We got close to losing a friend on a teeter totter during a stunt gone bad...luckily, it only cost the poor girl her eye. We were back at it before she even rolled away in the ambulance.
Oh I was a ninja in order to watch Saban's Adventures of the little mermaid at 6am on Saturday mornings and if I failed than I would get sentenced to my room til 9am. When 3 hours felt like foreverrrrrrrrrrr.
AMEN TO THAT GIRL,... they lost it over what I got caught doing when I went to jail (DRIVING REVOKED WITH DUI THAT WAS ONLY 0.11,.. what will they do WHEN THEY FIND OUT WHAT I HAVE DONE AND HAVEN'T BEEN CAUGHT ROFLMOAO cancer gen cry babies better heed the promise and move on
As a Gen Xer with Boomer parents, I can confirm that feelings did not exist back then!! 😂 There’s not a day that doesn’t go by without me asking my daughter if she’s Ok! She can’t even begin to understand why how she’s doing is so important to me 🥹❤
You must have had awful parents! I'm a boomer and always worked and yet my kids had a hell of a lot of supervision as did my millennial. I didn't smother them and half the time. I didn't know where they were precisely, but I always paid a lot of attention and made sure all three of them knew how to be responsible, not only to others but to themselves. My kids learn to cook and around the same age I did between 10 and 11. And my kids always knew they could talk to me about anything and they took that quite literally. One day my oldest did a three-way call with me and her best friend because her best friend and I suspect my daughter either didn't know how to put a condom on. While I was screaming in my head. I calmly explained exactly how to do it. At least they were practicing safe sex. The people who continually put down boomers and Gen xers are the ones who were left to run like wolves without very much parental supervision were never taught any manners were coddled all the time and now blame everything that happens in their own lives on boomers and Gen xers.
@@tanawilliams7498 I can honestly say that none of us had sex (especially me) growing up. Parents would gone nuclear if that happened. As for me, we all thought I had a pituitary gland disorder. In truth it is, in a way... But at least kallmann syndrome is treatable. Being born a eunuch and lied to by doctors didn't help. And when I was 28 I learned my pituitary gland was a dud...essentially deciding for me that further hrt was absolutely pointless for me. My parents knew where I was, sorta. As long as I left a note and informed my grandparents (who lived next door), it was all good. That way if an emergency arose they'd know the general area I was in. Course, still meant that they'd have to scream/yell in the woods till I heard em, but still. I learned how to cook young. Was a requirement to know if I was gonna be out in the woods somewhere. If I wasn't out and about, I was working either on my family's farm or at a neighbor's farm. Same goes for my younger sister...only she had no desire to disappear for days or weeks on end. Then again, at least she had friends - so maybe that filled a void for her. I knew I could talk to my parents...just that I also knew they didn't understand the crap I was going through. They'd (teachers, counselors, and principals included) keep saying: that they had to deal with bullying when they were my age and that I was exaggerating about how I was being treated. Tell me, how is it exaggerating when I have to be escorted out of the bathroom in towels because I've been peed on and spat upon after being beat up so much I pass out? Can Always talk to adults with your problems (big fat lie right there, I learned that lesson) Kids really aren't that mean and cruel, it's just your imagination Boys don't cry, pick yourself up and work it out Why don't you make some friends? (Well gee, maybe it's because they all hate me) It's easy fighting back against one or two...it's impossible when you have your peers after you...they best you down and the grade above you comes to join in. Or visa versa, just depended on who saw me first. Back in the 80s and where I lived autism and ADHD was unheard of. Best I ever got diagnosed with (from multiple psychologists) was depressed, anti-social, and lack of self confidence. My parents solution? I'm normal. Period. I actually wanted to be in the special education classes. At least they taught according to what the students needed. In regular classes if you didn't do work their way, you got an F. Special education taught their students how my first school taught. I begged, I pleaded...but my father (he put his foot down on the matter) said no child of his was going to be in a class for slower students. It wasn't until many years later when he wasn't working so much and had time to listen that he realized he was in the wrong. But by then I was out of school. So it goes. I've log accepted I'm the odd ball, the black sheep of the family. And no one can convince me otherwise. For mom the black sheep means something else and it's not good...I understand her perspective, but I have my own as well. I was never coddled. My youngest sister was...she is the baby of the fam.. she was born in 87. Parents actually listened to her a heck of a lot more than with me. My younger sis actually turned out normal. I'm a recluse and I hate society. Anxieties up the wazoo from long term isolation. When covid isolation was over I actually had something to laugh about. 2 years in isolation? Please!! Get back to me when you've been in isolation for 20+ years. If that means I have a sick sense of humor, so be it. I'm just happy I had something to make me laugh. My youngest sis turned out a lot like me. She had a similar experience in school... At least she had friends...but socially youngest sis is more active than I am. And she's able to go to town without a blowout panic attack. Not taught manners? That was emphasized growing up. Though parents never taught me to call elders or people of authority ma'am or sir. I personally believe that was just ingrained on me from birth. Looking back, I realize my parents did the best they could, but they didn't understand nor did they have the tools that many have today when it come to neurodivergent issues and understanding. At least we didn't have a system that now goes after autistic children and tries to brainwash em. There's that at least. We may not have had the Internet, but we had bulletin board systems. At least to those of us that never believed it was a fad, lol. I chatted with people from Finland Australia, the UK, and many people from the States. We sent email (yes, we had email in the 80s, just not how many think of it as today) and we learned from each other. People shoulda paid more attention. I and many other children were hooked on screen time in the early 80s. And many of us tried to warn others about it in the mid 90s too. Did anyone listen? Nope. We were branded as being crazy, fear mongering, and lunatics. Guess people shoulda listened cuz now children and teenagers are facing the exact problems we tried to warn about. Well, some do listen. Others actually blame us for not speaking loud enough. **scoffs**. Sure, we get harassed and threatened and it's our fault..and 25-30 years later it's still our fault for not speaking louder. Crazy ingrates. I don't have kids, obviously... And younger sisters don't want em. So it goes. But I do feel sorry for my parents. No grand kids, ever. And no, I'm not gay, trans, or intersexed. There's crazy talk out there by crazies who say that a eunuch isn't straight..and there's some crazies who won't leave me alone wanting me to be their poster boy for certain movements. Ain't gonna happen.
The other part, finally hearing what your PARENTS got away with as children because now that the "kids" are all adults, they start opening up as well and reminiscing with their siblings.
@@catlady9123yeah like the time I found out that my dad broke his foot running from the cops after getting caught sniffing airplane glue. That came up when his doctor asked if he had ever broken a bone. 😅 I was 48 when I learned that.
😂 my parents still tell me, and I’m 43, I’m never too old to get smacked. Of course they haven’t but I don’t curse in front of them cuz I know they mean it!
As soon as Saturday morning cartoons were over "Get out of my house!" After school homework done? "Get out of my house!" That was at the age of five "Don't leave the neighborhood!" Age six "Here is a dollar for the day "Get out of my house!". I never saw my parents during school breaks. And if the weather was bad, we were tossed into the playroom or our bedroom, the door shut and they saw us at dinner.
Younger generations simply don’t understand the freedom we had! I was 8 years old and rode my bicycle 2 miles each way to our local swimming pool. My grandparents NEVER even knew I had left home
Same! We rode the two miles to lessons in the morning (because at 16 lifeguarding would be one of our jobs), then ride home, make lunch to be ready at the exact time our parent got home for lunch, watch all my children, then when the parents went back to work, we rode back to the pool, then we rode back and made dinner….then if it wasn’t crazy hot we’d play outside until my mom rang a bell, at which time it was dark and all went home….unless we had plans for games one likes it dark for…or drinking…
I grew up in a really small town. Both parents worked so I had a key to let myself in the house. When I was in middle school as soon as I got home from school.I would grab my .22 rifle and hop on my Honda 4 wheeler an go back on the canals and shoot carp.
My mom knew I wasn't home. She just didn't know which of our haunts we'd be at. The mall was my furthest, 5 miles away. Barely made it back before the street lights came on. 😅
Gen X.. we were the last generation that lived like lord of the flies.. there were 3 channels on TV and it signed off with the National Anthem.. we didn't have the internet...
Her answers are me. I am the oldest of 5 siblings. We were lachkey kids. We played outside until the street lights came on. I'm proud to be gen X. 👊👊👊👊👊
Ever see that movie 'My Cousin Vinnie' and they have that steam whistle? We had a loud emergency alert horn that they would blow every morning at 6 am and every evening at 6 pm. That was your daily schedule of when to get up and when to get the house. and you'd set your wristwatch (that's a personal device worn on the arm to tell time).
My Silent Generation parents were busy having their totally justified feelings about others in the family. I, the GenXer, just kept my head down and my nose stuck in a book.
Born 1973 and a proud Gen X gal 😊 I was just telling my husband the other day that we were the last good generation and it’s because we’re literally so bad ass. We raised ourselves and we raised ourselves well. 👍🏻
If you're gen x and still married to your husband that's a rarity, and that's because our generation wasn't so great. Yeah .... better than the ones that came after us but that's due to increased social engineering and more control freak policies in place in the schools and in the legal system. A lot of cops were harassing kids riding their bicycles in the neighborhoods and in the parks which Is partially why they started hanging out at home more.
@@jules-marcdavis6843Once they redefined what a gen x was it was deemed that those born in 64 were the last of the boomers. Originally, those born between 1960 to 1965 were the last of the boomers and the first of gen x.
That was the same for me! And if my dad had to go outside and whistle at a ridiculously high decibel for us to hurry home, we knew we were in trouble!! Where were you raised out of curiosity? I was in Orange County,CA then.😂
I feel bad for kids and teenagers for this reason.. the stupid mistakes you make as a kid.. now kids will have reminders of all that stuff and they won’t be able to forget about it and move on 🥲
No cell phones but if the neighbor or the church lady caught you doing something wrong you got yelled out from them and then yelled out by your parents when you got home.
Seriously - the biggest saving grace of our entire generation is that there's no evidence of the shenanigans we got up to, posted forever on the internet for everyone to see!
10 to cook, younger to help with laundry, 10 to babysit. Always played outside and would go to 7/11 regularly. I was running the household at the age of 14. I was regularly ignored. 💜💜
I was taught how to drive a stick shift car at age 11 and did pretty well too. I was 10 when I started cooking dinners for my family because I had a single mother who worked nights. My older sister who was 11 served as a babysitter for me, my youngers sister who was 5 and my little brother who was 2. I had to get a job at 16 to buy my first car ($500 1971 VW what was 17 years old then). I had to figure out for myself (using books at the library), how to pay for college. I moved out of my parents' house at age 18. I was taught how to swim in the deep end of our pool by being thrown off the diving board and there was no one to catch me cuz my dad WAS ON THE DIVING BOARD WITH ME!! I'm tough as nails and I have accomplished hard things. I am GenX
Gen Xers were the last generation that survived without being coddled. We were taught right about what to do and what not to do, respect for others, how to care for ourselves and others. We were well loved and knew it. When we reached adult stage we were prepared to enter the world and contribute unlike every generation afterwards who were unable to enter the world and contribute without extensive outside training. They also contributed to the higher crime rate and me generation problems!
