Born in the 40s,50s and 60s

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 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.

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

I am on a few local history groups online and see a lot of this sort of thing, along with highly edited recollections of childhoods filled with love and freedom, always compared favourably with modern ones which are assumed to be spent in front of screens 24/7.

I think that most people remember childhood fondly, because they were children, rather than because the times themselves were necessary better. No responsibility, no real worries, and yes, lots of freedom - children are free to play and enjoy themselves, and days seem longer because they do when we are young.

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of sentimentality, but I don’t think these accounts are the whole story, as posts on here have shown.

Of course there are good things to look back on but you can’t be misty eyed and forget the more difficult things All generations have good and bad things to remember
I had a loving kind childhood but I d love to have been in my grandkids era they ve travelled and seen the world since babies they ve had a superior education and opportunities open to them that I wouldn’t have dreamed existed

I’m going to go a bit against the flow here. I was born in the UK in the 50’s, my parents then emigrated and to us children life was pretty good, plenty to eat, plenty of freedom and we were happy at school. Our Mother worked which was not the norm here, so I was a latch key kid, she went part-time when my brother started school. The school holidays were not so good with Mum working and having instead a succession of childminders. But most of them were high school students so things were pretty relaxed. One of them introduced us children to golden syrup sandwiches, what a revelation! From a child’s perspective I don’t think we wanted for very much, money was tight but you knew that and looked after your bits and pieces, we instinctively didn’t ask for things. I look back and treasure the freedom we had, times were more relaxed. Dad could get a bit grumpy but then you kept your head down! I see the cars delivering and collecting children from school nowadays and feel thankful for biking with friends to school, we had fun, ok not so good in the frosts etc but you rugged up. I’ll agree many things are improved now, but I look back on school days with great affection.

"The wonder years" not

I can't look back on the past fondly, I was born in 1957, my brother in 1962. My Mum was given thalidomide for both pregnancies, we were extremely lucky, although we were both born with a squint. I remember I had measles, then mumps, and the following year, whooping cough. Our house was freezing in the winter, and we didn't have much money for anything. I remember one holiday at the seaside.

I am glad I was able to give my 90's born children a much better childhood.

I certainly would not want to go back to the days of the OP.

Growstuff I m like you I don’t recognise the childhood described
I didn’t roam around in freedom I was an only child no cousins nearby so I was always in adult company and sometimes a bit lonely
Diet good!! I used to often eat sugar sandwiches and dripping on toast and a good old fried breakfast
My parents both worked 8 till 6 every day included Saturday
We had one holiday in my childhood when we had a week in a caravan when I was 4 years old

I had a good childhood with loving parents and grandparents but I hope my children remember a better one and my much travelled grandkids even better
I get quite irritated by these rather smug posts often doing the rounds on FB Sorry Maudi

Perhaps you ve forgotten to mention men jailed for loving an other man, notices in windows saying No Irish no dogs no Blacks, men getting emphysema working long long days in the mines, children working long hours , dogs roaming round fouling the streets sometimes joining up in packs, animals in tiny cages in zoos and circuses women having unwanted pregnancies oh I could go on and on and on

Not everything is rosie in the past

I was born 1950. Three families lived in our terraced house, no bathroom and outside toilet. I shared a bed with my Nan until I was six, them my little brother.
Beaten with a stick and told I was terrible, poor diet and sugar added to every drink and pudding, most of my teeth were full of fillings. I won’t go on.
Things are so much better now, for children.

I was born in 1940.

My teachers were very nice, and certainly never hit anyone with an implement or shoe, or threw things. There were a few smacks at infant school (only once for me), but the school I went to from age 7 until I left at 18 had no corporal punishment of any kind. My parents never smacked me either. I had a happy childhood for the most part. The worst bit was being in hospital with mastoiditis when I was nine. Visiting hours were very restricted then.

My mother was a wonderful cook so our meals, even in postwar Britain, were usually delicious. Our vegetables were home grown. Sweets were a rare treat. I vividly remember the day they came off ration! I was down to the newsagent like a shot, clutching my pocket money (a penny for every year of my life, so at twelve I got a shilling).

We did wander about locally. There was little traffic where we lived, and although it was really suburbia there were fields and woods. I belonged to a library and read a great deal, and enjoyed radio (wireless!) programmes like Children’s Hour, and before that Nursery Sing-Song. No need for television..

I know life was not like this for everyone, but my own experiences were almost all good.

Your post summed most of it all as it was. But I absolutely know my mother did not drink, smoke or take aspirin when she was carrying me. We had a long conversation about it once. My diet was good I think: no fizzy drinks, little ice cream, we couldn't afford fish and chips, and no processed food at all, all home cooked and fresh lots of fruit and veg from the allotment.

Yes, I got through it all without trouble despite tree climbing, paddling in an open sewer [didn't know it was at the time!], staying out all day and riding my bike all over, across a busy city a couple of times, going swimming on my own from age 7 years and taught myself how to swim, 'Bob-a-Job'bing every year [Brownies] knocking on strangers doors and go in to do jobs which often took an hour or more, hitch hiked all over in my teens etc. etc. I was caned at school a couple of times, thought nothing of it at the time, was 'clipped round the ear' at home for being cheeky. But I had a lovely childhood, so much freedom, and I learnt common sense and how to stand on my own 2 feet when no adults were around.

However I was lucky and I'm sure many other kids weren't. I still thing vulnerable children are at risk in the same way nowadays from dubious family members. There are still road traffic accidents, domestic/school accidents, virus's, awful crimes, house fires etc. etc. No era is without it's risks and down sides. There are plenty of downsides for todays generation...and yes, lots of good things about it.

Three weeks in hospital - including Chrismas - with pneumonia and parents could see me only through the window. Toys and books given for Christmas were left for incineration. We did play on the street and had free access to the beach, but I knew of one pupil at my school who fell off a swing and died of brain haemorrhage and two who died of leukaemia whereas with 21st century treatment they would have had at least a fighting chance. a number of fellow pupils were disabled by polio. Our teachers made frequent use of the heavy leather belt, known as the tawse, for girls as well as boys - me included. We had homework; we learnt poetry and times tables by heart. I still think I had a better education than my
kids!
Halcyon days? The good and the bad.

Brought not bought ?

Yeah and I had a dirty Uncle Frank who used to want me to kiss him and sit on his knee.
My father beat me but that was OK.
My mother verbally abused me and treated me like a slave, that was acceptable too.
The nun and lay teachers I had at primary school were sadistic witches, they were not accountable for their actions.
In Ireland young girls were being sent to the laundries just because they were pregnant.
Women all over the western world had their babies removed from them because unmarried mothers bought shame on the family.
Finally crimpolene, I hated my crimpolene dresses my mother made me wear, the feel of it made me cringe..

A boy in my class was drowned playing with his friends in the river when I was nine. Freedom was great, but it came with risks.