Childhood things now extinct!


Bini
 Share

Recommended Posts

Name something that you had growing up that is mostly or completely non-existent now, and that your children will likely not or never experience in their childhood. Do you wish it back? Or good riddance?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wish it back:

Rainbow Brite.  I've seen all the other characters* I played with in my early childhood be reinvented and have second life, but not Rainbow Brite.  I'm a little sad about that, but also a little hopeful that she's *doesn't* get redone.  Let her stay the way she was.

 

Calling your local radio station and asking them to play your favorite song without talking over it at either the beginning or end, then waiting all day by the radio, so you could push "record" on your tape player and make your own mix tape.

 

Screen doors (this isn't a generational thing, but a geographic one, and I miss have a screen door for ventilation...I have a storm door instead).

 

 

Good riddance:

Mix tapes.  (While there was a certain fun and nostalgia with the recording-off-of-radio method, I really like having all my music compactly contained in my iPod, particularly for road trips).

 

Film cameras.  I'm a portrait photographer, and (again) there's a certain nostalgia to the pre-digital era.  And film is actually making a comeback.  But I really am grateful that I can know right away whether my shot was exactly in focus, with correct white balance and other settings.  That doesn't mean that I overshoot just because I can ("hey, it's digital -- who cares?!") but that it's nice to be able to have the instant replay.  That said, I, uh, own three vintage film cameras, and several lenses.

 

 

 

 

 

*Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, Cabbage Patch Kids, My Little Pony, GloWorm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Game & Watch

egg-nintendo-game-and-watch-300x185.png

I have this exact game and I was the envy of the school because the few other kids who had Game & Watches only have 2 buttons whereas I have 4... And my mom would be yelling at me at 1AM because I couldn't stop playing the thing because I wanted to see what happens if I reach 9999 score...

 

Yes, I miss it.  But, I think it's my childhood that I miss more than the game really.  For some reason, this:

 

bejeweledblitziphone_thumb.jpg

 

just doesn't seem to capture that thrill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh anime's... I remember when I was a kid seeing Akira (back then all anime was usually put in the kids section, even if it wasn't for kids) it was terrifyingly awesome!

And then there was Samurai Pizza Cats and Dragonball Z (I've only seen 1 other anime where punching people is done better, and that is of course, Fist of the North Star)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spending all day outside exploring without adult supervision.  We were sent out to play and we came home for lunch and dinner.  We had fun.  We never thought of danger.  I feel so bad for kids now.  It's all structured activities or video games.  Spontaneous play and exploration seem to be a thing of the past.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spending all day outside exploring without adult supervision.  We were sent out to play and we came home for lunch and dinner.  We had fun.  We never thought of danger.  I feel so bad for kids now.  It's all structured activities or video games.  Spontaneous play and exploration seem to be a thing of the past.

 

In the summertime (on any decent day) we were out playing hockey.

Usually we took food and water with us.

I still remember getting a stick or two to the face (being the goalie and the fact I didn't wear a helmet)

helmets were expensive and so were plastic sticks, we all had wood.

I did wear a mask in the winter, though we seldom played with pucks since no one had proper equipment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My children will never know the joy of climbing freely around the car, over seat, under sister/brother, whilst mom and dad cruise it down the freeway joyously seat-belt free.

 

Okay...cynicism a bit there.

 

I do think the car-seat thing has gone a bit far though now-a-days. I do support car-seats and seatbelts, however. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

k262hndh.jpg

My favorite toy...I took it off some sweet jumps.  :twothumbsup:

 

I regret that my kids and future grandkids will never know what it's like to not be connected 24/7 to everyone else including friends, family, big corporate marketing and perhaps even government. Everything you do is being recorded and filed away and it's going to be difficult to ever truly feel free and independent. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do kids even know how to climb a tree before? Anyone who didn't know was ostrasized for being lazy or fat.

Sure it was kind of mean, but these kids did nothing but sit around all day playing video games (the ones who could afford them) they could never keep up with us and our games.

Sometimes we just thought hey lets go pick rasberries, or, lets go to the big hill and make a fort in the forest.

There was no adults, there was no "oh call us at so and so time" it was "be home by dark"

Mom cut the cable in the summer and we were outside.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do kids even know how to climb a tree before? Anyone who didn't know was ostrasized for being lazy or fat.

Sure it was kind of mean, but these kids did nothing but sit around all day playing video games (the ones who could afford them) they could never keep up with us and our games.

Sometimes we just thought hey lets go pick rasberries, or, lets go to the big hill and make a fort in the forest.

There was no adults, there was no "oh call us at so and so time" it was "be home by dark"

Mom cut the cable in the summer and we were outside.

I imagine there's a number of kids out there these days that haven't seen a tree up close.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spending all day outside exploring without adult supervision.  We were sent out to play and we came home for lunch and dinner.  We had fun.  We never thought of danger.  I feel so bad for kids now.  It's all structured activities or video games.  Spontaneous play and exploration seem to be a thing of the past.

We still have that!

It just all depends on where you live.

Q

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I'm going to tape that."

I still say it... But I'm getting better about using the word "record" since it's multimedia friendly.

A LOT of stuff is coming back (I get milk delivered daily when at home, for example, and nearly every old TV show is streamable) but here are things I can't (&/or shouldn't) find in the US.

More Tech:

- Floppy Discs

- Party Lines

- Pay Phones

- 3D glasses that DONT work!

Lead-Related

- Leaded gas (mmmmmm.... Smells so yummy)

- Lead Paint (delicious & nutritious... Tastes just like brain damage!)

- Lead toys/figurines (if damaged, just melt & repour!)

Misc.

Encyclopedias you had to save for years to afford, and needed to replace

Exotic Pets (pumas, crocodiles, and other things that don't snuggle well).

Seasonal Only vegetables & fruit

REAL Sudafed

Tylenol2 & Tylenol3

Infant Medications

(apparently, babies have stopped getting sick in this county! Fortunately, I just pop up to Canada for my baby shower gifts).

Wanted Posters (I used to love looking at them in the post office!)

Commercial breaks that don't leave you enough time to pee

(Instead of so long you can pee iron a shirt, check the doors are locked, and completely forget what you were watching by the time the show comes on)

Music Venues (okay, this is a local thing, there are states where kids and teens can attend music events as long as they get their hands marked / don't get a bracelet unless over 21... But not here.)

Drive-in Theatres (local, again). Last one closed last summer. Next nearest = 300 mile drive

WORST EVER LOSS

- 12 weeks of summer break (one of the districts here has only 3.5 weeks, most have 6-8. Still nowhere near that glorious 108 days of summer vacation!)

Q

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share