My 3 siblings and I were taught how to swim by being chucked out in the gulf of mexico, at age 5 (as we hit it, when we hit it) my uncle and dad took us out in a boat in the gulf, they drove out about 40 feet, and chucked us out in the water saying "see you back on land" while laughing and driving off. As soon as I was tall enough that I could see into the pot or pan while standing on a chair, I was cooking, around 4-5, but I was allowed to cook by myself when I didn't need a chair to see in them. My siblings and I were watching each other by the time my oldest brother was 5, and there's 4 of us, we're roughly 2 years apart. My siblings were working by 6, we shoveled snow, racked leaves, and cut grass, and we didn't have a snow blower, or a gas mower, we shoveled by hand, and our mower was one of those things that was a pain in the ass to push because even well greased, it didn't really move. We were all officially working for "the man" by at least age 15. College, what's that? We were all forced to be moved out of our parents house by 16
Talked about feelings every time mom got the belt. “This is going to hurt me more than it’s going to hurt you.” When I said, “I call BS”, she made sure it turned out to be a lie.
I don't know if I should be in awe of you, or terrified! I made the mistake of whispering WHILE I WAS FACING AWAY AND BENT OVER, "I find that hard to believe!" Oh, Maaan! I wasn't sure if that beating was ever gonna stop!
Right? I remember having an argument with my best friend in 6th grade and I cried all the way home and when I got there went in my room and cried for quite awhile. The only response I got from my mom was a sarcastic “it must have been VERY bad!!” She never asked me what was wrong or even knew why I was upset, but that was the response I got and after that I realized that feelings were not important in childhood in our generation
Yeah, I got screamed at till Mom's voice cracked when I tried to talk to her about anything. And the only compliment I ever got I think I was 3 years old. I was playing in a dark hallway with my toys quietly and my cousin came over asking where I was the whole time when I walked out of the hallway. My mom gushed how good I was because I stayed in there and was quite. That was also the day my cousin taught me to tie my shoes because my mom couldn't be bothered to do that.
She did not care. I was called MISS KNOW IT ALL. Being sarcastic yet she had me hanging with business oriented church elders as a teen plus I read another and we watched educational channels, had a set of encyclopedia. Babysat as a teen that is how I would buy me stuff I wanted she only bought if she wanted to. And school clothes my grandparents or dad would buy. Or she had coworkers or church members give me clothes oh she was morbidly obese school teacher and she bought herself brand new clothes.
You hit the nail on the head man. I was 5 when I walked to kindergarten by myself. And yes, a stranger in a car offered me a ride. I had enough sense to say no and ran over to a group of kids I didn't know. Never mentioned it to my parents.
That happened to me on the way to school. I went straight there and told the nuns and my aunt who taught there. I was actually crying and quite distraught. They had to call mom from work and the cops ended up complimenting me to my mom on how much info I was able to give them. My dad was a cop in the army. 🤷🏼♀️ They caught the guy a month or so later when he tried it with another girl and actually got her in the car.
I was a young girl walking home from early grammar school and a man stopped his car and told me that something bad happened to my father so he asked this man to pick me up. My father was dead, so I knew he was lying and a “bad man”, so I ran home as fast as my skinny little legs would carry me. It was never reported. I knew my mother had a lot of stress and didn’t want her to worry. I still hope he never got another little girl in his car. Grateful to still be alive.
This happened to me a number of times when I was little. Mom was a single parent and worked her butt off raising me and my brothers. So we were latch key kids. I’d usually walk to the bus stop by myself or with my brothers. One time there was a car parked near the bus stop. When I walked past he had his window rolled down and pretended to ask me for directions. What adult would need to ask a kid for directions? And another time when I had a creep follow me when I was walking home. When I noticed I was being followed, I ran as fast as I could. But instead of running to our apt, I ran to a neighbors house. After that incident I started carrying a knife with me to protect myself. Luckily back in 80s/early 90s, they didn’t have metal detectors in school. My angels def had their hands full keeping me safe when I was growing up. So grateful 🙏🏽
Outside by 7 am daily. Was outside until 8 or 9 pm. Started babysitting when I was 9. Cooked first time when I was 8. Started working a job when I was 12. Walked in the dark when I was 6. Never once talked to my Mom about my feelings, that would surely bring trouble. I have tons of vet friends. I have wounds that should have been stitched but was told to "toughen up" so I did. I never ask for help, I was raised to do everything myself. I wish this generation could have experienced the freedoms we took advantage of.
Nearly ditto to most of your answers. I remember taking the bus at 11 across town just to go BABYSIT for my sister. 🤣 We walked to school (my feet got more mileage than a car) everyday, even on CRUTCHES! 😞 but I enjoyed it as long as I didn’t have to stay home! 🤷🏽♀️
Straight facts my guy!! I was six years old when I sat at the bottom of the stairs in front of the door to protect the women in my family because the local state prison had an escape prisoner. And that was just my job as the only man in thehouse.!🎯💯
Sherri, you’re so gorgeous!!! First time holding a gun, I was 4. Climbed trees like Tarzan & could never remember how many fights I’ve been in. Always pretty disturbed when I hear how many new adults have never been punched in the face before! 😅 My daughter’s 29 & she’s never fought anyone. Our generation would say you don’t even know what you’re made of until you’ve been in a fight…and lost.
My friend and I as GenX were just laughing the other day about how it was normal to be up in the trees even as girls, we loved climbing trees and yes fist fights were normal. We even fought disrespectful boys and would win. 😂
That's the reason we have self entitled people in the world. They never saw a fight or got punched in the face. Otherwise they wouldn't be out harassing other people for no reason.
Love the fist fight question. Can't believe there are adults in the world that have never been in a fistfight. I stayed outside until the street lights came on and went anywhere I wanted. Started cooking and washing dishes when I was five. Starting babysitting when I was six because I raised my siblings!
I remember that I spoke to the school counselor when I was in six or seventh grade. she asked me if I felt comfortable with sharing my feelings with my mother. I told her" my mother doesn't do feelings." She proceeded to advise me to write my feelings down in a note and just slip it under my mother door. well, about two minutes after that my mother proceeded to fling my bedroom door open. She had the note crumpled up on her hand and she threw it in my face. She said "if you got something to tell me you tell me to my face! " yeah, I definitely was not cuddled! 😂
@aa-hj2fd most boomers can't talk about their feelings. they don't realise it but they have micro aggressions against their kids. they flip out over small things because they never learnt how to regulate their emotions. they lack empathy.
I got away with IT ALL! I was an only child, Mom was never home....was in the bars dancing disco at 14 and had the time of my life!!!! That was real freedom!!!
@@isaackellogg3493 The O.P. never CLAIMED to be Gen X, Just that they had the same experiences. Gen X is not ALONE in these experiences, Just that Gen X is the LAST generation to have had them. I'm technically a "boomer" and I understand the "silent generation" AND Gen X more than I do Millennials or Zoomers. for example.
@@AriesBaller14 I grew up with cats but once I became an adult rescue dog adoption has been one of the great experiences of my life onward. Dogs can sense and react appropriately to human emotion, horses and dolphins have been proven the same. Cats seem aware of human emotion but they don't react like dogs do. They're both a-ok cats have their up sides too. I had a bad@$$ Russian blue when I was young he could climb trees amazing athlete 🐈⬛
I barely squeak in at 1966 and all these things are true. We were kings and queens of our own unsupervised worlds and it was heaven! Oh, to go back, I'd do it all again with very little changes.
When you don’t have a father who cares. It was a long time till I figured out some people actually know how to care. I was always surprised that my mom said, ‘you know your dad loves you?’ Because he just didn’t. It wasn’t a problem. But when someone actually loved me? Whole different story.
My dad told me to stop being a wuss, and stop crying. I sliced my shin open and needed 14 stitches at 3 y.o. I never again cried while he was home. My mom told me, if you cry, I'll beat you again, as blood dripped down my legs. (She whipped the backs of my thighs until she saw blood, and then she would get triggered to stop, but she didn't care I was bleeding. She didn't want blood on her floors). I haven't shed a tear in 50 year, and I cannot cry anymore. My tears have all dried up. My own child had asked me, why I never cry, but I look sad. I had to learn how to smile, and keep smiling.
@Ninjanimegamer I hear ya. I broke my wrist in baseball at 11 years old and never shed a tear. I broke part of my knuckle off my right thumb in football. I played two more downs, came in and had coach wrap my thumb into a fist and the next series of downs proceeded to punch the opposing lineman for breaking my thumb knuckle. I wrestled in Jr high at a tournament with a broken rib. Never cried. I could go on fkr pages on all the times I got hurt and never cried. Just sucked it up and moved on.
I mean...we were mostly neglected because our parents had no fucking clue what they were doing. Not to be a whiny bitch but when we know better, we do better. My childhood was hell....BUT because I walked everywhere and cooked for myself - I was free. But then....40 years later healing begins and although it's beautiful, it sure would've been nice if I didn't have to do it.
My brother and I roamed the neighborhood within a 2-3 mile radius (born 1970 and 1971). The only requirement my mom had was, "Tell me where you're going. If you change locations, come back to the house and tell me, be back within yelling distance when those street lights come on." Needless to say, no overweight children in the area cause we all had to get back to the house to report the new location before we headed out. We would be gone for HOURS at a time and it was 1976-1979, so 5 and 6 years old to 8 and 9 years old.
Born ten years before you. Out the door by 8, no matter the weather, not allowed back in till supper except for pbj’ and Kool-aid at lunchtime and a change of clothes if we fell in the pond. No lie. NOBODY knew where we were. Or what we ere up to
@@judychurley6623 our big brothers and sisters (at least in my case). Anyway, they taught me to ignore what mom said half of the time. You just had to know which half she was serious about
I'm disabled and lost a big part of my support 2 years ago. I had to learn to accept help when people offered. It was hard. It took almost being homeless to make me consider it. I finally figured out that they wouldn't offer if they didn't want to or couldn't help, and they definitely get something important out of it. They get that good, warm feeling of pride for themselves by helping someone who is in need. If you ever get into a situation where you really need help and someone offers to help you, remember this. If you say no, you are denying them the chance to help someone. Not everyone, of course, there are a lot of people who want to help in order to feel like they are balancing their books by paying it forward to you. Don't deny them that. You can always keep it in your books to in some way pass it on to someone else who needs help in the future..
Born in 1979 female walked to grocery store by myself 1985.. Slept out side in the front yard in Bakersfield California any summer day I wanted. Not a problem. Waited alone down the block for my school bus every morning If i got sick at school my mom would leave work dump me off at home hand me the thermometer, (never locked the doors) and she would head back to work to finish her shift, my father was a truck driver so he was gone all the time I never wore shoes in the summer not even in grocery stores or patking lots (my feet were black and burnt from pavement) running down the road from one shady spot to the next 😂 If I felt eerie "stranger danger" which was not a thing back then, I'd duck behind some bushes😂😂 to hide. My mother would allow me to swim in public pools and rivers🤮 I stayed outside all day I filled my snap set pool up and swam in the winter 😂 on Christmas with my barbies My parents weren't on drugs or alcohol I drank daily from the water hose. Pepsi was the best in long neck bottles and stubby bottles wrapped in thin styrofoam. Summers were Long and Hot in Bakersfield with no AC , door wide open running a crappy swamp cooler on the roof that i had to try to spray with a water hose to keep the pads wet which was pointless since kids were running in and out of the house all day. I took very hot baths every night in the middle of the night because running or skating around the block all day gives you terrible leg cramps😂. The 80's were so fun and carefree for a little girl running up and down the allies in Oildale Ca. Complete insanity 😂😂😂
I always thought Ohio summers were hot, growing up there in the 80’s and 90’s with no AC. But, now I live in Florida and realize we had it made up there!! lol 😂
Summer was the best. We got to make our own tent out of sticks and blankets. We even made our own latrine. I'm not sorry that I got to live so free.. I'm sorry that they don't.
