Until I was around 12, my sister and I were given huge freedom.
Most of this was my cousin Ben and I, since my sister was always quieter then us two.
Ben and I were pretty big trouble makers
- We were allowed to go wonder around until it got dark in winter and a few hours after dark in summer
- If we had money we would go get pizza or fish and chips for dinner and just stay out all night playing in a park or something
- Ringing our parents to see if it was ok to stay at friends was so not cool.... which is why our friends mum would call my mum
- My older cousin (Ben) and I use to skateboard down thie massive hill, which turned into the main road
- Ben and I would go into the city on the train by ourselfs (I would have been around 9 and he would have been 14)
- When we were skateboarding, bike riding, horse riding, rollar blading and wheelie bin racing we didn't use helmets
- Dad taught us to bike ride around our pool, so if you fell over you got wet... mum insisted on the helmets
- We were allowed to swim without adults watching, as long as their were atleast 3 of us, and one of our parents were home
- We could walk to school... over a busy main road and past shopping centres 2kms from home
- We use to climb up everything we could and see who didn't fall off
- We played helicopter with the skipping rope, without anyone worrying that we might lose an eye
- When Ben and I played video games, the loser would get punched, and we wouldn't get into trouble because it was all part of the game (we still do this)
- All my friends and familys houses were left un-locked in case we wanted food/drinks
- Our parents trusted us with $50 to go down to the shops and come back with only the items on the list
- We could go to the beach without our parents hovering
- And get sunburnt because "cool" kids didn't wear sunscreen
- Friends could turn up for dinner and stay over at the last minute
- We didn't really have a bedtime after I turned 7
- That creepy man was just a creepy man.... not a pedo, although he probably was one
- Ice-cream vans came around every single day of the school holidays
- If we got hurt, we were never rushed to the hospital unless it was really bad, like when we all though I cracked Bens skull with the PS control (I didn't )
- If we got hurt while it was only us kids, we would try and fix it ourselfs, and if you cried you were a cry-baby
- When it rained we would get our pool floaties and play in the massive puddles that formed all around the place
- We were allowed to learn from our mistakes like...
Jumping off a 2meter wall and onto a wet trampoline right after I got out of the pool ISN'T a good idea, because I got stuck in the springs,
When I almost sliced my finger off because I used a knife after my mum told me not to use it
- Trampolines didn't have the saftey nets around them, just springs that hurt and cuts your bum when you land on them
- Bouncing a basketball off someone elses face was funny
- Swinging the dog around from the toy in its mouth was only allowed when mum or dad wasn't there
- My sister and I were left alone at night for a few hours sometimes, but with a list of phone number on the fridge and all the neighbours knew that we were home alone
- We could walk around without shoes on, and swimsuits everywhere
- If you steped on something that hurt when you weren't wearing shoes, it was our own fault
- Playing British Bull Dogs and Dodge with tennis balls were part of PE class (gym)
- We were allowed to run out onto the road to get a ball at school
- Beating each other up with the recorders in music class would get us out of choir
- Coping homework just got you the same mark as your friend
- Coming home with a full lunch box meant your friend had something better and decided to share, not that we might have the warning signs of anorexia
- On Australia Day, we would sit on our friends 2 storey roof and see if we could push each other off it into the pool or trampoline below
- Getting dacked was funny, not being bullied
- If we didn't want a shower at the end of the day, then you wern't allowed out the next day
- None of us knew what sex or any of that "grown-up stuff" until we were around 9-12
- We listerned to our parents music, cause we were cool like that
- If we answered the phone we had to ask who was calling
- We always had a list of important numbers right next to the home phone
- We were allowed to watch MA15+ movies without our parents
- When we came home dirty and muddy, you got hosed off on the front lawn before you were allowed inside
- If you tracked dirt or mud through the house, you got punished
- I never really got punished, because if I got smacked, I would go do something to get revenge, and if I got grounded, I would still just go outside and play
- Smacking children wasn't child abuse
I guess my parents decided that the only way we would learn would be to learn things ourselfs, and since they got up to no good as kids, why not let us?
I can still do all this if I wanted to,
though now everyone locks their door,
when I get hit now, I hit back,
and I text my mum when I need picking up somewhere, or if I stay over somewhere
Ben and I arn't allowed to play video games anymore without a few other people there....just incase
And just a reminder..... all this happened from 2000-2005, not in the 60's or 70's
