15 Childhood Expectations From the 1970s That Seem Harsh Today

Growing up in the 1970s was a time when there were certain expectations that would seem very stiff today. Children walked to school alone, took care of younger siblings, did chores for the family without any reward system, and spent hours outside with little or no adult supervision. The overall family theme was that discipline, independence, and obedience were non-negotiables. Children were supposed to show respect to their elders, follow the rules without questioning, and solve many problems on their own. While this helped instill many positive traits, it also put a tremendous amount of pressure on the children. Looking back, it is easy to see how things have changed over the years.

1. Walking to School Alone at a Young Age

For instance, in the 1970s, kids trudged to school on their own, sometimes as young as the age of six or seven. Their parents trusted them to get the trip done on their own, to get across the roads, and to arrive on time without anyone watching them. This was common in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Boston, where the elementary schools had vast neighborhoods. For example, kids carried metal lunchboxes and book bags as they walked through the sidewalks, roads, and sometimes several blocks of traffic. Teachers did not ask the kids how they got to school since the route was obvious. In some instances, the kids were led by their seniors, but some kids walked on their own.

2. Being Responsible for Younger Siblings

Throughout the 1970s, kids were often unofficial babysitters long before they entered their teens. For instance, it was common for older brothers and sisters, such as those who were 9 or 10 years old, to take charge of younger siblings after coming home from school. The parents worked long hours in factories, offices, or shops, and formal childcare services were hard to come by. For cities such as Pittsburgh and Cleveland, older kids would walk younger kids home from school, make some snacks, and keep everyone indoors until both parents came home. Today, such a degree of responsibility placed on a child is considered extreme, whereas babysitting today may require training, certification, or at least an older teenager to take on the role.

3. Coming Home Only When the Streetlights Turned On

Back in the 1970s, children spent their days playing outside with almost zero adult supervision. The only instruction from their parents was to return home when the streetlights came on. After school, the parks, empty fields, and sidewalks were their world. They rode their bikes for miles, played baseball in empty fields, or explored the woods behind their neighborhoods. Children in the suburbs of Long Island and California were able to play outside for hours at a time. Parents did not supervise their children during the afternoon hours. The whole neighborhood was the playground. This would seem dangerous today, with children roaming far from their homes with no way of reaching their parents quickly.

4. Doing Household Chores Every Day Without Allowance

In many houses, kids participated in doing household chores as part of the regular routine of life in the 1970s. The kids were not doing the chores as an option, nor were they being rewarded with a tap on the back or any other form of reward. They washed the dishes, swept the floors, folded the laundry, and took out the trash, and no one kept track or gave anyone a reward for doing so. This was the regular routine in many working-class communities all over the country, and parents saw it as a way of instilling discipline and responsibility in their kids. Many kids got it all done as soon as they got home from school, before they went outside to play.

5. Handling Conflicts Without Adult Intervention

Going back to the 1970s, the days of schoolyard and neighborhood “spitball” fights and petty rivalries were just part of the normal scene. For adults, the general idea was that kids ought to work things out on their own. If two kids had a fight in the schoolyard during recess, the solution was that the kids would work it out on their own. There was a sense that kids had to get through these tough times in order to develop the ability to bounce back and become stronger people. In the large cities of New York and Philadelphia, skirmishes, squabbles, and disagreements were a normal part of the fabric of childhood.

6. Staying Quiet and Obedient Around Adults

Respect for adults was the underlying thread throughout the 1970s. Children were expected to bite their tongues and allow the adult to talk, and if they stepped out of line by interrupting, questioning, or showing disrespect for the adult’s instructions, they were subject to swift and sharp discipline. Dinner tables were where children would sit in silence while their parents discussed work problems, bills, and family plans. The classroom was no different, with hands raised only to be called upon, and no questioning of the instructions. However, in the 1970s, asking for one’s point of view was considered impertinent, but in the current era of parenting, children are encouraged to voice their opinions.

7. Eating Whatever Was Served Without Complaints

In the 1970s, it was not uncommon for families to have simple, unchanging rules when it came to dinnertime. Children were expected to finish everything that was put in front of them, and saying no or asking for something different did not get parents anywhere. In fact, meals were not open to bargaining. Throughout the United States, especially in working-class neighborhoods, it was common for families to eat one meal together. Whether it was liver and onions, boiled vegetables, or casseroles, the kids ate the same things that the adults ate. If the child did not want to eat it, then the solution was always the same: eat it or go to bed hungry.