I lived in lake Isabella, not far from Bakersfield. Don't really remember being in the house much except to eat, sleep & shower. As a kid I would go camping with my friends, no adults.
At the age of 8, the coast guard picked me up and brought me back to shore, because I wanted to see how far I could swim. My mom was asleep sun bathing, she had no idea.
Ha! Me too! I jumped off the end of the Santa Monica pier, on a dare, and started swimming laterally to the shore. The boy that dared me followed and when he caught up he was trying to help me. I've always been a strong swimmer and did not need help. The life guard came to bring me to shore and scolded me for a stupid stunt. I have no idea where my mom was. Lol
In the middle of a Scottish summer, huge red jelly fish would turn up in the water. Someone's mother would spot them, put down her Georgette Heyer, and shout to the kids in the water " Swim round the jelly fish and the call would go up from mother to mother often accompanied by circular arm movements. At no point did it occur to any adult to tell the kids to leave the water because we all knew how precious swimming time was in those rare sunny days in West Coast Scotland. That no one was ever stung was a miracle. But we knew the rules. Dock leaves for nettle stings, plantain leaves for insect bites. Walk round the edges of a field. Never go near cows with calves. We knew to shut gates, but we never opened them anyway. Climbing over them every time. Avoid the big boys who'd chase us and the big girls, who'd report us to our mum. (Who'd want to see an elder sibling anyway) and then there was always that one strange adult who wanted to be our friend and every kid kept away from because our survival instincts were strong and we KNEW that there was something not quite right.
Omg! Born in 1967. This is spot on. I have friends of my age and we wonder how we survived. We also think the younger generations are spoiled cry babies who expect to have everything handed to them.
Cooking 7 Babysat 11 Walked everywhere 8 fist fights No talk of feelings with parents My friend and I were just laughing about how it was normal to be up in the trees even as girls. Not only did we love climbing them, but we even had a tree house made out of a small camper. It had a little window that you could open and a small screen door. I remember eating little green crab apples and honeysuckle from the vines.. Those were the days
When you & your friend describe trees by whether or not they're good climbing trees, that's a sign of a good childhood. Loved crab apples, honeysuckles & wild blackberries. Not once did we ever make it back home with enough for a cobbler. Lol
As a gen x-er, the whole "how often did you talk to your parents about your feelings?" question hit me DEEP! Not only was that NEVER, it went so far as, when I had to separate from my husband at the age of 26 with a two year old , and moved home, (I had two jobs, sold Avon and I was going to school at night to keep me going in the right direction and to get myself and my child back out of that house ASAP) My parents sat me down, after moving back , to tell me that my CRYING (as I processed my husband's drug addiction, mental abuse and threats, and having to accept the end of my marriage and future plans) was upsetting them! So, this latch key kid bottled up her feelings even more. It resulted in me clamping down so hard on my emotions, that instead I would wake up from a dead sleep actually crying in the middle of the night. This happened quite a bit. But at least I didn't get any noise complaints from my parents after that. In contrast my nine years younger sister lost her dog to some rather tragic veterinarian negligence, and she was allowed to go into a depression, seek counselling, and cry all she needed to. Coincidentally that dog passed the night BEFORE I was to undergo an open abdominal myomectomy, to remove 3 tumors from my uterus, with a huge complication rate, but had to just keep MY ANXIETY and FEAR in check, because of this new Family tragedy.
Yep I know what you went through for the part( as to hold back your emotions but your siblings got away with crap and you didn’t) most people that actually get to meet my family and then they get know what I went through when I was a kid say ( wow they are lucky you still talk to them!)
@@yvonnem6361 I am working on my detachment issues. I have a tendency to self-isolate, because that is how I survived. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
Wow!! Sounds like you have an extremely toxic family! I don’t know you but I do know that nobody deserves that. If it were me, I would completely cut ties and try to salvage every bit of sanity and self worth I was able to build around them, and I would distance myself as far away physically and figuratively as possible. Just because someone is “family “ doesn’t mean you need to have them in your life.. I pray that you are able to heal from this and find true Love and happiness!✌️❤️
As a latch key kid I was treated the same. Only my older sister was and is the golden child and at 5 yrs old I was told why I was "just not thought of sometimes," because I am a rape mistake. So I also pushed my feelings down so far that even in my 10yr marriage he has to remind me that my feelings matter and that he's got my back. I hope you, and your baby are doing better. Keep going. Us latch keys are feared FOR A REASON. Remember that. We latch key women are terrifying and ferocious. Keep your claws out and your roars loud.
The more of these I see, the more Im grateful for my parents. Yes they worked alot & the importance of independence was stressed But the sketchy stuff mentioned was stuff my friends did as young parents, we'd get a chuckle of familiarity out of it, because that was so common. But I will always be eternally grateful for the skills they instilled in us.Thanks Mom & Dad. You did it so much better than you ever guessed. 💯💙😸✌
Born in 1974-no gun, but my granddaddy made the most amazing slingshots carved from tree branches. They were beautiful, and I was a “sharp shooter” with one. We walked, yes, but I rode my bike mostly. Grew up in a small town, so we rode bikes everywhere. ❤
What any of us did that was bad, wasn't unusual. We normalized all of our delinquent behavior. We rarely were "in trouble", because no one cared enough to want to deal with us. Anything I saw, or participated in was, at the time, considered normal. It's strange how the world changed and now made everything we did illegal. We can't even talk trash, or tell yo mamma jokes without getting stopped by h.r., or the pc police. RUclips will block what I'm about to say...and this is the world we now live in.
@@hroberts7283 Yep! We had wild times and did fun stuff, and no evidence to prove it, which is a good thing! These youngsters are stupid for posting their whole lives on line.
We were made to have adult responsibilities but reminded to stay in a childs place through physical and emotional abuse. Yet we couldn't complain about anything since our parents always had it worse.
66. As a genx man, we were so fortunate to grow up the way we did. It was great and it was true freedom. Our friendships were real, some lasting to this very day. I caught and sold bait as a little boy. Men would come to my house at 5 or 6 in the morning and knock on the door and ask my mother. "Where's the boy? I need some crabs or eels or shinners." I was the bait boy At age 6 or 7. I always had a few bucks in my pocket. We all did. Oh fun days...
I used to be a "mother's helper" at the local grocery store. Just helping them with the kids while they did their shopping. The number of women that didn't even question a seven year old in the parking lot would be astonishing now. "I'll pay you a dollar if you hold this". The "this" they were referring to was their one month old baby. Times were definitely crazy!
Hi Sherri: I was born in 1960, but I consider myself a Genx'r. I went through the same things and appreciate all the things we went through. Hope that's okay with everyone.
I totally got away with more! Grateful there were no cell phones, door cameras, etc. I’ll never be able to run for president …. Waaaay too much “stuff” in my background. 😂😂
I became a latchkey kid at seven so I started to cook at seven. Didn’t babysit much, but the first time I was around 12. I walked literally everywhere as a child by myself like through the neighborhood; to visit friends; to the store to buy candy and snacks and my mom cigarettes; and to the grocery store. I was a kid when I fired BB guns and low impact stuff like 22 rifle. Got in a lot of fights. I was raised to think for myself and not care about other peoples opinions if I knew I was in the right. We never talked about feelings because my dad told me although those very close to you care deeply about your feelings in general, the world does not, so I should follow suit, and try to circumnavigate my feelings. I know many veterans and I’m kin to many veterans and I support them unconditionally❤
When I was 13, A neighbor tattled to my Mom that she saw me smoking. My Mom asked me to go around to the back of the house to smoke, so she didn't have to listen to the neighbors.😂 Everyone we knew smoked.
Ok you got us! We're the most independent generation! We don't need no parents to cook for us, and we left the house early, and wasn't home till the streetlights came on(unless you heard your parent whistle)! We truly were unhinged children! 😂😂✌🏻
cooking - 6-7 babysat - 12 walk as a child - I cannot remember when that started, feel like it was my whole childhood Firearm - 5 Fist fights - at least 3, although if you add hair pulling then who knows other peoples opinion? what is that Feelings - all the time, like this "you better dry up those tears before I give you a reason to cry" ask for help - very rarely Veterans - too many to count Play outside - every freaking day coddled - what does that mean LOL and I def got away with more since I was not supervised most of the time
I'm only a bit older than Gen X.Much the same except for guns. We played shooting at each other with bb guns pumped low when we lived out in the country when I was about 9,and I shot a 22 at a target when I was 11. Feelings were usually one of the things we did talk about when needed even if it didn't always help things. And my grandma did spoil us a bit when she wasn't drinking too much.
I'm a boomer, and this aligns exactly with my experience. Also, by 12 I was doing laundry and ironing. I didn't make trouble at all because it would have been like poking a hornet's nest with my nutso mom. I got yelled at for practicing my piano lesson because it stressed her out.
Cooking 5 Babysitting 7 Walked everywhere Was hunting big game at 12 so around 6 Too many fistfights Other people have opinions that I should care about? Feeling with my parents? I was not a fan of getting my ass whooped Ask for help? Only if I need a truck Tons of Vets Outside every day Had to look up coddled in the dictionary You wish you got away with as much as we did
I hope you decide to have a couple of your own. It's so much different when they are yours! You would be good at catching all they're "tricks," too, lol! I did some babysitting, but had my son at 18, without a clue what I was doing. Glad I had a strong natural instinct. My daughter use to put her two boys inside of they're dad's t-shirt, face to face, when they were fighting. They were little then of course. I still think that is so hilarious, and a great way for them to make up. I never taught her that, I think she is a better mom than me, because she thinks of those things, but I'd like to think I did something right to get her there!! I used to tell people, you need to have at least 2 kids. That way they have someone to bitch to, about you, when you are old!!!😂
It was not called babysitting, it was called “Americans give money? Shame on them, don’t even think about it we are not Americans. Is your duty for having siblings and cousins.You are lucky you are never alone” … those bitches to this day are terrible 😅
Yeah, I worked in a day care center at 11 years old until 1 am on weekend nights and then walked home. Lol. Started babysitting for randos at the same age. I used to watch a kid who was deathly allergic to bees, of course she played outside the whole time. Parents gave me a quick tutorial on how to give her a shot and left...it was a kit with an actual syringe..it would never have occurred to me not to do it or be freaked out. The whole time I was growing up I knew the adults around me didn't have a clue...and I grew up with college educated parents. I was constantly thinking, "this isn't right..." lol.
No that was my money so she did not have to use her money to buy me stuff. Years later she said YOU MAKE ME OUT TO BE A MONSTER. IT IS WHAT IT IS. OWN IT. CANNOT CHANGE THE PAST.
@@jeannesmith1141watching other people's kids can destroy relationships with kids. Not everyone is equipped to be a parent, nor does everyone want kids. Just read through these comments, and notice how many of us were neglected and/or abused. No, it won't necessarily be different with our own kids. Many of us are afraid we might, or some have actually have abused their kids, because that's how we were all raised. The better way to respond is, I hope you found peace inside yourself, and have learned you're worth more than what your mom forced you into.
Yes, my answers are only slightly different than hers. Cooking - Alone probably age 8 or 9, but was doing that with my mom/grandmother before that. Babysitting - 9 or 10 for short times. Walking somewhere without parents - Maybe a little older. Like 11 or 12, I'd say. Firearm - 14 at a camp. Outside every day. Coddled - not really, maybe more than some Gen X. Feelings - not prevalent in our discussions, but the lines of communications were open. Not a full fistfight, but I remember a couple of slightly physical altercations.
