GirchyGirchy

I'm two years older than you, and all but a few apply to me. I always wore seatbelts, I was too far away from my friends to ride there, and I never made a go-cart.

I'm still about the same; I don't own any video games, don't subscribe to cable, don't have a cell phone, and I ride my bike quite a bit.

Autotooner

only 2 that dont or didnt apply 2 me is I got a cell phone and an xbox

cntchds

god i wish... cept the internet part...

Ranger

thinking about it after reading the other comments, I would not switch my childhood (50's) for today. I realize and hope each generation would feel that way about when they grew up but....
I grew up in Chicago and most of the kids were second generation to this country (Polish, Jewish, Italian, German, etc). We would raze each other about our backgrouns and 95% of the time it was not meant to be hateful. I went to a public high school that had 5500 kids from all over the city....the meanest kids would carry knives. One of my best memories is playing softball with a 16" Wilson clincher and no glove. It appears, at least to me, that the more "tools" we have to communicate, the more isolated we are becoming.

chrisma

Right you are Ed, right you are.

MyLittlePony

I cant talk to people on cell phones, even when my job requires it. Mostly because I was raised to believe phone calls were important, and it was rude to bother someone on the phone. Also, I remember when each minute cost a bundle, which is another reason its rude to interupt. One of the biggest things that annoys me is when I am 3 ft from someone I need to talk to.... ...and I cant talk to them because they busy talking to someone not even there.... ...makes me feel not important.

OBleedingMe

Born in '83 here.

I can completely agree with the original poster's philosophy, which I think is kids can no longer be kids. heck, there are some schools around that won't even let kids RUN AROUND at recess! They say it's too dangerous and they liable for injury, lol. What's next, lawyers and cops standing next to playground equipment? Parents signing waivers before their kids go outside to play!?

I blame the money-hungry and the current politicians for this problem. Those who are money-hungry look for reasons to sue people, hoping to hit that big jackpot and set them on easy street. In the process, they waste the state's time/money, and put another nail in the coffin of childhood joys. Not that any of these people care about the consequences. They're looking out for #1, as human nature dictates. People watch these cases on television and are terrified to let their kids outside. As for the politicians, there are some of them out there with a really twisted perception of reality. Perhaps they never had friends when they were young or were teased constantly, I don't know. But they create and enforce an atmosphere of Political Correctness that has no place in a child's life.

Take this for example - a boy in the 1st grade kisses a girl on the cheek and runs off. Perfectly normal for a child to do this. I had girls do this to me when I was a young boy. It's called the exploratory stage. Well, this boy is suspended from school, put in handcuffs by the local law until his parents pick him up (great way to instill respect for authority at a young age, you idiots), and don't allow him to attend a field trip to an ice cram factory. This action is lauded by extremist feminists (i.e. misandrists) saying these young boys need to be taught a t a young age "no means no." Another situation quite recently happened with a boy in kindergarten. He stuck his tongue out at a girl in class. Another perfectly normal behavior of a child. This was punished by the child being suspended and begin taught how wrong "Sexual harassment" is. Yes, because I am quite sure this five year old boy had dirty thoughts on his mind when raspberried his classmate. I dare not even delve into the countless cases of child/infant murder/torture that parents (mainly mothers) have gotten away with, being sentenced to little or no jail time, when they should've been executed.

Obviously, there is a deep-seeded hatred for childhood (and hatred for males in the above cited examples) at work here for those who enforce these ridiculous standards on our children. Perhaps these activists were rejected throughout childhood (similar to myself, but I didn't turn out like them - I don't find it as an excuse for this sort of behavior), raped, or underwent some sort of other traumatic experience to warp their perception of how society should treat its children. But that is no excuse.

