child of the 80's

[Anonymous]

Also 70s kid. We always wanted to stay in the car when my mom took us shopping. We hated shopping. It was very common.

[Anonymous]

Staying in the car by yourself was never a big deal even during a movie

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Upper elementary, I think? I don't think I was bratty, she didn't ask, it was just something she sprang on us and it was a movie I absolutely did not want to see. Well she trotted off with my 2 brothers and left me in the car to stew for an hour and a half.

So in general regardless, it seems like it was somewhat common to allow kids to hang out alone in cars while their parents shopped or ran an errand really quick in the 80's. It's just not like that now.

Last night we went to an event where a lot of families gathered and a mom was there with her young el aged son laying on a picnic blanket. At one point she just got up and left for 10 minutes. Turns out she went to buy a drink at the food truck by the street near the park. Nothing happened and all was fine but I definitely was thinking you really can't do that in this day and age.

“She trotted off with my 2 brothers and left me in the car to stew for an hour and a half.” you got some issues lady

[Anonymous]

Child of the 80s here. Can confirm I’ve been left in the car as well. Would also run around with the neighborhood kids with no adult supervision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Upper elementary, I think? I don't think I was bratty, she didn't ask, it was just something she sprang on us and it was a movie I absolutely did not want to see. Well she trotted off with my 2 brothers and left me in the car to stew for an hour and a half.

So in general regardless, it seems like it was somewhat common to allow kids to hang out alone in cars while their parents shopped or ran an errand really quick in the 80's. It's just not like that now.

Last night we went to an event where a lot of families gathered and a mom was there with her young el aged son laying on a picnic blanket. At one point she just got up and left for 10 minutes. Turns out she went to buy a drink at the food truck by the street near the park. Nothing happened and all was fine but I definitely was thinking you really can't do that in this day and age.

I see nothing wrong with picnic blanket scenario

+1

But I’m a 70s baby who regularly spent time in the car while my mom ran errands. She dropped me off at the pool and the movies in late ES. My grandmother would send me to the corner store to pick up an item or two. All totally normal. And my mom was pretty overprotective by 80s standards... like we couldn’t just roam the neighborhood or go into friends’ houses without permission.

I have a kid in ES, and I’ve been watching that show about Japanese toddlers running errands on Netflix. It definitely makes me feel like we coddle our kids too much. Parents in my neighborhood don’t even let their kids walk to the park alone.

More like you could be arrested or lose custody of your kids. Please don't blame parents for living in an overly punitive shame-based society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Upper elementary, I think? I don't think I was bratty, she didn't ask, it was just something she sprang on us and it was a movie I absolutely did not want to see. Well she trotted off with my 2 brothers and left me in the car to stew for an hour and a half.

So in general regardless, it seems like it was somewhat common to allow kids to hang out alone in cars while their parents shopped or ran an errand really quick in the 80's. It's just not like that now.

Last night we went to an event where a lot of families gathered and a mom was there with her young el aged son laying on a picnic blanket. At one point she just got up and left for 10 minutes. Turns out she went to buy a drink at the food truck by the street near the park. Nothing happened and all was fine but I definitely was thinking you really can't do that in this day and age.

I see nothing wrong with picnic blanket scenario

+1

But I’m a 70s baby who regularly spent time in the car while my mom ran errands. She dropped me off at the pool and the movies in late ES. My grandmother would send me to the corner store to pick up an item or two. All totally normal. And my mom was pretty overprotective by 80s standards... like we couldn’t just roam the neighborhood or go into friends’ houses without permission.

I have a kid in ES, and I’ve been watching that show about Japanese toddlers running errands on Netflix. It definitely makes me feel like we coddle our kids too much. Parents in my neighborhood don’t even let their kids walk to the park alone.

More like you could be arrested or lose custody of your kids. Please don't blame parents for living in an overly punitive shame-based society.

Did I do that, or was that your own internalized parent-shaming? In case it wasn’t clear, “we” includes me. “Parents in my neighborhood” includes me.

[Anonymous]

I'm a child of the 80's and I slept in our family car one night.

I also leave my kids in the car on the regular. They bring a book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP it sounds like your mother was just putting you in your place

+1 That mama was showing a spoiled little girl who was the boss in that scenario- mama bear won that round.

Ok, thanks mom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP it sounds like your mother was just putting you in your place

+1 That mama was showing a spoiled little girl who was the boss in that scenario- mama bear won that round.

Troll.

[Anonymous]

That was pretty common in the 80s. I stayed home by myself from age 8 on.

[Anonymous]

My parents didn't do this as we were too rural to go to the movies as a family, but I do think about how my parents let us kids play outside in the woods by ourselves for hours as long as we could see our house through the trees (cf. me, who watches my kids at at playground like a hawk).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That was pretty common in the 80s. I stayed home by myself from age 8 on.

We babysat other people's kids when we were 10!

[Anonymous]

I used to beg my mom to let me stay in the car while she went food shopping after school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That was pretty common in the 80s. I stayed home by myself from age 8 on.

We babysat other people's kids when we were 10!

+1 - I was a latch-key kid by 7 or 8 and was babysitting other kids at 10. Also at 10, my parents started leaving me home alone all weekend. Being left alone in the car while mom shopped was super common. I played without parent supervision from morning to night as well and spent all of summer vacation with my grandparents.

Very few of my memories from childhood include my parents, which is not something I want for my kids. OTOH, I worry a lot about how to ensure my kids grow up to be as independent and self-sufficient as I was. At 18 I was supporting myself and living on my own. I hope my kids will be able to do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That was pretty common in the 80s. I stayed home by myself from age 8 on.

We babysat other people's kids when we were 10!

+1 - I was a latch-key kid by 7 or 8 and was babysitting other kids at 10. Also at 10, my parents started leaving me home alone all weekend. Being left alone in the car while mom shopped was super common. I played without parent supervision from morning to night as well and spent all of summer vacation with my grandparents.

Very few of my memories from childhood include my parents, which is not something I want for my kids. OTOH, I worry a lot about how to ensure my kids grow up to be as independent and self-sufficient as I was. At 18 I was supporting myself and living on my own. I hope my kids will be able to do the same.

Same. I babysat my younger siblings when I was 8 and started a full-fledged babysitting business at 11. My only child is 13 and she seems sheltered comparatively. She doesn't like being alone. We were more independent back then I think. I agree with your comment about parents though. Most of my memories were running around the neighborhood/town with friends/siblings.