I’ll NEVER forget the whipping my cousin’s got for not coming in before the street lights came on 😂! We were playing baseball in the street. It was about 20 kids. I saw that street light blinking. I yelled STREET LIGHT and ran home but NO they kept playing. I held the screen door so my grandma wouldn’t hear me coming in 😂. She came around the corner to see who was in the house. Without saying a word she had a switch ready for them. Boy they were mad at me for a LONG time but I didn’t care 😂. I was eating cookies and drinking milk while they were crying. It was 9 of us. We were NEVER sick either because she always gave us this nasty liquid laxative twice during the summer. I can’t remember the name but I know the smell! She had two bathrooms so she would schedule 2 at a time to take it 😂. All our parents were either in college or starting their careers so we had to go over our granny’s house. She didn’t have to work because our parents took care of her. Her home is still in our family today.
I was ten when i realised my name wasn't "luffarunge" (i'm Swedish,born in 1983) and it means bum-good-for-nothing-kid 😂😂 i was raised as gen x,if i got in a fight all my parents said was "i hope to god you whopped their ass" 😂😂
7 years at cooking first, 7 at watching my baby sister, never had to be walked to the bus or to school. Never coddled, not caught much. We were held to higher standards, and we as parents need to bring them back!
I used to go to the base pool by myself. Age 9-11. Children were given swimming tests and if you passed, you could go alone. Dad would drop me off on his way to work. It was wonderful!!
My husband said his mom got him a swim pass at a local motel and would drop him off in the morning and pick him up in the late afternoon. He spent the whole day there ALONE. No mom, no siblings or no friends. WTF?
My gen x dad as a gen z child would join me when I wanted to go to the pool, but no friends were available. He'd swim and play with me for hours. Go on water slides, buy me ice cream or some fries from the little food stall. I see how it was a wonderful thing back then, but I would never wanna miss making these memories together with my parents there
@@KIxYOSHI2077 Your memories of you and your dad sound wonderful! I too enjoyed time spent with my parents. Most of my time. Mom would bike or walk to the beach with me and my friends. We played paddle ball on the sand. Played in the water for hours. Jumped rope. Got ice cream and freshly made chips from local vendors. Dad would sail his boat onto the sand to pick me up. We loved to sail together. It seems we both have beautiful memories of play time with our parents! 💛
Cooking by standing in a chair at the stove at 6 Babysat at 9 Explored miles from home on foot and bike alone I care what my friends think of me. Everyone else can go to… Got slapped for displaying my feelings People are usually swooping in to help me before I realize i need help Veteran in the family went to war at 15, is almost 100, stands straight as a board, sharp as a tack, and walks like soldier even though ha lost one leg. Some old high school friends are veterans. Female cousin is a veteran. Outside all day, camped out and explored the neighborhood at night. Built bonfires in the back yard. Fun times. Never once coddled. Although it might be nice to try that now. 😂
Age when I started cooking: 2 Years Old. Age when I first babysat: 9 Years Old (Everyday for 2 hours until Mom came home - occasionally overnight) Age when I walked by myself 10 blocks and across the street to the store and back: 7 Years Old. First time I shot a Gun: 12 Years Old. Age when we played outside: 2 Years Old - All Day until dusk. Never discussed ‘feelings’ never asked much for ‘Help’ but have often been asked for help.
My Mom gave me so much freedom and she was a beautiful Mother. Back in the day, those were the good ole days. I would scrap when I was challenged. I was hanging with the big girls in my tweens. I avoided trouble as much as possible so I rarely got into trouble, skipped school and I walked right into my Mom, slapped me and took me out for food and ice cream, told me to do better and I did. Moms back in the day were really tough but wise.
I’m that Momma to this day with one exceptable thing when my kids skip school they stay home…not the malls unless Momma is with them at distance cause Momma needs to do some shopping too 😅
They had to put an actual ad on the TV saying "it's 10 pm do you know where your children are????"
Or the egg crack " this is ur brain and this is ur brain on drugs😂"
I remember thinking, "These jackasses don't even know the difference between drugs and breakfast. A bong hit would straighten that out. lol
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I remember those!
OH MY GOD!!! I remember that!!! Mostly because I grew on PR and as a girl I was at home but I was wondering where was my brother?
In Dallas it was Bob Gooding who always opened the 10 o'clock news.
As long as we didn’t take a life or bring one into the world, our parents really didn’t care.
Amen😂😂😂😂
Facts!
Say it again for the folks in the back!!!
We got close to losing a friend on a teeter totter during a stunt gone bad...luckily, it only cost the poor girl her eye.
We were back at it before she even rolled away in the ambulance.
That pretty much sums it up
“Children should be seen and not heard”… we were ninjas from the start
Sooo true.
Got away with shit.
U??..
So fcking true
Oh I was a ninja in order to watch Saban's Adventures of the little mermaid at 6am on Saturday mornings and if I failed than I would get sentenced to my room til 9am. When 3 hours felt like foreverrrrrrrrrrr.
😂😂😂
Omg so true! Heard this all the time. As long as you were home before dark no questions asked 😂
My mother told us Dont call me from jail. We took that to mean DON'T GET CAUGHT😂
Yes!
AMEN TO THAT GIRL,... they lost it over what I got caught doing when I went to jail (DRIVING REVOKED WITH DUI THAT WAS ONLY 0.11,.. what will they do WHEN THEY FIND OUT WHAT I HAVE DONE AND HAVEN'T BEEN CAUGHT ROFLMOAO cancer gen cry babies better heed the promise and move on
If the police were involved- we Wanted them to take us to jail! It was safer there than home when our parents found out.
@@SilverPonyKat amen
Facts
I'm a genx....i approve this message. She's 💯 correct.😁😁😁😁
That’s crazy!! Walked to school by myself in kindergarten. No crossing guards. 😅😅😅😅
I’m a boomer. We didn’t have kindergarten but I walked to and from school from Grade one through to Twelve mostly by myself.
I was a crossing guard at 9 years old.
I almost got run over crossing the street when I was 8 to get to school, and the driver got out and yelled at me 😂
Same but with crossing guards
no kinder garden ,straight first grade! figured it out on my own! if get bullied you figured that out on your own!
When you consider what our generation has been through a lot, more of us should be locked up dead or missing,we really are badass..
Original Gangsters❤
😂😂😂 ❤
I got away with more 😂
Badass, or scared survivors running like hell to stay alive?
Lol. We got new neighbors who are about 30 years younger than us. They invited me over and introduced me as OG. I had no idea what it meant.😂
We definitely got away with more since we didn't have tracking devices in our pockets 🤣
"...Feelings... with your parents." LOL
Since when did feelings matter to gen Xs.parents 😂.
As a Gen Xer with Boomer parents, I can confirm that feelings did not exist back then!! 😂 There’s not a day that doesn’t go by without me asking my daughter if she’s Ok! She can’t even begin to understand why how she’s doing is so important to me 🥹❤
Yeah I don’t ever remember even hearing the word feelings when I was a kid.
Unless it was “Aw did that hurt your feelings? Get over it!” 😂
That’s where I lost it, too! Pppfffft! Feelings??? What’s THAT?!! 😅😅😝🤣
GenX here- I remember people were allowed to have feelings, but it wasn't us kids. Only parents were allowed to freak out and yell. We had to shut up.
To the last question:
Thank you Jesus that there was no ring camera in my day.😂
or mobile phones.. dear gods...
Baaabaaay ...Whew thank you Jesus!
Amen
Can you even imagine? I'm pretty sure we're the reason they exist now, though.
I'm almost sure that is a tit pic I took at fourteen somewhere out there on polaroid. So glad there was no social media 30 years ago
We learned to survive with little parental supervision. We also were not afraid to call out BULLSHIT when we encountered it.
I did that once. Same result as cussing the first time. I had a bar of soap for dinner.
I still call it out when I encounter it. I don't have many friends now days.
You must have had awful parents! I'm a boomer and always worked and yet my kids had a hell of a lot of supervision as did my millennial. I didn't smother them and half the time. I didn't know where they were precisely, but I always paid a lot of attention and made sure all three of them knew how to be responsible, not only to others but to themselves. My kids learn to cook and around the same age I did between 10 and 11. And my kids always knew they could talk to me about anything and they took that quite literally. One day my oldest did a three-way call with me and her best friend because her best friend and I suspect my daughter either didn't know how to put a condom on. While I was screaming in my head. I calmly explained exactly how to do it. At least they were practicing safe sex. The people who continually put down boomers and Gen xers are the ones who were left to run like wolves without very much parental supervision were never taught any manners were coddled all the time and now blame everything that happens in their own lives on boomers and Gen xers.
@@tanawilliams7498 I can honestly say that none of us had sex (especially me) growing up. Parents would gone nuclear if that happened.
As for me, we all thought I had a pituitary gland disorder. In truth it is, in a way... But at least kallmann syndrome is treatable.
Being born a eunuch and lied to by doctors didn't help. And when I was 28 I learned my pituitary gland was a dud...essentially deciding for me that further hrt was absolutely pointless for me.
My parents knew where I was, sorta. As long as I left a note and informed my grandparents (who lived next door), it was all good. That way if an emergency arose they'd know the general area I was in. Course, still meant that they'd have to scream/yell in the woods till I heard em, but still.
I learned how to cook young. Was a requirement to know if I was gonna be out in the woods somewhere.
If I wasn't out and about, I was working either on my family's farm or at a neighbor's farm. Same goes for my younger sister...only she had no desire to disappear for days or weeks on end. Then again, at least she had friends - so maybe that filled a void for her.
I knew I could talk to my parents...just that I also knew they didn't understand the crap I was going through. They'd (teachers, counselors, and principals included) keep saying:
that they had to deal with bullying when they were my age and that I was exaggerating about how I was being treated. Tell me, how is it exaggerating when I have to be escorted out of the bathroom in towels because I've been peed on and spat upon after being beat up so much I pass out?
Can Always talk to adults with your problems (big fat lie right there, I learned that lesson)
Kids really aren't that mean and cruel, it's just your imagination
Boys don't cry, pick yourself up and work it out
Why don't you make some friends? (Well gee, maybe it's because they all hate me)
It's easy fighting back against one or two...it's impossible when you have your peers after you...they best you down and the grade above you comes to join in. Or visa versa, just depended on who saw me first.
Back in the 80s and where I lived autism and ADHD was unheard of. Best I ever got diagnosed with (from multiple psychologists) was depressed, anti-social, and lack of self confidence.
My parents solution? I'm normal. Period.
I actually wanted to be in the special education classes. At least they taught according to what the students needed. In regular classes if you didn't do work their way, you got an F. Special education taught their students how my first school taught. I begged, I pleaded...but my father (he put his foot down on the matter) said no child of his was going to be in a class for slower students. It wasn't until many years later when he wasn't working so much and had time to listen that he realized he was in the wrong. But by then I was out of school. So it goes.
I've log accepted I'm the odd ball, the black sheep of the family. And no one can convince me otherwise. For mom the black sheep means something else and it's not good...I understand her perspective, but I have my own as well.
I was never coddled. My youngest sister was...she is the baby of the fam.. she was born in 87. Parents actually listened to her a heck of a lot more than with me.
My younger sis actually turned out normal.
I'm a recluse and I hate society. Anxieties up the wazoo from long term isolation. When covid isolation was over I actually had something to laugh about. 2 years in isolation? Please!! Get back to me when you've been in isolation for 20+ years. If that means I have a sick sense of humor, so be it. I'm just happy I had something to make me laugh.
