"Back in my day, we walked five miles to school in sub-zero temperatures. Not like you spoiled little brats nowadays!" Everyone has an older relative who says things like that, despairing of the coddled youth with their smartphones and crappy music, and parents who seemingly can't say no to their every demand.
And you know what? They might have a point. Although the world may seem like a more dangerous place now, children of previous generations had to make their entertainment, learn to look after themselves from a younger age and take far more risks while doing so. Parents did not have things like Mumsnet to help them with every little issue or guilt and stress them out for giving children too much freedom to learn from their own mistakes.
To celebrate the most eccentric approaches of old-school parenting, we've put together a list of parents and their children doing things that would horrify the mommy and daddy bloggers and Instagrammers of today. What do you think of the evolution of parenting over the years? Scroll down below to check out the vintage photos for yourself:
Me Back In 1991 Just Your Typical Aussie Kid Drinking Xxxxlight Beer(I Wasn't Aloud Heavies Back Then) And Holding A Baby Crocodile
My Mother And Grandmother Demonstrating Safety Standards In The 1960s
If Your Mum Didn't Lay On The Ground Making Herself Into A Ramp For Your New BMX, Did She Even Love You? 1980's
California Marijuana Initiative Rally 1972. That’s Me In The Box And My Parents In The Picture
My Dad And His Veterinarian Mother, With Their Pet Lion Which They Raised For Two Years, 1959
Princess Yvonne And Prince Alexander In Germany, 1955
A Couple Ice Skating With Their Baby, 1937
Infant Me, My Mother & Father At A Bar Because That's How Parents Rolled In The Early '80s
The Pinnacle Of Parenting: 1930s Swimming Lesson
Car Seat Safety In 1958. Not Strapped In To Anything, These Seats Relied On The Mother To Put Her Arm Out And Stop The Baby From Falling Forward
My Hilarious Father (With The Magazine) And My Grandfather, Grandmother, And Uncle At His Bar Mitzvah In 1972
My Mother-In-Law Riding A Bear At 2 Years Old
Harley With A Baby Seat, 1962
A Photo Of Me Dressed Up As My Dad, With My Dad (1982)
My Dad Showing Off His Parenting Skills 1985
My Mom In The Hospital After Giving Birth To My Sister. Canada 1978. Smokes And Roasted Chicken
Back In The Day. 1950s To Be Exact. Checkout That Car Seat
My Mom Showing Off Her Parenting Skills 1978
Me, 1958, Relaxing After My Bath With Toby, I Was Never Again This Cool
13 Y/O Dad Having A Taste While The Grownups Are Busy Playing Cards; Upstate New York, August 1954
COMMENTS