14 Things Your Parents Did That Would Shock People Today
A jaw-dropping look at the wild, risky, and often unthinkable parenting norms of just a few decades ago — when seatbelts were optional, spankings were standard, and kids roamed free like tiny, unsupervised adults.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
Parenting from a couple of decades ago appeared totally different from the present one — many times appallingly so. From allowing children to travel in automobiles with no seatbelts to loosely smoking near infants, many formerly normal routines would bring outrage (or legal consequences) today. This shocking list explores 14 actual parenting practices from earlier times that show how far our concepts of protection, monitoring, and childraising have progressed.
1. Allowing Children to Ride in Cars Without Seatbelts
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Until the 1980s and early ’90s in most areas, children used to ride in cars without seatbelts — or even chairs. Some parents allowed children to recline on back seats or lie in the rear windshield space on long road trips. Car safety wasn’t a significant issue, and child restraint laws did not exist or were unenforced.
2. Smoking near Children—Anywhere
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It was common for parents to smoke in the home, the automobile, restaurants, and even on airplanes — with children sitting next to them. Nobody batted an eyelid when a mom lit up at the pediatrician’s office or a dad puffed on a cigarette while giving a baby a bottle. Secondhand smoke wasn’t widely known or seriously considered until the 1990s.
3. Leaving Children Alone in the Car
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Running into the store while leaving the kids in the car for 20 minutes was totally acceptable. Parents assumed the doors were locked and the kids would entertain themselves — or nap. Today, this could result in arrest, even if the weather is mild and the wait is short.
4. Spanking With Belts, Spoons, or Slippers
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Corporal punishment wasn’t only tolerated — it was assumed in most households. Parents employed belts, wooden spoons, or flip-flops (“the chancla”) to reprimand children for misbehavior. Physical punishment was regarded as a kind of character-building instead of abuse.
5. No Supervision at Playgrounds or Parks
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Parents tended to leave children at a park in the morning and not look in on them until dinner or lunch. It was routine for elementary school children to go to playgrounds or creeks by themselves. Parents would now likely be in legal trouble for unattended play.
6. Drinking While Pregnant
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Deep into the 1970s, most doctors opined that a bit of booze, particularly beer or wine, was okay for pregnancy. Women even smoked all during pregnancy, despite the doctor’s lack of concern. The danger of fetal alcohol syndrome wasn’t commonly understood until many decades later.
7. Hitchhiking — With or Without the Kids
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Some families viewed hitchhiking as a convenient means of transportation, even for teens or preteens. Parents would sometimes give rides to hitchhikers when their children were riding along. The fear of strangers had not yet hit the cultural high point.
8. Sending Kids to the Store Alone—With Cash
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Children as young as five or six were regularly sent to the store to buy bread, milk — or even cigarettes for their parents. Shopkeepers didn’t bat an eye, and change was expected to be brought back exactly. This was considered part of learning responsibility.
9. No Helmets for Biking or Skating
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Back in the ’60s, ’70s, and even ’80s, helmets did not show up very often on children on bikes, skateboards, or roller skates. Children even skitched on handlebars or grabbed onto bumpers as play ("skitching"). Head injuries were simply written off as being tough.
10. Leaving Kids Home Alone at a Young Age
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Parents tended to leave children under the age of 10 at home alone when they went to work or shopped. Older brothers and sisters — sometimes barely in their teens themselves — were left to care for several younger ones. It was just assumed they’d “figure it out” and not set the house on fire.
11. Letting Children Swim Unattended
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Lakes, creeks, or pools were typical playgrounds, even for children who didn’t swim very well. Life jackets were not used, and lifeguards were not necessary. The thinking was that children either learned fast — or didn’t go too deep.
12. Allowing Babies to Sleep on Their Bellies Ensnared in Blankets
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Prior to the 1990s “Back to Sleep” campaign, it was common for parents to place babies on their backs while they slept. Cribs were laden with pillows, heavy blankets, and even stuffed animals. That arrangement would be a concern today for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) risk.
13. Serving Children Nips of Alcohol at Parties
Vinicius “amnx” Amano from Unsplash
It was regular to give a child a taste of wine or beer over the holidays or at barbecues. In other cultures, children were even served diluted wine alongside meals. That was regarded as harmless and also a means to “demystify” booze early.
14. Not Mentioning Mental Illness—Ever
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Parents spoke little of depression, anxiety, or emotional distress — particularly to kids. Behavioral problems were typically attributed to bad attitude or rebellion, not something psychological. Therapy was something the seriously “troubled” came to last, not a common remedy for wellness.