My youngest sis turned out a lot like me. She had a similar experience in school... At least she had friends...but socially youngest sis is more active than I am. And she's able to go to town without a blowout panic attack.
Not taught manners? That was emphasized growing up. Though parents never taught me to call elders or people of authority ma'am or sir. I personally believe that was just ingrained on me from birth.
Looking back, I realize my parents did the best they could, but they didn't understand nor did they have the tools that many have today when it come to neurodivergent issues and understanding. At least we didn't have a system that now goes after autistic children and tries to brainwash em. There's that at least.
We may not have had the Internet, but we had bulletin board systems. At least to those of us that never believed it was a fad, lol. I chatted with people from Finland Australia, the UK, and many people from the States. We sent email (yes, we had email in the 80s, just not how many think of it as today) and we learned from each other.
People shoulda paid more attention. I and many other children were hooked on screen time in the early 80s. And many of us tried to warn others about it in the mid 90s too. Did anyone listen? Nope. We were branded as being crazy, fear mongering, and lunatics. Guess people shoulda listened cuz now children and teenagers are facing the exact problems we tried to warn about.
Well, some do listen. Others actually blame us for not speaking loud enough. **scoffs**. Sure, we get harassed and threatened and it's our fault..and 25-30 years later it's still our fault for not speaking louder. Crazy ingrates.
I don't have kids, obviously... And younger sisters don't want em. So it goes. But I do feel sorry for my parents. No grand kids, ever.
And no, I'm not gay, trans, or intersexed. There's crazy talk out there by crazies who say that a eunuch isn't straight..and there's some crazies who won't leave me alone wanting me to be their poster boy for certain movements. Ain't gonna happen.
Our parents knew what we were doing and what we were upto for the most part. They let us be kids and make mistakes so we could learn from them
Got away with WAAYY more, had a key hanging from string around my neck, and played outside until I was married🤣🤣🤣 I love this woman!
Our generation spent so much time outside, being told to come indoors was like a prison sentence.
Most likely because that's where all the instruments of torture were...
Indeed. 😂😂😂
Now, they don't even want to LEAVE the house! 🙄
haha truth. It was just about pitch black by the time we came in, and only because we were threatened to or else lol
Yes! 😂
Best part of becoming a grown man, telling my parents how much stuff we got away with lol. Got grounded for a week, I was already married
Exactly. I waited until my mid thirties and early forties to admit to what I got away with to my mom.
LOL 😂
The other part, finally hearing what your PARENTS got away with as children because now that the "kids" are all adults, they start opening up as well and reminiscing with their siblings.
@@catlady9123yeah like the time I found out that my dad broke his foot running from the cops after getting caught sniffing airplane glue. That came up when his doctor asked if he had ever broken a bone. 😅 I was 48 when I learned that.
😂 my parents still tell me, and I’m 43, I’m never too old to get smacked. Of course they haven’t but I don’t curse in front of them cuz I know they mean it!
BWAHAHAHA! ITS ALL TRUE. of course we got away with more, getting caught meant getting beat 😂😮
Challenge accepted 😆 🤣
I'm so glad cameras were a thing then. 😆 🤣
Right?! 🤣 my dad was an electronic linemen. He had parts of his climbing belt he used for our butts😂😱😭
When police threatened to call our parents, we would ask them to take us to jail. That would guarantee release EVERY time...
Yeah. Like go pick a switch
Not getting caught was always part of the plan.
I cracked up because my response to "how often did you play outside?" was EXACTLY the same as Sherri's - "Every f'n day!" 😆
As soon as Saturday morning cartoons were over "Get out of my house!" After school homework done? "Get out of my house!" That was at the age of five "Don't leave the neighborhood!" Age six "Here is a dollar for the day "Get out of my house!". I never saw my parents during school breaks. And if the weather was bad, we were tossed into the playroom or our bedroom, the door shut and they saw us at dinner.
My answers to every question were almost exactly the same. born in 82, but identify more with genx.
@@PartywCarolinaCheryl Born in "58" Y'all learned from us.
I-you realise gen zers go outside too, right?
I remember those days, moving 3 times and the explosion of the internet killed it when I was 11 though, hard to believe that was 14 years ago
Basically, if you're a gen x, we were adults by age 7😮
I was born in '84 but yes by 7 I was on my own
Say it again cause we were but, weren't. 🤔
FACT
It was this way for most of history 😂 not special at all, gen z is the first generation this isn't true due to a literal virus killing millions
@@jtowensbyiii6018the pandemic was a test of obedience and maladaptive behavior.
Younger generations simply don’t understand the freedom we had! I was 8 years old and rode my bicycle 2 miles each way to our local swimming pool. My grandparents NEVER even knew I had left home
They knew. You just didn't know it.
Same! We rode the two miles to lessons in the morning (because at 16 lifeguarding would be one of our jobs), then ride home, make lunch to be ready at the exact time our parent got home for lunch, watch all my children, then when the parents went back to work, we rode back to the pool, then we rode back and made dinner….then if it wasn’t crazy hot we’d play outside until my mom rang a bell, at which time it was dark and all went home….unless we had plans for games one likes it dark for…or drinking…
I grew up in a really small town. Both parents worked so I had a key to let myself in the house. When I was in middle school as soon as I got home from school.I would grab my .22 rifle and hop on my Honda 4 wheeler an go back on the canals and shoot carp.
My mom knew I wasn't home. She just didn't know which of our haunts we'd be at.
The mall was my furthest, 5 miles away. Barely made it back before the street lights came on. 😅
They will also never know how many near-death experiences a kid can have lol. WTF is adult supervision?
Gen X.. we were the last generation that lived like lord of the flies.. there were 3 channels on TV and it signed off with the National Anthem.. we didn't have the internet...
I LOVED turning on the TV at 6am and hearing the national anthem!
We had 5 channels
❤😂❤😂❤😂
@@-sz8gibut true...❤❤❤
3 channels that only came in by messing with the bunny-ears on top the TV!!
Her answers are me. I am the oldest of 5 siblings. We were lachkey kids. We played outside until the street lights came on. I'm proud to be gen X. 👊👊👊👊👊
Ever see that movie 'My Cousin Vinnie' and they have that steam whistle? We had a loud emergency alert horn that they would blow every morning at 6 am and every evening at 6 pm. That was your daily schedule of when to get up and when to get the house. and you'd set your wristwatch (that's a personal device worn on the arm to tell time).
Our parents didn't know we had feelings.
Oh they knew, but they didn't give a sh***
Or care about the ones we had... Because in our generation kids were NOT the center of the world.
That’s true
My Silent Generation parents were busy having their totally justified feelings about others in the family. I, the GenXer, just kept my head down and my nose stuck in a book.
My parents told me I had no feelings lol 😝 then I got a new toy 😂
Sht, the street light raised me!
In Boston it was necessary 😂
Exactly 💯
Stop you bring up old ish..I'm not telling nothing today cus I don't feel like it ish 😂,🙏
@tracikillebrew9026 yaaaa thats bc the video we are commenting on is about that old ish :)
That's right .off to new ish🙏🤣
That's why we're so independent! ❤🎉
💯💣💪
Exactly!
That's why we still are.
❤🎉
Born 1973 and a proud Gen X gal 😊 I was just telling my husband the other day that we were the last good generation and it’s because we’re literally so bad ass. We raised ourselves and we raised ourselves well. 👍🏻
Born in '64 I'm thinking how much life was living on the edge, when we were still living in caves... 😂
If you're gen x and still married to your husband that's a rarity, and that's because our generation wasn't so great. Yeah .... better than the ones that came after us but that's due to increased social engineering and more control freak policies in place in the schools and in the legal system. A lot of cops were harassing kids riding their bicycles in the neighborhoods and in the parks which Is partially why they started hanging out at home more.
@@jules-marcdavis6843Once they redefined what a gen x was it was deemed that those born in 64 were the last of the boomers. Originally, those born between 1960 to 1965 were the last of the boomers and the first of gen x.
That’s not really a flex…
We were feral. This dude better stop fing around or he's fixing to find out
We lived outside!
_My mom had one rule don't let the street light beat your ass home_
😂
I’m so old that I don’t even know how you italicized that comment on RUclips!!
we had the street light rule…must be universal.
That was the same for me! And if my dad had to go outside and whistle at a ridiculously high decibel for us to hurry home, we knew we were in trouble!! Where were you raised out of curiosity? I was in Orange County,CA then.😂
This one right here
"Feeling" you did'n't have "feelings' til your parents told you, you can have "feelings".
"I'll give you something you can feel"!😂
And don't forget “I’ll give you something to cry about”. 🤣
Feelings don’t pay the bills, neither does crying about it.
I definitely got away with more. No cell phone, no evidence. Thank God😂
I feel bad for kids and teenagers for this reason.. the stupid mistakes you make as a kid.. now kids will have reminders of all that stuff and they won’t be able to forget about it and move on 🥲
😂yeah 😂
No cell phones but if the neighbor or the church lady caught you doing something wrong you got yelled out from them and then yelled out by your parents when you got home.
Seriously - the biggest saving grace of our entire generation is that there's no evidence of the shenanigans we got up to, posted forever on the internet for everyone to see!
10 to cook, younger to help with laundry, 10 to babysit. Always played outside and would go to 7/11 regularly. I was running the household at the age of 14. I was regularly ignored. 💜💜
I was taught how to drive a stick shift car at age 11 and did pretty well too. I was 10 when I started cooking dinners for my family because I had a single mother who worked nights. My older sister who was 11 served as a babysitter for me, my youngers sister who was 5 and my little brother who was 2. I had to get a job at 16 to buy my first car ($500 1971 VW what was 17 years old then). I had to figure out for myself (using books at the library), how to pay for college. I moved out of my parents' house at age 18. I was taught how to swim in the deep end of our pool by being thrown off the diving board and there was no one to catch me cuz my dad WAS ON THE DIVING BOARD WITH ME!! I'm tough as nails and I have accomplished hard things. I am GenX
This!!!
i started to do cooking a few days a week by at least 12…my mom hated to cook…i loved to eat….i’m a baby boomer
Gen Xers were the last generation that survived without being coddled. We were taught right about what to do and what not to do, respect for others, how to care for ourselves and others. We were well loved and knew it. When we reached adult stage we were prepared to enter the world and contribute unlike every generation afterwards who were unable to enter the world and contribute without extensive outside training. They also contributed to the higher crime rate and me generation problems!
My 3 siblings and I were taught how to swim by being chucked out in the gulf of mexico, at age 5 (as we hit it, when we hit it) my uncle and dad took us out in a boat in the gulf, they drove out about 40 feet, and chucked us out in the water saying "see you back on land" while laughing and driving off.
As soon as I was tall enough that I could see into the pot or pan while standing on a chair, I was cooking, around 4-5, but I was allowed to cook by myself when I didn't need a chair to see in them.
My siblings and I were watching each other by the time my oldest brother was 5, and there's 4 of us, we're roughly 2 years apart.
My siblings were working by 6, we shoveled snow, racked leaves, and cut grass, and we didn't have a snow blower, or a gas mower, we shoveled by hand, and our mower was one of those things that was a pain in the ass to push because even well greased, it didn't really move.
We were all officially working for "the man" by at least age 15.
College, what's that?
We were all forced to be moved out of our parents house by 16
Talked about feelings every time mom got the belt. “This is going to hurt me more than it’s going to hurt you.” When I said, “I call BS”, she made sure it turned out to be a lie.
