many young Americans simply stood on the side of the road with their thumbs out, waiting for a ride. This was particularly common for all those free-spirited hippies who were probably heading for California to live in peace.
Other young kids would also hitchhike to run away from their parents! Scary! Somehow, there wasn't much fear for creeps and weirdos out there. We wonder what happened.
Blood Brothers and Sisters
Before Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat, kids may have had fewer connections, but their bonds were definitely tighter. And in some cases... maybe a little too tight. Best friends wouldn't simply seal their friendships by exchanging cute bracelets or secret handshakes.
These kids would honor ancient oaths by becoming "blood brothers" or "blood sisters". Pretty gruesome, right?. Aside from the obvious 'ouch' factor, this was a great way to exchange endless bacteria and diseases.
Sending Your Little Kid to the Store with a Note
Then, a way to teach your kid some responsibility, now, a way to put your kid in a potentially dangerous situation. The world is not as safe as it was and sending kids to do shopping is not is definitely less popular.
Who knows, maybe things will change one day!
Sunbathing Without Sunscreen
Before sunscreen, kids would use baby oil with iodine to prevent burns. But, also there weren't all those fears about holes in the ozone layer, so the sun seemed like everybody's friend. Which after many sunburns and peeling shoulders later, we understood that it can be pretty dangerous.
At least they tried to protect their kids with what they had. Moms and dads, on the other hand, would freely lather up with suntan oil and roast in the sun. While many people still do that today, it is at least regarded as something pretty unwise.