Born in the 40s,50s and 60s

Yes, while I do recognise all these, I also remember all too well pre credit cards having to go to go to the bank (closed by 3.30) to get any cash, and being told - after I’d applied! - sorry, but a certain job wasn’t open to women because you’d need to travel and - dear me! - even drive a car! ?

And another involving travel which until just before I joined, was not open to married women - and you had to leave if you did get married, because your husband might not like your being away - who was going to cook his dinner and iron his shirts?

Ditto a university lecturer who thought it perfectly acceptable to say, ‘Your essay was fine - I’ve given you a B - now, how’s your sex life?’

Oh, and my working mother, phoning the tax office about a refund, only to be told, ‘This is not your money - it’s your husband’s.’
Just a few I can think of.

Born 59 so child of the 60s.
So happy that my grandchildren live in a time of compassion within the school and medical system .

Understanding the that a child is a person in their own right.

I enjoyed the freedom of my childhood, just like the 'railway children' we sat on the wall and watched steam trains
I didn't enjoy wearing wellies in winter and no tights just long socks

What a lot of tosh! Where I grew up boys had one ear pierced if they were from sea-faring families because it was thought to save them from drowning!
My mum worked from when I was 7. She wanted me and my brother to stay in education and not go to work at 15.
And yes at 15 for some childhood was over and they were out to work (but still subject to parental discipline).
I hate these statements.

Thanks Maudi it certainly resonated with me as someone born in the 60's but not all of it. There were good things and bad, just like today and I'm glad that my childhood gave me the freedom to do all the fun things in your OP.

Having signed the pledge I can assure you my dear mum never drank anything alcoholic and considered smoking a filthy habit, she put up with dad's pipe. Yes we were very free and out and about from a young age. My DH took his gran across London to catch a train for her holiday, he helped with the suitcase, he was 8.
I do remember floating matchboxes in germ filled puddles which didn't seem to do any harm but I did have every nasty childhood illness including scarlet fever. Shut in bedroom for weeks, having to use a cup and plate just for me. No wonder I like reading.

I was born in the 40s in a rural community. I didn't enjoy school much except for extra curricular activities but I did enjoy the freedom I had of going out on my own, walking to school across the fields, going swimming with friends and watching Dr Kildare. I left home at 17 to go to college in London and loved the hustle and bustle. With no brothers and sisters I learned to look after myself and soak up the atmosphere. It was a good period of my life

I didn’t really like my childhood. Both my parents were traumatised by their war experiences and I was the bunny who copped it. Irrational acts by my mother and every week I would have to beg and plead just to get lunch money for school. No - you can keep those days, early 50 s to 60 s. I remember heaving a sigh of relief when I left home at 18 and I never looked back - life has been great since, I have had a wonderful life.

There are good and bad things in all periods. There never was a golden age - only if one ignores the awful things when remembering the best things. In our age we have all sorts of desirable experiences mentioned by others but we also have Boris Johnson, the Ukraine war, the loss of reproductive rights for many American women, Covid and the consequences of Brexit. I do regret children's loss of risk-taking freedom though (think Swallows and Amazons!).

I felt like I had truly gone back in time reading this. It brought so many happy memories, we did not think it hard times, we had fun, we enjoyed using our skills to make things and invent various games to amuse us. Getting the odd telling off from the Park keeper from standing up on swings taught us valuable lessons even though at the time we used to say he was a real miserable Parky. I lived with my Nan at the time and felt it was great times, lots of friends and fun. I still enjoy Bread and Dripping on the ocassion. Happy Times.

Oh yes it was an amazing time! Not! There was plenty wrong with that time too

1/ Sexual abuse in children and adults wasn't recognised. Childline started in the 80s

2/ Domestic abuse was ignored. Womens Aid only started in 1974. Mom's like my mom didn't leave abuse as they couldn't or/and it was frowned on.

My mom background meant she couldn't leave as she was from a professional middle class background with a child (me)

3/ Drink/driving was part of the norm.

4/ Toys weren't generally standardised and kite marked

5/ Children didn't have to wear seat belts and safety in a car was non existent.

6/ Children could go to the pub and buy alcohol for "allegedly" parents

7/ Smoking was part of the norm

I could continue however you get my drift! Good and bad in every generation. No I won't be forwarding it. Its judgemental and stereo typical

There is plenty of good about life today, and plenty not so good as with every generation

My childhood certainly wasn't joyous and free nor would I want to relive it

Seems people get to a certain age and rose tinted glasses are bought ftom Specsavers

Oh and the condescending remarks around www is rather ironic as that is where this is being posted; on www

I think it was good that there wasn't the fast food around then, and far fewer children were obese. I am glad we are more educated and aware of social issues and human rights and that we can recognise bigotry for what it is.