My dad would say, do you want it before or after supper.
He never did it angry and only 3-5 hits.
I only got it twice, but my brother's got it more.
I never got the belt and I only remember one spanking my dad gave me but I have ALWAYS remembered it and that was the point.
I don't know if I should be in awe of you, or terrified! I made the mistake of whispering WHILE I WAS FACING AWAY AND BENT OVER, "I find that hard to believe!" Oh, Maaan! I wasn't sure if that beating was ever gonna stop!
Brave foolish man. Glad you made it.
Respect the belt
Feelings???😂😂😂 gave me a good laugh
Right? I remember having an argument with my best friend in 6th grade and I cried all the way home and when I got there went in my room and cried for quite awhile. The only response I got from my mom was a sarcastic “it must have been VERY bad!!” She never asked me what was wrong or even knew why I was upset, but that was the response I got and after that I realized that feelings were not important in childhood in our generation
Isn't that a song by Offspring? 🎶Feeling, whoa oh oh feelings🎶
"I'll give you something to cry about!"
The TV was our babysitter. That's why we still know every single TV commercial from the '70s and '80s by heart.
How do you get shirts so clean Mr Lee?
@@georgeburgmeyer7274 Don't squeeze the Charmin!
longer with Big Red!
@@ozok17 I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony
Big bubbles...no troubles.
"talk about feelings with parents".. um NEVER! Had a good laugh with that one!
Yeah, I got screamed at till Mom's voice cracked when I tried to talk to her about anything. And the only compliment I ever got I think I was 3 years old. I was playing in a dark hallway with my toys quietly and my cousin came over asking where I was the whole time when I walked out of the hallway. My mom gushed how good I was because I stayed in there and was quite. That was also the day my cousin taught me to tie my shoes because my mom couldn't be bothered to do that.
Hilarious, since Gen x’s kids are the most emotional kids ever.
I still can't... to this day, her response is "crying doesn't solve anything, stop it already "
@@pipinato My mother's favorite line was to quit crying or she would give me a reason to cry. And she meant it.
She did not care. I was called MISS KNOW IT ALL. Being sarcastic yet she had me hanging with business oriented church elders as a teen plus I read another and we watched educational channels, had a set of encyclopedia. Babysat as a teen that is how I would buy me stuff I wanted she only bought if she wanted to. And school clothes my grandparents or dad would buy. Or she had coworkers or church members give me clothes oh she was morbidly obese school teacher and she bought herself brand new clothes.
You hit the nail on the head man. I was 5 when I walked to kindergarten by myself. And yes, a stranger in a car offered me a ride. I had enough sense to say no and ran over to a group of kids I didn't know. Never mentioned it to my parents.
That happened to me on the way to school. I went straight there and told the nuns and my aunt who taught there. I was actually crying and quite distraught. They had to call mom from work and the cops ended up complimenting me to my mom on how much info I was able to give them. My dad was a cop in the army. 🤷🏼♀️ They caught the guy a month or so later when he tried it with another girl and actually got her in the car.
@@heathertomlinson1961 By speaking up a child, you saved that other little girl (and likely many other children) from potential life-changing horror.
Me too a couple
Times
I was a young girl walking home from early grammar school and a man stopped his car and told me that something bad happened to my father so he asked this man to pick me up. My father was dead, so I knew he was lying and a “bad man”, so I ran home as fast as my skinny little legs would carry me. It was never reported. I knew my mother had a lot of stress and didn’t want her to worry. I still hope he never got another little girl in his car. Grateful to still be alive.
This happened to me a number of times when I was little. Mom was a single parent and worked her butt off raising me and my brothers. So we were latch key kids. I’d usually walk to the bus stop by myself or with my brothers. One time there was a car parked near the bus stop. When I walked past he had his window rolled down and pretended to ask me for directions. What adult would need to ask a kid for directions? And another time when I had a creep follow me when I was walking home. When I noticed I was being followed, I ran as fast as I could. But instead of running to our apt, I ran to a neighbors house. After that incident I started carrying a knife with me to protect myself. Luckily back in 80s/early 90s, they didn’t have metal detectors in school. My angels def had their hands full keeping me safe when I was growing up. So grateful 🙏🏽
Outside by 7 am daily. Was outside until 8 or 9 pm. Started babysitting when I was 9. Cooked first time when I was 8. Started working a job when I was 12. Walked in the dark when I was 6. Never once talked to my Mom about my feelings, that would surely bring trouble. I have tons of vet friends. I have wounds that should have been stitched but was told to "toughen up" so I did. I never ask for help, I was raised to do everything myself. I wish this generation could have experienced the freedoms we took advantage of.
Nearly ditto to most of your answers.
I remember taking the bus at 11 across town just to go BABYSIT for my sister. 🤣
We walked to school (my feet got more mileage than a car) everyday, even on CRUTCHES! 😞 but I enjoyed it as long as I didn’t have to stay home! 🤷🏽♀️
Straight facts my guy!! I was six years old when I sat at the bottom of the stairs in front of the door to protect the women in my family because the local state prison had an escape prisoner. And that was just my job as the only man in thehouse.!🎯💯
Sherri, you’re so gorgeous!!! First time holding a gun, I was 4. Climbed trees like Tarzan & could never remember how many fights I’ve been in. Always pretty disturbed when I hear how many new adults have never been punched in the face before! 😅 My daughter’s 29 & she’s never fought anyone. Our generation would say you don’t even know what you’re made of until you’ve been in a fight…and lost.
I felt that comment to my soul!!
Wait wait wait..... ALL GEN X ARE MANDALORIANS!!!
My friend and I as GenX were just laughing the other day about how it was normal to be up in the trees even as girls, we loved climbing trees and yes fist fights were normal. We even fought disrespectful boys and would win. 😂
the first rule of the fight club is...
That's the reason we have self entitled people in the world. They never saw a fight or got punched in the face. Otherwise they wouldn't be out harassing other people for no reason.
Whaaaaaa?? I was taking public transportation to and from school with a whole HOUSE KEY around my neck at 7! Lmaooo the memories!! 😂😂😂
I lived the perfect Discovery of Life by being from the X Generation. We raised ourselves. We still do
😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😊😊😊
I was considered a LatchKey kid, so you know I raised myself.
@@idresufts5849I think a ton of us were.
Heck I think we're the only thing keeping the Nation going to be honest
@@OldMovieFan1973 Speak for yourself. A lot of us are just kicking back with popcorn while it burns.
Love the fist fight question. Can't believe there are adults in the world that have never been in a fistfight. I stayed outside until the street lights came on and went anywhere I wanted. Started cooking and washing dishes when I was five. Starting babysitting when I was six because I raised my siblings!
A lot of adults have never been in a fistfight. I've never been in one. Closest I had was a slap fight with my sister.
There's always "shut up when I'm talking to you". And "what do you have to say for yourself?" Then not knowing what to say.
Don't forget "I DON'T KNOW IS NOT AN ANSWER!" and "WIPE THAT DUMB LOOK OFF YOUR FACE!"
@@d_richter sending u hugs
Yep, so it's best to say nothing. Silence is really golden.
Thank God there were no cell phones in our day!! 😂😂
with the app the gives your location away....
I’d still be grounded 😂
@@deannamauretic me too!
So true I would have been in so much trouble.
I remember that I spoke to the school counselor when I was in six or seventh grade. she asked me if I felt comfortable with sharing my feelings with my mother. I told her" my mother doesn't do feelings." She proceeded to advise me to write my feelings down in a note and just slip it under my mother door.
well, about two minutes after that my mother proceeded to fling my bedroom door open. She had the note crumpled up on her hand and she threw it in my face. She said "if you got something to tell me you tell me to my face! " yeah, I definitely was not cuddled! 😂
Sounds like all our moms
@@MomeGnomeworked for us
@@aa-hj2fd"worked for us" I'm sure it did and you don't have any lasting effects
@@ekinie3854 like what?
@aa-hj2fd most boomers can't talk about their feelings. they don't realise it but they have micro aggressions against their kids. they flip out over small things because they never learnt how to regulate their emotions. they lack empathy.
I got away with IT ALL! I was an only child, Mom was never home....was in the bars dancing disco at 14 and had the time of my life!!!! That was real freedom!!!
I'm 76 and I've talked about these things with young people. They think I'm lying.
If you’re 76 and calling yourself a Gen Xer-you _are_ lying!
@@isaackellogg3493 I actually call myself "Don". Others call me a boomer.
Many blessings upon your house, good sir.
@@Imahermit666
Roflmao! Don, you are a gentleman amongst wolves! May you live to be a thousand. Sleep well, and dream of large women.
@@isaackellogg3493 The O.P. never CLAIMED to be Gen X, Just that they had the same experiences. Gen X is not ALONE in these experiences, Just that Gen X is the LAST generation to have had them. I'm technically a "boomer" and I understand the "silent generation" AND Gen X more than I do Millennials or Zoomers. for example.
We were basically treated like self reliant cats, as opposed to being treated like stupid dogs on a leash.🙏
... dogs are superior to cats in terms of intelligence 🤔🐕💘
@@DouglasRichardson-er4kyActually, cats are considered more intelligent, but dogs are more easily trainable.
@@AriesBaller14 I grew up with cats but once I became an adult rescue dog adoption has been one of the great experiences of my life onward. Dogs can sense and react appropriately to human emotion, horses and dolphins have been proven the same. Cats seem aware of human emotion but they don't react like dogs do. They're both a-ok cats have their up sides too. I had a bad@$$ Russian blue when I was young he could climb trees amazing athlete 🐈⬛
This is a great analogy and very accurate
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Yes!
I barely squeak in at 1966 and all these things are true. We were kings and queens of our own unsupervised worlds and it was heaven! Oh, to go back, I'd do it all again with very little changes.
One thing I know is that my dad always said, "feelings are worthless. Nobody cares about how you feel. Suck it up and move on."
When you don’t have a father who cares. It was a long time till I figured out some people actually know how to care. I was always surprised that my mom said, ‘you know your dad loves you?’ Because he just didn’t. It wasn’t a problem. But when someone actually loved me? Whole different story.
Do you remember "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me?"
My dad told me to stop being a wuss, and stop crying. I sliced my shin open and needed 14 stitches at 3 y.o.
I never again cried while he was home.
My mom told me, if you cry, I'll beat you again, as blood dripped down my legs. (She whipped the backs of my thighs until she saw blood, and then she would get triggered to stop, but she didn't care I was bleeding. She didn't want blood on her floors).
I haven't shed a tear in 50 year, and I cannot cry anymore. My tears have all dried up.
My own child had asked me, why I never cry, but I look sad. I had to learn how to smile, and keep smiling.
How unhealthy. Feelings matter but they don’t control you.
@Ninjanimegamer I hear ya. I broke my wrist in baseball at 11 years old and never shed a tear. I broke part of my knuckle off my right thumb in football. I played two more downs, came in and had coach wrap my thumb into a fist and the next series of downs proceeded to punch the opposing lineman for breaking my thumb knuckle. I wrestled in Jr high at a tournament with a broken rib. Never cried. I could go on fkr pages on all the times I got hurt and never cried. Just sucked it up and moved on.
All of these questions were very direct, and I felt each one. 😂
That last one made me smile like the grinch😅 Being a GenXer is awesome🎉
My parents had no clue as to where I was, and I stayed out of trouble, didn't disrespect the elders, and had a blast learning to be self sufficient.
I was raised by veterans. I learned how to fend for myself and defend myself with honor.