Someone needs to stop them, but the very atmosphere they have been allowed to create effectively emasculates any naysayers. If you disagree with them you are labeled. The only way we'll be able to stop these atrocious standards from being imposed on our innocent children is if a strong voice of many rise up and say NO! NO MORE! But historically, it takes a LOT for people to band together like that. As the saying goes, things are gonna get a helluva lot worse before they get better. Settle in, guys.

future9er24

i totally agree dude. i cant beleive how overprotective some parents are...namely: MINE!

can you beleive i wasnt allowed to stay home alon until my freshman year. that even tho i could have legally got my permit in NOV, they wont take me b/c they're afraid of me crashing. that i cant walk to the taco bell two blocks away b/c their afraid ill be kidnapped? that i cant walk to/from school for the same reason. that its "unsafe" even now for me to hang around school after hours while waiting for track practice to start b/c there are "bad kids" out there. that i cant go over to a friends house unless my parents know them really well. that its not right for people my age to be dating b/c we dont know what we're doing and that we're nither old or mature enough for such a relationship. that i'm not mature enough to own a car even though i really only want something to tinker with in my spare time and learn about cars (ie, a fixer upper). that i wasnt allowed to play football, or any other sport for that matter, last year because i hurt my knee a bit (miunor injusry healed in a month) and i still couldnt play even after cuz i "might hurt myself badly and become a wheelchair bound person". yeah right. and then they wonder why i have so much anger built up gee i wonder why? and when i try and explain my position calmy and smoothly, no yelling, im accused of being disrespectful and ungrateful for all they've done and im once again being "immature".

its crazy and horrible. for all of you who had freedom as a kid i envy you. some ppl wonder why so many kids spend so much time indoors, being unhealthy and playing video games n stuff 24/7. its because we're "not allowed" to do anythin else.

the main reason for my extreme need for license now isnt so just so i can drive a mustang ne more. its so i can freakin be free to do what i want.

also, i feel really bad for those two lil kids n the quoted post. thats freakin screwed up. aresting a kid n first grade for kissing someone is a surefire way to fix the problem.

i know my parents arent THAT extreme, and to the parents who accused those lil kids i have one thing to say

ur pretty messed up. your seat in heck is reserved. enjoy your stay, once you arrive you aint leaving for a long time.


sorry if i offended or bored anyone with my post. im cranky right now. just returned from another lecture on how the C- in honors chem i got (even tho it counts a B- on the GPA!!!) will ruin my career and my chances of getting into college

EleanorsMine

Are You a Child of the 80s?
Trapped between the "Baby Boomers" and "Generation Y" is a special generation ... a generation we call "Children of the Eighties." If you can identify with most of the 15 points below, chances are you are definitely one of them ...

You owned a *real* Rubik's cube.
One word: Izod.
You remember when MTV didn't exist. Alternatively you remember when the M stood for Music, not Mundane.
"Alternative" music actually was...and not popular Top 40 tunes.
You were a "wanna be". Madonna, Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Boy George, etc.
"Where's the beef?"
You know how to use a rotary phone.
Max Headroom was cool.
You know how (or wanted to be able) to Moonwalk!
Atari, IntelliVision, TelStar and Coleco were the ultimate gaming systems to own.
Leg warmers and headbands alá Pat Benatar once looked really cool to you.
You remember when Jordache jeans with a flat-handle comb in the back pocket was cool.
Jelly bracelets & shoes!
Your hair defied gravity.
You are still baffled by the "day glo" clothing trend.
So, are you a Child of the '80s? You're facing a long uphill culture battle to stay tuned-in to that great decade, so follow our advice:

Never forget or deny your 80s heritage. Be sure to start most of your sentences with "Back in the 80s" or "When I was your age"...
Spend a majority of your time in your late 20s & early 30s obsessing over how much better things were "back then".
Never let them see you sweat.

EleanorsMine

You remember Don Johnson when he was "cool"

You know who shot J.R

You remember when Michael Jackson was actually considered something of a sex symbol

You practice getting in and out of your car through the windows

You owned at least one skinny leather tie.

Your first Walkman weighed 10 pounds and was the size of a brick.

You wore L.A. Gear tennis shoes.

You know the meaning of Wax on/Wax Off

You're always "in the mood for dancing"

If you can "See Better" with sunglasses that have paint splattered all over the lenses.


You can feel St. Elmo's fire burnin' in you.

You need a shopping cart to carry your personal stereo with you.

You remember what Michael Jackson looked like before the surgery.

You go rollerskating every Friday night (not to skate, but to 'hang out')

You still want to take Karate...(after you move to California)

You watch NYPD Blue thinking, "Well, they're no Crockett and Tubbs, that's for sure".


"Outrageous!" is the term to describe something neat and cool

You think that Garbage Pail Kids are your children's worst enemy

You had a poster of Bo, Luke & Daisy Duke

There was nothing to question about Bert n' Ernie living together

The phrase "Where's the beef?" still doubles you over with laughter.