8. Accepting Physical Discipline as Normal

Physical discipline was how many families went about disciplining their kids, and spanking was how they responded to disobedience and breaking the rules. In fact, it didn’t seem to get much, if any, resistance from people in the 1970s. Schools were similar, though they varied depending on where they were located. Children knew that if they misbehaved enough, they might be physically disciplined when they got home. This approach came from some very old beliefs about how to run things. Today, however, people’s beliefs have changed dramatically. Many wonder whether it’s effective and whether it’s harmful. Looking back, it’s easy to see how it was thought that kids should simply submit to physical discipline.

9. Being Expected to Entertain Themselves for Hours

Back in the 1970s, kids mostly made their own fun, relying on their own devices for long stretches of the day, with adults rarely interfering. There weren’t organized activities that filled the entire day. After school and on weekends, kids had to find ways to fill the hours on their own. They’d build forts in the backyard, ride their bikes around the neighborhood, or come up with their own games. In suburban areas of states like Ohio and Illinois, afternoons could stretch away with nary an adult plan or supervision in sight. The 1970s encouraged creativity and independence in kids. Today, the experience of being a kid is filled with sports, clubs, and programs, with parents closely monitoring what’s going on.

10. Working Part Time Jobs at an Early Age

In the 1970s, it was not uncommon for children to get jobs well before the onset of adulthood. Teens and preteens would line up jobs delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, or working in grocery stores. Delivering newspapers was one of the most popular jobs. Before the sun was fully up, kids would hop on their bicycles and ride through the quiet morning streets, delivering newspapers to the waiting crowds before the start of the school day. In the towns of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other surrounding states, this was not considered a strange burden, but a normal expectation. Today, there are strict laws and safety concerns about the way young children are able to work.

11. Being Expected to Respect All Adults Without Question

Growing up, the 1970s were a time when a simple rule was to treat every adult with respect. This did not mean that it was only parents or teachers who commanded this respect, but it was every adult, including neighbors, relatives, and even strangers, who commanded respect from children. If an adult told a child to stop a particular behavior, the child was expected to stop at once. If the child decided to argue about this, he or she would face punishment at home, and parents would tell their children that it was necessary to treat every adult with automatic respect. Now, it is a part of parenting to tell children to stand up to authority when it is necessary, but this was not a part of growing up in the 1970s.

12. Being Sent to Bed Early Regardless of Personal Preference

Bedtime in many 1970s households had strict timekeeping. Children went to bed at a certain time, with or without being sleepy. After dinner and completing homework, bedtime preparation, such as brushing teeth, went as scheduled with no complaints. Watching television, talking, or other nighttime pursuits rarely deviated from the standard bedtime routine. The idea was that a regular sleep schedule fostered self-discipline and good habits. Modern families may accommodate more flexible bedtime schedules, depending on homework, extra-curricular activities, or other factors, but in the 1970s, the standard applied.

13. Riding Bicycles Without Helmets or Protective Gear

Back in the 1970s, kids rode their bikes all over the place, and helmets or any safety gear whatsoever were unheard of. The streets were filled with the sounds of Schwinn Sting Rays, banana bikes, and the late-decade BMX fad, the gear scene being a fleeting moment in everyday life. Safety gear was nowhere to be seen. Kids rode their bikes down the sides of hills, over curbs, and all over the place, going far and wide with friends. There was no hovering or interference from parents. Bikes represented freedom and transportation throughout the entire neighborhood. Today, helmets and safety gear are the norm, or at least mandated by law in some areas.

14. Handling Injuries Without Much Sympathy

Kids who had minor falls or scrapes received more practical remedies than hugs. Cautious, matter-of-fact advice from parents and teachers was the rule, rather than lots of soothing conversation. A scraped knee, a bumped head, or a minor cut received quick attention: the cut was cleaned, the bandage was slapped on, and the kid was sent back to what they had been doing. Advice like shake it off was commonly heard at sports events, on the playground, and in the neighborhood, as if injuries were an inevitable part of growing up. In the 1970s, many adults believed that kids developed strength because they actually had to go through the difficulties.

15. Being Expected to Follow Family Rules Without Explanation

Family rules in the 1970s rarely had a history or explanation for why they were being implemented. Children were expected to simply go along with what the parents dictated as rules. If the child asked why a rule might be unfair or illogical, the standard response was, as any good parent of the time knew, Because I said so. This response encapsulates the parental approach of the time, one of authority and discipline. Whether the rule involved household chores, curfews, or how the household should be run, the child conformed to the rule with little debate or negotiation. Nowadays, parents take the time to discuss and explain rules with their kids.

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