So blessed to be part of a generation that experienced life as it should be. So grateful!
Like your grandparents didn’t have ‘life as it should be’? Have a think about what you just said 🤔
I mean...we were mostly neglected because our parents had no fucking clue what they were doing. Not to be a whiny bitch but when we know better, we do better.
My childhood was hell....BUT because I walked everywhere and cooked for myself - I was free.
But then....40 years later healing begins and although it's beautiful, it sure would've been nice if I didn't have to do it.
@@TK-ij2xi nicely pointed out. You write a good comment. 🎉🥰🎉
Yesssss cause THIS ERA SUCKS!!!
Me too! We lucked out.
My brother and I roamed the neighborhood within a 2-3 mile radius (born 1970 and 1971). The only requirement my mom had was, "Tell me where you're going. If you change locations, come back to the house and tell me, be back within yelling distance when those street lights come on." Needless to say, no overweight children in the area cause we all had to get back to the house to report the new location before we headed out. We would be gone for HOURS at a time and it was 1976-1979, so 5 and 6 years old to 8 and 9 years old.
Born ten years before you. Out the door by 8, no matter the weather, not allowed back in till supper except for pbj’ and Kool-aid at lunchtime and a change of clothes if we fell in the pond. No lie. NOBODY knew where we were. Or what we ere up to
True for us in the 50s and 60s, too.
@@StretchingExercises-qg5rb That was also me. Amazing adventures!
@@judychurley6623 our big brothers and sisters (at least in my case). Anyway, they taught me to ignore what mom said half of the time. You just had to know which half she was serious about
Be home by dark was our rule
I'm disabled and lost a big part of my support 2 years ago. I had to learn to accept help when people offered. It was hard. It took almost being homeless to make me consider it. I finally figured out that they wouldn't offer if they didn't want to or couldn't help, and they definitely get something important out of it. They get that good, warm feeling of pride for themselves by helping someone who is in need.
If you ever get into a situation where you really need help and someone offers to help you, remember this. If you say no, you are denying them the chance to help someone.
Not everyone, of course, there are a lot of people who want to help in order to feel like they are balancing their books by paying it forward to you. Don't deny them that. You can always keep it in your books to in some way pass it on to someone else who needs help in the future..
Never talked about feelings, huge difference from the way other people are today
Right on. I remember the phrase, "Children are meant to be seen, not heard".
That last quest= PALEASE!!!
It’s like 97% / 3%
Most of us were smart enough to keep it on the DL.
To this day!
Exactly.
Facts! Being slick still serves us well 😂😂😂
Born in 1979 female walked to grocery store by myself 1985..
Slept out side in the front yard in Bakersfield California any summer day I wanted. Not a problem.
Waited alone down the block for my school bus every morning
If i got sick at school my mom would leave work dump me off at home hand me the thermometer, (never locked the doors) and she would head back to work to finish her shift, my father was a truck driver so he was gone all the time
I never wore shoes in the summer not even in grocery stores or patking lots (my feet were black and burnt from pavement) running down the road from one shady spot to the next 😂
If I felt eerie "stranger danger" which was not a thing back then, I'd duck behind some bushes😂😂 to hide.
My mother would allow me to swim in public pools and rivers🤮
I stayed outside all day
I filled my snap set pool up and swam in the winter 😂 on Christmas with my barbies
My parents weren't on drugs or alcohol
I drank daily from the water hose.
Pepsi was the best in long neck bottles and stubby bottles wrapped in thin styrofoam.
Summers were Long and Hot in Bakersfield with no AC , door wide open running a crappy swamp cooler on the roof that i had to try to spray with a water hose to keep the pads wet which was pointless since kids were running in and out of the house all day.
I took very hot baths every night in the middle of the night because running or skating around the block all day gives you terrible leg cramps😂.
The 80's were so fun and carefree for a little girl running up and down the allies in Oildale Ca.
Complete insanity 😂😂😂
I'll never understand looking back on the 80s and thinking they were good. I miss some things but the whole decade was pure Hell.
I always thought Ohio summers were hot, growing up there in the 80’s and 90’s with no AC. But, now I live in Florida and realize we had it made up there!! lol 😂
Summer was the best. We got to make our own tent out of sticks and blankets. We even made our own latrine. I'm not sorry that I got to live so free.. I'm sorry that they don't.
Our childhood was THE BEST! Did everything, and rarely got caught 😂
I lived in lake Isabella, not far from Bakersfield. Don't really remember being in the house much except to eat, sleep & shower. As a kid I would go camping with my friends, no adults.
"oh shit, the street lights! I gotta go!" 😂
Had at least 30 to 50 phone numbers memorized in my head! And they weren't only fists involved 😂
Yes! And we cherished that 10 ft long curly cord on the wall phone and I loved my " Dynamite 8" 8 track player when I did the dishes- by hand!
At the age of 8, the coast guard picked me up and brought me back to shore, because I wanted to see how far I could swim. My mom was asleep sun bathing, she had no idea.
Ha! Me too! I jumped off the end of the Santa Monica pier, on a dare, and started swimming laterally to the shore. The boy that dared me followed and when he caught up he was trying to help me. I've always been a strong swimmer and did not need help. The life guard came to bring me to shore and scolded me for a stupid stunt. I have no idea where my mom was. Lol
😂😂😂😂😂💀 As a Floridian this made me laugh so hard!!!!
In the middle of a Scottish summer, huge red jelly fish would turn up in the water. Someone's mother would spot them, put down her Georgette Heyer, and shout to the kids in the water " Swim round the jelly fish and the call would go up from mother to mother often accompanied by circular arm movements. At no point did it occur to any adult to tell the kids to leave the water because we all knew how precious swimming time was in those rare sunny days in West Coast Scotland. That no one was ever stung was a miracle. But we knew the rules. Dock leaves for nettle stings, plantain leaves for insect bites. Walk round the edges of a field. Never go near cows with calves. We knew to shut gates, but we never opened them anyway. Climbing over them every time. Avoid the big boys who'd chase us and the big girls, who'd report us to our mum. (Who'd want to see an elder sibling anyway) and then there was always that one strange adult who wanted to be our friend and every kid kept away from because our survival instincts were strong and we KNEW that there was something not quite right.
Every F'N DAY! Staying indoors was death sentence for us 😳!
We weren't allowed to stay indoors!???!
Omg! Born in 1967. This is spot on. I have friends of my age and we wonder how we survived. We also think the younger generations are spoiled cry babies who expect to have everything handed to them.
It's because they are.
EVERY ONE of her answers were TRUTH! Next gen has no idea what we got away with, and we’ll never tell all.
And neither will video or pictures, I thank God ther was no video or pictures taken daily!!
If these kids these days would leave the house , they could get away with stuff too. 😂
Cooking 7
Babysat 11
Walked everywhere
8 fist fights
No talk of feelings with parents
My friend and I were just laughing about how it was normal to be up in the trees even as girls. Not only did we love climbing them, but we even had a tree house made out of a small camper. It had a little window that you could open and a small screen door. I remember eating little green crab apples and honeysuckle from the vines.. Those were the days
When you & your friend describe trees by whether or not they're good climbing trees, that's a sign of a good childhood.
Loved crab apples, honeysuckles & wild blackberries. Not once did we ever make it back home with enough for a cobbler. Lol
@@SheriHosaleyes my childhood memories with friends was wonderful! parents not so much 😂
As a gen x-er, the whole "how often did you talk to your parents about your feelings?" question hit me DEEP! Not only was that NEVER, it went so far as, when I had to separate from my husband at the age of 26 with a two year old , and moved home, (I had two jobs, sold Avon and I was going to school at night to keep me going in the right direction and to get myself and my child back out of that house ASAP) My parents sat me down, after moving back , to tell me that my CRYING (as I processed my husband's drug addiction, mental abuse and threats, and having to accept the end of my marriage and future plans) was upsetting them! So, this latch key kid bottled up her feelings even more. It resulted in me clamping down so hard on my emotions, that instead I would wake up from a dead sleep actually crying in the middle of the night. This happened quite a bit. But at least I didn't get any noise complaints from my parents after that. In contrast my nine years younger sister lost her dog to some rather tragic veterinarian negligence, and she was allowed to go into a depression, seek counselling, and cry all she needed to. Coincidentally that dog passed the night BEFORE I was to undergo an open abdominal myomectomy, to remove 3 tumors from my uterus, with a huge complication rate, but had to just keep MY ANXIETY and FEAR in check, because of this new Family tragedy.
Yep I know what you went through for the part( as to hold back your emotions but your siblings got away with crap and you didn’t) most people that actually get to meet my family and then they get know what I went through when I was a kid say ( wow they are lucky you still talk to them!)
@@yvonnem6361 I am working on my detachment issues. I have a tendency to self-isolate, because that is how I survived. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
Wow!! Sounds like you have an extremely toxic family! I don’t know you but I do know that nobody deserves that. If it were me, I would completely cut ties and try to salvage every bit of sanity and self worth I was able to build around them, and I would distance myself as far away physically and figuratively as possible. Just because someone is “family “ doesn’t mean you need to have them in your life.. I pray that you are able to heal from this and find true Love and happiness!✌️❤️
Some of us feel your pain.
But we didn't go catatonic and drop out of society, we worked our way through it and took responsibility for ourselves.
As a latch key kid I was treated the same. Only my older sister was and is the golden child and at 5 yrs old I was told why I was "just not thought of sometimes," because I am a rape mistake. So I also pushed my feelings down so far that even in my 10yr marriage he has to remind me that my feelings matter and that he's got my back. I hope you, and your baby are doing better. Keep going. Us latch keys are feared FOR A REASON. Remember that. We latch key women are terrifying and ferocious. Keep your claws out and your roars loud.
The more of these I see, the more Im grateful for my parents. Yes they worked alot & the importance of independence was stressed But the sketchy stuff mentioned was stuff my friends did as young parents, we'd get a chuckle of familiarity out of it, because that was so common. But I will always be eternally grateful for the skills they instilled in us.Thanks Mom & Dad. You did it so much better than you ever guessed. 💯💙😸✌
Born in 1974-no gun, but my granddaddy made the most amazing slingshots carved from tree branches. They were beautiful, and I was a “sharp shooter” with one. We walked, yes, but I rode my bike mostly. Grew up in a small town, so we rode bikes everywhere. ❤
We absolutely did some MAJOR WILD SHIT!
And no video to prove anything ))
And still doing it... In a different format 😂❤
What any of us did that was bad, wasn't unusual. We normalized all of our delinquent behavior. We rarely were "in trouble", because no one cared enough to want to deal with us. Anything I saw, or participated in was, at the time, considered normal. It's strange how the world changed and now made everything we did illegal. We can't even talk trash, or tell yo mamma jokes without getting stopped by h.r., or the pc police. RUclips will block what I'm about to say...and this is the world we now live in.
@@cruzinsweetsntreatslove it!! x 😂
@@hroberts7283 Yep! We had wild times and did fun stuff, and no evidence to prove it, which is a good thing! These youngsters are stupid for posting their whole lives on line.
Thank God we didn't have cellphones. 😂
Love being a Gen Xer .. We had the best childhood.. Outdoors and allowed to be kids. Loved it 💯.
We were made to have adult responsibilities but reminded to stay in a childs place through physical and emotional abuse. Yet we couldn't complain about anything since our parents always had it worse.
i dont consider it abuse now, made me a man
I was not part of that "we" group. I was never treated that way.
