There wasn't even text message, phones had a cord on it that you could wrap around your house ten times, and if the TV wouldn't focus you had to either move these things called bunny ears or smack the TV lol

We would disappear off on bicycles for hours on end and would often be several miles away from home.

You were supposed to come home when the streetlights came on!

Kids still do it, it's not 'older folks thing'.

Kickball! I still miss it and wish I could find other adults who would play a game in the street. The leagues are much too serious for me.

Ah, the feeling of coming home almost after dark and having your eyes dazzled by the lights inside.

We had the entire neighborhood looking out for us. Neighbors knew each other, and knew each other’s phone numbers, as well as normal habits, so knew when to get concerned. I can remember once crossing a busy street I wasn’t allowed to cross, thinking no one would ever know. But by the time I got home, my mother already knew. Because someone in the neighborhood had called—-on a landline, which was all they had back then—-and given her the heads up about where I was.

Same. My mom would send us out and expected us to stay out and entertain ourselves. This was true both in a town (CA) and a city (NYC).

um I think you need to go outside and talk to more kids

I feel sad for the kids todays. They don’t know what PLAY is. Not for Real. Or having a Group realasion. In REAL LIFE & NOT ON ONLINE! But it’s NOT THE KIDS FAULT!!!! WE have Failed as The Leaders for them! I’m from the 70’s & I see the Generation of Kids from the 90- ,They Crew up in time when smartphones & computers & the Online World took over. They where sadly growing Up in a World,that when U sat at the Dinner the Phone was with & Mommy & Daddy sat with there New Best friend ; Facebook 👍 So did They at the Playground,Birthdays… But worst when the Kids tried to talk to them,was sad or just wanted to Play or do somethingelse THAN Facebook !! I Can see this Generation is strugling hard today be really Good Parents. I talk with my son mid 20- about this often. It’s hard to Play,when haven’t played…. But U learn👏🙏🏻 There are so many Lonely Kids today ( 5 Yr - up )! There have never been this Problem before.

My mother used a cow bell to call us. Then there those little shits who'd yell "COMING" when someone else's mom called their kid to come home.

We knew all the neighborhood kids and would place outside all day. We found all kinds of things, like when we discovered a swamp behind all the houses. It was also like a desert.

My daughter took my son's girlfriend on a tour of their old stomping grounds yesterday. The kids built a bike trail with ramps in the easement between the two cities. It doesn't look used anymore, but the ramps are still there. My kids are only on their twenties, but I raised them the old fashioned way. Most of the kids in that neighborhood were raised like that.

And that was just the girls!

My cousin had a myna bird that called "Maaaarty" in his mother's voice.

We were allowed to have "unscheduled" fun. I remember on weekends going outside after breakfast, hooking your baseball mitt on your handlebars, and riding off with your buddies looking for a pick-up baseball game somewhere.

Twice a summer? I skimmed my knees twice a day.

I get frustrated with my kid that he hasn't learned the skill of entertaining himself without electronics. But, to be fair, I'm pretty hooked to electronics too these days, so I'm not exactly modelling good behavior in that department.

My kids still do this

Yes. Came home when hungry or streetlights came on.

There was also the unspoken downside to parental neglect. Rapes and molestation in the 70s and 80s were sky high and unreported.

I'm so tired of people saying this. Kids still play outside all day. My kids play until I literally ring a bell for them to come in. I watched my sister's kids for seven years and they spent all day outside running all over the neighborhood. Just because technology exists doesn't mean that's all kids do. Also, my generation also had electronics. We had a TV, and eventually a VCR and an Atari. I used those devices AND played outside.

I think more importantly, you could be goofy and awkward just for the sake of fun in the moment, and not always be attempting to make a video and gain likes for it.

I used to hate when the DJ talked over your favorite song after you had waited HOURS to catch it on the radio so you could record it.

Ah yes! Right after the 'Star Bangled Banner' played!

Circle what you wanted to watch! And if two programmes overlap then.... Dad decides.

Then your sibling screams “it’s on!!” And you have to run back.

Still good to know how to read especially if you go hiking. Too many people depend on their phones way too much and don't realize there are still alot of dead air when it comes to cells.

I still remember a couple of number of my friends house numbers, from 30 years a go. Cannot remember any more recent numbers.

"They're here"

My best friend lived in the house behind mine so I would climb our chain link fence instead of going around the block to go visit her. She did the same for me. We went over so often we had pushed the top of the fence down. My father finally decided one year to put a ladder over it for us.

OMG yes! We were easily entertained then!

Wait....... did we say one or two? Maybe it's one and they could be a little late. They will be here. Any minute now. Let's just wait untill two, just to be sure. At two your friend came around a corner and said that they weren't sure if we said one or two. Some of my friends still don't have a phone and it still stresses me out

Ok, I legit thought for the longest time that those pens were made for rewinding cassettes

Thank you for calling moviephone

I think that level of accountability was a good thing.

I actually miss these. Especially the ones in the kitchen that had the phone book holder.

Thundercats theme still gives me nostalgia tingles.

Antenna? What's that? /S/

No, you get off the phone so I can use the internet!

It always seemed to be around Easter because I remember eating chocolate bunnies while watching it.

With a little case for your cassettes.

Viewmaster. You could buy whole stories.

Countless times of being on the verge of having an aneurysm, but you kept your cool because you knew if the controller got obliterated that was it for the rest of your childhood....

BlockBuster did not have an adult section. 😉

I loved my Lite Brite! Also my Spirograph, but that took more skill.

Re-watched that series recently! It's surprising how much of it I clearly remembered, and just how cheesy it really is too.

Oh, this takes me back! I worked at Blockbuster in 1997 & remember taking hundreds of orders for new copies of Titanic.

Franklin Mint "collectibles".

And waiting for the dial-up connection!

Waiting to call long distance on weekends because it was cheaper. No cell phones.

And I absolutely hate it