You went out and purchased the sound track for 'Miami Vice'

You remember the magazines of song lyrics

If you think Hulk Hogan is the best wrestler of all time.

If the best non-slasher movie in your opinion is An American Werewolf In London.


Two words: The Clapper.

Six words: "This is your brain on drugs."

You want to live in 'the Valley'.

Ferris Bueller was your idol.

You watched 'Star Search' on a regular basis.

Every now and then, you blurt out: "Ooh noo, Mr. Bill!!!"

If you had an entire wardrobe of Esprit clothing (or coveted one.)

If you know the words to the "Oscar Mayer" theme songs

Your bangs are teased perfectly to 7 inches above the rest of your hair.

Have multi-colored earrings that touch your shoulders

Played Upwords, Boggle or Trivial Pursuit (the original) on a rainy afternoon

You wore lace gloves with the fingers cut off, bangle bracelets up to your elbows, bright red Reebok high tops and parachute pants to a school dance



You're still bitter that WHAM broke up

You know whose phone number is 867-5309

You drink Diet Coke because Max Headroom told you to

You still watch things on Beta tapes

You had the tendency to turn up the collar of your polo shirts

You never went out for a night on the town without frosted blue eyeshadow and feathered bangs

Everything in your wardrobe was either pastel or fluorescent

People are constantly gagging you with spoons.


You know all the words to "I'm just a bill, sitting up on Capitol Hill" and "School House Rock."

The feeling in your thumb is only now just returning after holding down the Atari joystick to control the racecar in Enduro Racer


You still can't believe that Milli Vanilli was deceiving you all that time

You can sing all the words to "One Night in Bangkok" by Murray Head, and now you understand that it is about chess.


You still wear a bandana tied around your leg and/or a ponytail off-center on the side of your head.

You know who Martha Quinn is.

You still carry your boom box on your shoulder

You think David Hasselhoff was awesome in Knight Rider but stinks in "Boob Watch."

When you saw luging at the Winter Olympics you poured water down your driveway and tried it yourself.

A piece of folded paper and two hands could tell your fortune.

Knickers and leg warmers were cool

You ever wanted to learn to play "Stairway to Heaven" on the guitar and choreographed "Dancing Queen" by yourself in your room.


You had ringside seats for Luke and Laura's wedding

You ever had a Dorothy Hammill haircut.

You thought a Commodore 64 was the highest technology available

You wanted to be "The Hulk" for halloween

You want to be "Where Everybody Knows Your Name"

'A Different World' kicked butt

Remember "Dancin' to a Big Mac at McDonalds!"


You know who played Magnum P.I

One Phrase, "The Plane, The Plane"

You can name at least three members of the Brat Pack

Still think banana clips were a godsend

Still wear Wet n' Wild makeup

If your idea of hi-tech toys is still the heat-sensitive color-changing sticker on Transformers

If you remember Bruce Willis from Moonlighting, not Die Hard

You still wear your "Members Only" jacket.


You still have a couple of those barettes made of woven ribbons.

You had snap bracelets

You remember when Pee-Wee wasn't a pervert.

You had had five pairs of socks on at any given time

You still think Donkey Kong can beat Mario up

If you still have your scratch-n-sniff sticker collection

If you remember when you heard that drinking soda and eating Pop Rocks would make your stomach asplode


If you ever used Lee Press-On Nails

If you wear jelly shoes

You still play with that CASIO SK-1 Keyboard

You're still hoping for a New Kids on the Block reunion tour

You still argue over who was better: Tiffany or Debbie Gibson

Every time you hear the "OH YEAH..." song you think of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"

You still watch tapes of Stingray, McGyver, and Airwolf

GirchyGirchy

That drives me nuts.

Treadhead

April, are you trying to make me feel old? I remember all that stuff so I should probably kick the bucket any day now. There are way too many safety ****'s out there these days. According to them, there is no way I should or could be alive today and they would probably faint if they saw or heard about the things I did as a kid.

PaulF

Here's a story out of the Philadelphia School District that just floored me:

An 8 year old girl was packing up her bookbag for school, putting her art homework and art supplies into her bookbag and leaves for school....

She enters school and sets off the metal detector...school police search her and her bookbag and come up with a pair of rounded scissors. The little girl is detained and the Philadelphia Police Department is called. The police show up and, per their procedures, handcuff the sobbing little girl and lead her out of the building and take her "down town".

