Growing up in the 1960s feels like a different universe compared to today. What we considered perfectly normal back then would probably shock most young people now. As someone who lived through this fascinating decade, let me take you back to a time when safety was optional and common sense was… well, different.
Table of Contents
- 1 1. Kids Riding in Car Trunks
- 2 2. Smoking Everywhere
- 3 3. Drinking While Driving
- 4 4. Kids Playing With Lawn Darts
- 5 5. Hitchhiking Everywhere
- 6 6. Pregnant Women Smoking and Drinking
- 7 7. No Bike Helmets
- 8 8. Lead Paint Everywhere
- 9 9. Unsupervised Kids All Day
- 10 10. Asbestos as Insulation
- 11 11. Candy Cigarettes
- 12 12. No Car Seats
- 13 13. DDT Spraying
- 14 14. Metal Playground Equipment
1. Kids Riding in Car Trunks
Station wagons were basically rolling playgrounds. The “way back” was our domain, and nobody thought twice about kids rolling around unrestrained in the cargo area. On long trips, we’d make blanket forts and play games while the car was moving. Today’s parents would have a heart attack.
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2. Smoking Everywhere
Doctors smoked in their offices, teachers smoked in classrooms, and everyone smoked on planes. Ashtrays were built into everything – shopping carts, elevator walls, even hospital beds. The idea of a smoke-free restaurant would have seemed absurd.
3. Drinking While Driving
Having an open beer while driving wasn’t just common – it was practically expected in some states. Drive-in liquor stores were everywhere, and many cars came with built-in drink holders specifically designed for beer cans. The concept of a designated driver didn’t exist.
4. Kids Playing With Lawn Darts
We literally threw weighted metal spikes into the air for fun. Jarts were essentially weapons marketed as toys, and somehow this seemed perfectly reasonable. Parents would sip cocktails while kids hurled these deadly projectiles around the backyard.
5. Hitchhiking Everywhere
Thumbing a ride was a perfectly acceptable way to travel. College students would hitchhike across the country during summer break. People thought nothing of picking up strangers, and parents actually encouraged kids to hitchhike if they needed a ride.
6. Pregnant Women Smoking and Drinking
Doctors actually recommended cigarettes to “calm the nerves” during pregnancy. Alcohol wasn’t considered harmful either. Pregnancy was treated much more casually overall, with women continuing most normal activities right up until delivery.
7. No Bike Helmets
We rode bikes with no safety gear whatsoever. Helmets were for motorcycles, maybe. Kids would ride double on handlebars, do stunts, and race down steep hills. Skinned knees were considered character-building experiences.
8. Lead Paint Everywhere
Houses, toys, and even baby cribs were covered in lead paint. We had no idea it was dangerous. The sweet taste actually made some kids want to chew on painted surfaces, which was obviously not great in retrospect.
9. Unsupervised Kids All Day
Children would leave home after breakfast and return at dinner time. Nobody knew where we were, and that was normal. We’d explore construction sites, climb trees, and wander miles from home without any adult supervision.
10. Asbestos as Insulation
Asbestos was in everything – insulation, floor tiles, ceiling panels. We thought it was a miracle material. Schools and homes were full of it, and kids would sometimes play with the fluffy insulation material during construction projects.
11. Candy Cigarettes
We actually gave kids candy designed to look like cigarettes, complete with a powdered sugar “puff” when you blew on them. Children would pretend to smoke them, imitating their parents. Nobody saw anything wrong with this.
12. No Car Seats
Babies rode in their mothers’ laps or in flimsy plastic seats that hooked over the front seat. Toddlers stood on the back seat or sat in the front. The idea of special safety seats for different age groups would have seemed ridiculous.
13. DDT Spraying
Trucks would drive through neighborhoods spraying DDT for mosquito control, and kids would often run behind them in the fog. People sprayed it directly on their vegetable gardens. It was considered completely safe.
14. Metal Playground Equipment
Playgrounds were built on concrete and featured tall metal slides that became scorching hot in summer. Merry-go-rounds could reach dangerous speeds, and nobody worried about concussions from falling off the monkey bars. Survival of the fittest was the unofficial playground motto.
