My mom SAH. I grew up on Army posts all over the world. We played outside all day. We came in to eat and get snacks. We knew to come in when the street lights came on. When I got older, we hung out at the bowling ally, movie theater, pool, and PX. We had the freedom to roam the post.

I SAH when my kids were little. They had a similar childhood.

I played outside most of the day with neighborhood kids. My mom worked from home.

I had a SAHM. We usually traveled for 2-3 weeks and did an occasional day camp at the local rec center. From age 8-9 (when I joined team) on, I went to gymnastics workouts at least 3-4 days a week for a few hours each day. Other than that, my brothers and I mostly played in the woods, yard, or pool (all at our house), had friends over, went hiking, etc.

Had a SAHM, my brothers and I played outside in the neighborhood with friends, explored the woods, built forts, rode bikes, caught fireflies, went to the pool (walked), family went to visit my grandmother, went to the beach, went to state parks, spent a day or two with my dad at work (office job downtown), played sports in a vacant lot nearby, went to the store to buy candy and soda, one summer I took golf lessons, my brothers took tennis lessons.

My kids also had a SAHM until they were teens, their summer lives were similar.

One of my kids has kids of his own, their summers were also similar because they too had a SAHM.

I grew up in England. Mom stayed at home. Summer there is only six weeks long and I remember being bored twds the end. Lots of time out playing with friends, occasional day trips but not many.

Had a SAHM. We spent our summers on Cape Cod where we had a beach house. I did daily swim lessons/swim team and my brother did baseball, but we spent 75% of our time at the beach. When in 5th-8th grade I also went to a sleep away camp for 2 weeks. And when I was 16 I got a part time summer job there.

My parents still have the house there and DS now spends about 6 weeks of the summer there with DH and I heading down to visit

Both parents worked and I was a latchkey kid from about ten yrs old. I got myself to swim and tennis practices and coding and typing classes and bummed around town on my bike. I made myself lunch and watched too much TV. I got a lifeguard job at 15. It was glorious.

Rode my bike around rock creek park. Found home people’s stash of beer. Went to highs or 7-11. Came home at dark.

I had a SAHP. We played outside 8+ hours a day, went camping for family vacations, and spent time at a relatives beach cabin (very rustic, no running water).

Anonymous wrote:I camped. My mother stayed at home for part of my childhood but did in-home daycare. We were blue collar/ lower middle class.

My mom also did at home daycare too but she didn’t have more than 3-4 kids as I remember. We just basically ran wild in the summers. We went to the pool a lot. We went to Ocean City, MD for a week because my aunt owned a condo and didn’t charge us much. I have fond memories of summers back then.

I went to the local rec center day program pretty much every day-if I didn't have plans w/friends in neighborhood. We didn't belong to a pool but rec center brought us to one once a week. I also played on the rec softball team. My parents worked but mom was a teacher so when she wasn't teaching summer school she was home. I guess a couple of summers she took classes as she finished her Masters. We did 2 two week family vacations too. I remember summers being wonderful freedom of doing what I wanted and nights having my parents very relaxed.

When I was younger my mother stayed home. Summer was playing outside with kids in the neighborhood. We usually did one trip to see grandparents and cousins.
When I got older she went back to work. Summers were watching a lot of TV.

My parents worked. I spent a lot of time by myself at home. One week of vacation, but otherwise at home watching ridiculous amounts of TV.

I camped. My mother stayed at home for part of my childhood but did in-home daycare. We were blue collar/ lower middle class.

Also, did you have a stay at home parent? Just interesting to me how things have changed so radically within only one generation....