Now I feel bad for a couple of people here: 1. The little girl - I mean, come on! Use some common sense here....2. The police officer that had to handcuff her. This guy really took some heat from the media and like he said, he was only following procedures. He said he didn't want to do it, but if he didn't he would have gotten repremanded or possibly suspended....but the only news media that showed that quote was the newspapers...the video media cut that part out and made the guy look like a jerk.

Sometimes, I really think our society is pathetic.

Shannon

Growing up in the 80's was great. I do so miss the skating rink on Friday nights.......BTW I was bored at work one day and made the paper fortune teller, we all had a blast!

MyLittlePony

Do you remember when it was ok for children to go to the bathroom by themself? It was only in the 90s that parents started to acompany their children in public restrooms... ...the reason? theyre afraid their child will get molested. Why? because only RECENTLY people have molested children in bathrooms... ..they never did it in the 80s or beyond... ...this a new thing. So you'll have a 7 year old boy in a womens restroom. There was a time when this would seem odd... ...however it is very acceptable now...

...what pisses me off is when I have to flush after people... ...sometimes there is urine in the bowl, but no toilet paper... ...know what that means? It means that odds are, a boy peed in the ladies room... ...and for SOME reason their MOMMY didnt care that he didnt flush. I mean, you can hear it, why did they not tell them? It happens all the time... I dont know who, what age or gender, is doing it... ...but all the times I go to the public restrooms, 50% of the time I have to PRE FLUSH. I also blame those automatic flushers. Not everyone has em, but I believe that everyone still thinks they do. Remember when an unflushed toilet meant that it was cloged? Whatever happened to those days?

duece1019

i'm glad i wasn't born today

MyLittlePony

Ya know this is the downfall of america. We live in a society that has all this saftey crap, and all these fine medical stuff, that reverse darwinism is taking place. Imagine... ...Stupid citizens having 2-8 children because they dont know any better, besides the government helps them anyway. They dont take care of them so they run amuck causing chaos in schools which means that other children have to learn at THEIR level, intelligent adults dont want to have children because 1) they know the financial burden, and 2) theyve had to put up with the offspring of idiots, so why on earth would they wnat one of their own? Thus only ignorant people have offspring, which leads to what?

We live in a world where we have warning labels on everything; q-tips: "do not stick in ear" sunflower seeds: "do not spit onto others" Why we live in a world where an adult can walk jaywalk down a one way street, never once, looking both ways, take the long way across diagonally, facing only the side of the street that DOESNT have oncoming traffic, strolling VERY slowly... ...and if they should get hit, whos at fault? The jaywalker gets payd phat loot, the driver suffers severe dents to their vehicle that will come out of his own pocket, if this incident doesnt leave him dirt poor. And not only does the moron get phat loot from pain and suffering, but we have the medical facilities to make someone who should have been considered dead by darwinism alive and able to do the EXACT SAME THING!

If youre too stupid to teach your kid how to operate a toilet, or how to cross a street by the time they reach the age of 30... ...then odds are, you shouldnt have ever considered reproducing. Besides, if theyre that age and this all applies... ...they should probally be tacking care of by a nurse or say THE PARENT, because there USE TO be a time when these people were considered "special." Now theyre "normal." wWhen the @#$% did this happen?

MyLittlePony

Everyday I'm insulted! How on earth did the people of decades past live day by day?!? I mean imagine this... ...soup can... ...it has a pop top ring now... Didnt always ...but its there, just incase your TOO STUPID to use an AUTOMATIC can opener. And because they assume that their consumer is TOO STUPID, they have directions on how to open the can with the pop top ring. And just incase your TOO STUPID to read, theres pictures! How on earth did people eat back then? Our ancestors had to of eaten something.

And ATMs... ...have you seen those now? Not only do I NOT have to speak english, but I dont even have to be literate anymore! No more drive up ATM braille jokes, braille is old school! Now if Im TOO STUPID to read directions on the screen, theres a verbal prompter. It tells me exactly what I need to do. And incase Im TOO STUPID to take my card, or TOO STUPID to know here to withdraw my money or deposit... ...not only do I have a verbal prompter, but I have a row of bright green flashing LEDs to direct my attention to the area needed. My god, what did people do 30 years ago? use a bank teller? WTF?!? And if Im TOO STUPID that I need all that... ...how on earth did I get money in the first place?!?