All I will say is I'm thrilled we didn't have the Internet or mobile phones when a teen in late 70s , early 80s.

I was somewhat of a wild child. Rather pleased my parents had no way of contacting me to see where I was.

Well, I recognise a good deal of my childhood in the post.

Personally, I was sent to schools were coporal punishment was not used and I only remember having my bottom smacked (not at all hard, either) on one occasion.

I was not allowed to ride a bike or have roller skates, catapults or bows and arrows and was strictly forbidden to play near the local burn. Nor was I allowed to play outside our garden until I was seven or eight. But in the main I too am thankful I grew up then, not now.

What OP does not mention is our mothers warning us about talking to strangers, especially men, or trying to explain in deep embarrrassment what was meant when we heard a man had "exposed himself" to a local girl my age, the child murders we did read of in the papers, or hear about, and some cases of crueltly to children - all of which did occur during our childhood too.

Those were the days, but far from perfect when we take our rose coloured glasses off

Ps btw my mum terrified me about men and/or women who she believed hung around parks/playgrounds and most other places. I’ve never forgotten and I’m sure the warnings kept me safe when I was out for most of the day with friends. In turn I warned my DC but tried not to terrify them too much

I had a happy childhood I was born in 1953. We didn’t have much money but plenty of food and enough clothes etc. I spent some of the holidays with my cousin sleeping together in a big feather bed, my auntie, who was my fathers favourite sister, was a fabulous cook so I remember huge teas with homemade bread and cake.

My dad took me to the corner shop for a bar of chocolate on a Friday when he got paid but no sweets/treats any other time. I only remember having two holidays in my whole childhood and never went abroad until I went on honeymoon at 19.

My cousin and I did go out all day in the local fields but I also remember a man exposing himself to us on the way home and we ran like hell. My friends uncle also touched me inappropriately when I was nine which was so frightening and when I told my dad he went round to the house and hit him and warned him he would kill him if it happened again.

I remember being screamed at and humiliated in school often told I would never be any good and I’m now proud to say I’m twice as qualified as those teachers but I hated school.

Some things were good but there were awful things too don’t wear such rose tinted spectacles.

Maudi, yes there was a lot that we could wish for now it was so simple. However with most of those things we now know better.

And ice on the windows in winter because we had no central heating

I was born in the 30's. I heard folk say that school days were the happiest days of ones life. It filled me with dread for the future. I was caned and slapped for talking and laughing, major offences. I hit a teacher who canned me for humming to myself during a painting lesson, I was seven at the time. She asked why were you singing ? I said because I was happy but I am not happy now.
Home life was chaotic and traumatic. Parents had big rows and my sisters and I fought most of the time. They were very clever, all I could do was draw paint and learn poetry.
Life outside home was of little importance to me, the war, school and society could sort themselves out.
BUT I met a lovely man, we had a very happy marriage and lovely children. I think my childhood taught me the overwhelming value of home life.

survivor bias. Those who drowned or got run over or died of cervical cancer or asbestosis or mesothelioma fter a lifetime of exposure or lost limbs through diabetes or died of cot death because of smoking in the house aren't here to say different. Victorian names on my family tree include Admiral, Pickles, Prince,Wignall, Godolphus,. And before then no one dreamt of calling girls Hazel, or Ivy
Not saying that there weren't good things
Oh and many shops were open all hours

I was born in the 50’s and my parents in the 20’s
I was never allowed to be out all day without being within view of an adult. My Father, I recall saying - that’s the sort of mother who’d allow her children play out all day without supervision.
I’ve lived in villages, cities and now the Home Counties never in all my years or when my parents were young did we leave the door unlocked. It seems something people recall but we never ever did this, especially never unlocked during the war years in the ‘black out’ when robbers were active. Different memories.

Agree, just a load of waffle.
Some people have short memories of the 50s and 60s.

I really dislike these misty eyed type of memory, divisive and generally untrue too. I had a happy childhood ( born late 1950s), but was aware that my intelligent Mother was frustrated by having to stay at home as there was no child care in the village, plus my Father worked shifts so her days were probably lonely. As for people getting all dewy eyed about children being beaten at school, eating utter crap, and enduring dreadful, preventable childhood illness......no thanks. My parents did their best, better than many, and we too, did our best to give our children a safe, healthy upbringing. Ask those people who were wearing calipers due to polio, or those with chronic asthma due to coal fires and parental 'freedom' to smoke, ask the women living in a violent marriage trying to keep their children safe, knowing that as far as society was concerned they 'had made their bed and now had to lie in it'. Nope, this is sentimental nonsense, sorry OP.

Just because some of us have fond memories of our childhood and had happy memories triggered by the OP, doesn't mean we have short memories or are wearing rose coloured spectacles.