Ask a room full of Gen Xers what was normal when they were kids and be ready for the stories to fly. TikTok creator @rickosbornart asked his followers exactly that, and he says the comments were even crazier than his own list. Here are the ones that made him say, “Apparently, I barely scratched the surface.”

One commenter wrote simply: “holding my dad’s beer while he drove.” That is the whole comment, and he says it is somehow enough, because a bunch of people knew exactly what she was talking about.

Another, named Louise, said she was dropped off at an outdoor pool at seven years old and left there all day with a little money to buy junk food. Seven, he repeats, in case you missed it.

@rickosbornart

Steering From Dad’s Lap

A commenter named Kelly reminded him of another classic: sitting on dad’s lap while he was driving. She steered, and he worked the pedals. As he put it, that apparently counted as driving lessons. Plenty of readers will recognize that one, along with the feeling of being very, very proud to be in charge of the wheel.

Then there was Jennifer, whose comment he thinks may win the whole thing. She was 11 years old and babysitting three kids who lived five streets away. When she finished, she walked home, at night. He asks the question on everyone’s mind: can you imagine doing that now?

His summary is the best line of all. Gen X childhood, he says, was basically “you’ll figure it out.” And somehow, we did. He signs off by saying he still has not heard the craziest one, so the comments are open.

Why It Feels So Different Now

Those stories draw laughs, and a few gasps, because the rules of childhood have changed a great deal. Looking back, some of the old habits were harmless, and some were truly risky. Many of us survived on luck as much as anything.

It is worth separating the sweet memories of independence from the practices that we are all glad to leave behind. Here is a quick look at the safety side of the stories above:

• Kids on a driver’s lap. Safety experts agree that children belong in the back seat in an age-appropriate car seat or booster, and that a child should never steer from a lap. Modern seat laws exist for good reasons. Car seat rules vary by state, so check your local requirements before a drive with the grandkids.
• Drinks in the car. Alcohol and driving do not mix, and open containers in a vehicle are against the law in most places. Nobody should treat the beer-holding story as a model.
• Young children alone at the pool. Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death for small children, and it can happen quickly and quietly. A seven-year-old alone at a pool all day would worry most parents today. Lifeguards are helpful, but they are not a substitute for adult supervision.
• Babysitting at 11. Many families still hire younger teens as sitters, and organizations like the Red Cross offer babysitting courses for kids around 11 and up. But walking home alone at night is another matter, and most parents today would arrange a ride.

What We Gained and What We Lost

None of this means every part of the old way of doing things was wrong. Kids who roamed free often learned to solve problems, read a situation and take care of themselves. Many Gen Xers credit their independence and resourcefulness to those unsupervised afternoons. The trick is figuring out how to give today’s children some of that freedom without the dangers.

A few ideas for grandparents and parents who want to strike that balance:

• Let kids play outside within sight or earshot, and gradually extend the boundaries as they show good judgment.
• Teach them how to handle small problems, from a scraped knee to a lost mitten, without rushing in to fix everything.
• Share your childhood stories, including the scary parts. Kids love hearing what you got away with, and it opens the door to talking about why things have changed.

The Stories Behind the Stories

What stands out in these comments is how matter-of-fact they are. Nobody wrote that they were scared or that anything went wrong. To the people telling them, these were simply ordinary days. That is the thing about childhood: you assume whatever you grew up with is how the world works, and only later do you notice how different it was. A grandchild listening to these tales today may find them unbelievable, and that gap is worth talking about. It tells young people how much has changed, and it tells us how much we managed to handle on our own.

Your Turn

If you grew up in the 1970s or 1980s, you probably have your own entry for this list. Maybe it was riding in the back of a pickup, playing outside until dark with no cell phone, or being told to be home when the streetlights came on. The creator says he is still hunting for the craziest one. What would yours be?

More Stories You May Like

• Woman Born In 1951 Recalls A Childhood With No Seat Belts No Helmets And Water From The Garden Hose And Says Her Bike Beep Horn Was Pretty Cool
• Record Collector Blind Buys Boxes Of Records And Finds A Rare Derek And The Dominos Layla Test Pressing Hidden In The Pile
• She Plugged In A Vintage Elvis Animatronic Expecting It To Be Dead And It Greeted Her With Hello Ladies And Gentlemen Before Scaring Her Senseless