Theres lots of little things like that which insult my intelligence on a daily basis. I consider myself normal... ...or atleast I did. All my life people have been telling me that I am stupid and retarded... ...which means that if that is true, why on earth do we live in a wolrd like this now? All these people who supposively are smarter than me cant seem to do crap in the real world. Good thing we now live in a society where we help people SO MUCH. Any other country would just let nature take its course.

And I'm not dissing on the phsyically/mentally handicaped, the blind, or the deaf... ...I'm talking about "normal" every day people, people you probally work with. People who may be friends. People you'd never expect couldnt even operate a credit card machine. People who would ignore the sign "if locked then bathroom is occupied" and never once feel insulted, or find the stupidity in that.

EleanorsMine

Know what drives me mental? Going out to eat and getting my meal ruined by someone elses brat.And the parents do not care! They think their little creatures are cute.....them and no one else.

I had my kids young- I was 20 and 22 when they were born, and I have taught them very good manners. I get complimented all the time on what well behaved Kids I have- why? Because I have no tolerance for rampant brattiness.......I am quite happy my kids know manners.

If you go out to eat nothing drives me more nuts than
A)Someones brat running wild through the place, no one stops it
B)Someone's Brat turned around or banging on the seat, I hate those kids.
c)Someone's screaming brat-keep screaming brats at home. No one wants to hear.
d)Someone's brat being a brat and the parents thinking its cute.(turning around sticking out their tongue, throwing food)
I just paid a fortune for my meal, if your brat can't behave, dont go out to eat. I have taken to frequenting places where babies and toddlers are not encouraged. I have left places rather than shop with one of them.

The bus stop is in my driveway for my son, there is a total five year old beast who catches the bus- he feels "entitled" to do as he wishes because his parents think his brattiness is cute. Little frigger is going to grow up to be a sociopath.I despise this child.

Don't even get me started on school! They encourage spanish- then complain because they have to print in two languages and it uses ink and paper.......Speak english at school? Remember those BIG OLE tire playgrounds and jungle gyms? Replaced by the new wooden ones.....No more duck duck goose because it might hurt someones feelings, Bday Parties? invite one or invite none, wouldn't want feelings hurt. Go to the school? Photo ID and signature required to even talk to your kid. Christmas party? Nope, no more.....Same for Bday parties at school. Apparently its a crime if you can afford to take care of your kid- because some parents refuse,and they don't want feelings of inadequecy.
Elementary school- uniformity, because you wouldn't want your kid to bring something another kid can't afford so as not to hurt feelings. School supplies? Buy extra for the kids whose parents are too lazy to bother....
Back in the day- remember? Trends? Trends are no longer allowed because everyone can not afford em. Old Navy Frost Free coats? not allowed.... Because they are expensive, and you wouldn't wanna show off.....

JessicaRabbitt

Yes I remember those things.. My dad used to say that he could eat off my earrings (they were that big) and use my bangs as parking blocks. Aqua Net in the PURPLE can baby, sprayed on wet hair, then the blow dryer, on its highest setting, directly at the hair glue.

Then I got into highschool, and I was a Hesian. Complete with permed hair that would put afros to shame, and my eyeliner that I had to burn to put on. Smoking out behind the 500 building at my school. Ripping my jeans cuz I couldnt be seen with them in tact... and OMG Painter hats with 300 band pins on them!

What about Dittos? OnTV? Video Killed the Radio Star? Pong? Ding Dong Ditch?

Everyday there are new diseases being "discovered", new ways for people to die. Sex sells, but gods forbid our kids know what sex is.

I also remember playing with my friends til the street lights came on. I remember Martha Quinn, I also remember Rodney on the Rock with Dr. Drew Friday nites. (thats for the SoCal group)

I wouldnt let my daughter 5 ft from me these days, too many freaks out there. Yeh, she has a cell phone, and a PDA, and a laptop. She also goes between two houses, and I am proud she knows how to use her laptop to write papers one etc. She is 11.

"I wear my sunglasses at night..." cuz "My future's so bright I gotta wear shades"

I can Moon Walk, solve a Rubicks Cube, play some MEAN Centipede, dont bother challenging me to Asteriods cuz I will own you!