@@AriesBaller14 then your not gen x you are the 15 percent shielded ratio of genx which is a real stat
66. As a genx man, we were so fortunate to grow up the way we did. It was great and it was true freedom. Our friendships were real, some lasting to this very day. I caught and sold bait as a little boy. Men would come to my house at 5 or 6 in the morning and knock on the door and ask my mother. "Where's the boy? I need some crabs or eels or shinners." I was the bait boy At age 6 or 7. I always had a few bucks in my pocket. We all did. Oh fun days...
I used to be a "mother's helper" at the local grocery store. Just helping them with the kids while they did their shopping. The number of women that didn't even question a seven year old in the parking lot would be astonishing now. "I'll pay you a dollar if you hold this". The "this" they were referring to was their one month old baby. Times were definitely crazy!
Class of '84!!!
Me too @@celticmomhere4430
If you’re 66, you’re no gen X, you’re a boomer as am I.
@@malloryjines5050 1966.
Damn, I'm a Boomer. I remember comparing burns from ironing clothes with my friend in Second Grade!
Gen-x - when i was five, the way i knew my left from my right is that i had a burn scar from the iron on my left pinky finger. It's still there.
@@shkacatou Oh, the scars, now that one I can relate to. Big cut on the left thumb, big burn on the right...
Hi Sherri: I was born in 1960, but I consider myself a Genx'r. I went through the same things and appreciate all the things we went through. Hope that's okay with everyone.
I totally got away with more! Grateful there were no cell phones, door cameras, etc. I’ll never be able to run for president …. Waaaay too much “stuff” in my background. 😂😂
There is no evidence of anything you did. It is all here say. So you can run for President!
I lol'd at "talk about your feelings with your parent." 😂😂
I think everyone did.
"Sh*t Thr Streetlight Raised me!" comment had my born in 1971 ass nodding my head yes chanting"Said THAT SH^*!"
I became a latchkey kid at seven so I started to cook at seven. Didn’t babysit much, but the first time I was around 12. I walked literally everywhere as a child by myself like through the neighborhood; to visit friends; to the store to buy candy and snacks and my mom cigarettes; and to the grocery store. I was a kid when I fired BB guns and low impact stuff like 22 rifle. Got in a lot of fights. I was raised to think for myself and not care about other peoples opinions if I knew I was in the right. We never talked about feelings because my dad told me although those very close to you care deeply about your feelings in general, the world does not, so I should follow suit, and try to circumnavigate my feelings. I know many veterans and I’m kin to many veterans and I support them unconditionally❤
The last one, none ya business and mind ya business!! 😂😂
She cracks me up so much 😂🤣😆. "That's none of your f***kn business!" N "ummm" "every f*n day"
Street lights came on? I thought that was so we could see better while playing flashlight tag in the dark! 🤣
You had street lights!?
@@dagnelund6367 hahaha. Made me laugh...🤣
WE WERE RAISED LIKE THERE WAS NO TOMORROW!! AND WE LIVED THE SAME
WAY!!
Your expressions are hilarious.
I love the face you made for the fist fight question..
The firearm and fistfight questions cracked me up. 😅
When I was 13, A neighbor tattled to my Mom that she saw me smoking. My Mom asked me to go around to the back of the house to smoke, so she didn't have to listen to the neighbors.😂
Everyone we knew smoked.
😂😂😂
Ok you got us! We're the most independent generation! We don't need no parents to cook for us, and we left the house early, and wasn't home till the streetlights came on(unless you heard your parent whistle)! We truly were unhinged children! 😂😂✌🏻
cooking - 6-7
babysat - 12
walk as a child - I cannot remember when that started, feel like it was my whole childhood
Firearm - 5
Fist fights - at least 3, although if you add hair pulling then who knows
other peoples opinion? what is that
Feelings - all the time, like this "you better dry up those tears before I give you a reason to cry"
ask for help - very rarely
Veterans - too many to count
Play outside - every freaking day
coddled - what does that mean LOL
and I def got away with more since I was not supervised most of the time
I'm only a bit older than Gen X.Much the same except for guns. We played shooting at each other with bb guns pumped low when we lived out in the country when I was about 9,and I shot a 22 at a target when I was 11. Feelings were usually one of the things we did talk about when needed even if it didn't always help things.
And my grandma did spoil us a bit when she wasn't drinking too much.
I'm a boomer, and this aligns exactly with my experience. Also, by 12 I was doing laundry and ironing. I didn't make trouble at all because it would have been like poking a hornet's nest with my nutso mom. I got yelled at for practicing my piano lesson because it stressed her out.
Boomers still number one toughest. How many gen-xers lied about their age to enlist and go to a major war?
Cooking 5
Babysitting 7
Walked everywhere
Was hunting big game at 12 so around 6
Too many fistfights
Other people have opinions that I should care about?
Feeling with my parents? I was not a fan of getting my ass whooped
Ask for help? Only if I need a truck
Tons of Vets
Outside every day
Had to look up coddled in the dictionary
You wish you got away with as much as we did
Coddled means being babied. Ie overly fussed over, mother henned, etc.
I started babysitting at age 10 and never stopped. My mother pimped me out. Til this day cannot watch kids now.
I hope you decide to have a couple of your own. It's so much different when they are yours! You would be good at catching all they're "tricks," too, lol! I did some babysitting, but had my son at 18, without a clue what I was doing. Glad I had a strong natural instinct. My daughter use to put her two boys inside of they're dad's t-shirt, face to face, when they were fighting. They were little then of course. I still think that is so hilarious, and a great way for them to make up. I never taught her that, I think she is a better mom than me, because she thinks of those things, but I'd like to think I did something right to get her there!! I used to tell people, you need to have at least 2 kids. That way they have someone to bitch to, about you, when you are old!!!😂
It was not called babysitting, it was called “Americans give money? Shame on them, don’t even think about it we are not Americans. Is your duty for having siblings and cousins.You are lucky you are never alone” … those bitches to this day are terrible 😅
Yeah, I worked in a day care center at 11 years old until 1 am on weekend nights and then walked home. Lol. Started babysitting for randos at the same age. I used to watch a kid who was deathly allergic to bees, of course she played outside the whole time. Parents gave me a quick tutorial on how to give her a shot and left...it was a kit with an actual syringe..it would never have occurred to me not to do it or be freaked out. The whole time I was growing up I knew the adults around me didn't have a clue...and I grew up with college educated parents. I was constantly thinking, "this isn't right..." lol.
No that was my money so she did not have to use her money to buy me stuff. Years later she said YOU MAKE ME OUT TO BE A MONSTER. IT IS WHAT IT IS. OWN IT. CANNOT CHANGE THE PAST.
@@jeannesmith1141watching other people's kids can destroy relationships with kids. Not everyone is equipped to be a parent, nor does everyone want kids. Just read through these comments, and notice how many of us were neglected and/or abused. No, it won't necessarily be different with our own kids. Many of us are afraid we might, or some have actually have abused their kids, because that's how we were all raised.
The better way to respond is, I hope you found peace inside yourself, and have learned you're worth more than what your mom forced you into.
As an Elder Millennial I definitely relate to these more than those younger than me.
Yes, my answers are only slightly different than hers.
Cooking - Alone probably age 8 or 9, but was doing that with my mom/grandmother before that.
Babysitting - 9 or 10 for short times.
Walking somewhere without parents - Maybe a little older. Like 11 or 12, I'd say.
Firearm - 14 at a camp.
Outside every day. Coddled - not really, maybe more than some Gen X. Feelings - not prevalent in our discussions, but the lines of communications were open. Not a full fistfight, but I remember a couple of slightly physical altercations.
I’ll NEVER forget the whipping my cousin’s got for not coming in before the street lights came on 😂! We were playing baseball in the street. It was about 20 kids. I saw that street light blinking. I yelled STREET LIGHT and ran home but NO they kept playing. I held the screen door so my grandma wouldn’t hear me coming in 😂. She came around the corner to see who was in the house. Without saying a word she had a switch ready for them. Boy they were mad at me for a LONG time but I didn’t care 😂. I was eating cookies and drinking milk while they were crying. It was 9 of us. We were NEVER sick either because she always gave us this nasty liquid laxative twice during the summer. I can’t remember the name but I know the smell! She had two bathrooms so she would schedule 2 at a time to take it 😂. All our parents were either in college or starting their careers so we had to go over our granny’s house. She didn’t have to work because our parents took care of her. Her home is still in our family today.
I was 14 yrs old when I learned my name wasn’t “get more firewood “
😂😁🤣😂
Until I was 8, I thought I was God. Because every time my father opened his mouth I heard, "Jesus Christ Almighty, ..." and he would rant on.😂
I was ten when i realised my name wasn't "luffarunge" (i'm Swedish,born in 1983) and it means bum-good-for-nothing-kid 😂😂 i was raised as gen x,if i got in a fight all my parents said was "i hope to god you whopped their ass" 😂😂
7 years at cooking first, 7 at watching my baby sister, never had to be walked to the bus or to school. Never coddled, not caught much. We were held to higher standards, and we as parents need to bring them back!
I used to go to the base pool by myself. Age 9-11. Children were given swimming tests and if you passed, you could go alone. Dad would drop me off on his way to work. It was wonderful!!
My husband said his mom got him a swim pass at a local motel and would drop him off in the morning and pick him up in the late afternoon. He spent the whole day there ALONE. No mom, no siblings or no friends. WTF?
My gen x dad as a gen z child would join me when I wanted to go to the pool, but no friends were available. He'd swim and play with me for hours. Go on water slides, buy me ice cream or some fries from the little food stall.
I see how it was a wonderful thing back then, but I would never wanna miss making these memories together with my parents there
@@KIxYOSHI2077 Your memories of you and your dad sound wonderful! I too enjoyed time spent with my parents. Most of my time. Mom would bike or walk to the beach with me and my friends. We played paddle ball on the sand. Played in the water for hours. Jumped rope. Got ice cream and freshly made chips from local vendors. Dad would sail his boat onto the sand to pick me up. We loved to sail together. It seems we both have beautiful memories of play time with our parents! 💛
I lived at the pool during the summer. Got there at 8 for swim team practice and Mom picked me up at 5. Best summers ever.
Born in 1961. Babysat at 10. Got away with a lot until my mom found out. Never asked for help. Played outside all the time. Loved my youth!❤
Cooking by standing in a chair at the stove at 6
Babysat at 9
Explored miles from home on foot and bike alone
I care what my friends think of me. Everyone else can go to…
Got slapped for displaying my feelings
People are usually swooping in to help me before I realize i need help
Veteran in the family went to war at 15, is almost 100, stands straight as a board, sharp as a tack, and walks like soldier even though ha lost one leg. Some old high school friends are veterans. Female cousin is a veteran.
Outside all day, camped out and explored the neighborhood at night. Built bonfires in the back yard. Fun times.
Never once coddled. Although it might be nice to try that now.
😂
oh!
Kudos for displaying one of our generations' abilities toward the end. Holding up your end of the conversation with just facial expressions.
I got away with more because after being outside all of the time unsupervised as a kid, I learned how to be sneaky. 😏
Age when I started cooking: 2 Years Old. Age when I first babysat: 9 Years Old (Everyday for 2 hours until Mom came home - occasionally overnight) Age when I walked by myself 10 blocks and across the street to the store and back: 7 Years Old. First time I shot a Gun: 12 Years Old. Age when we played outside: 2 Years Old - All Day until dusk. Never discussed ‘feelings’ never asked much for ‘Help’ but have often been asked for help.
My Mom gave me so much freedom and she was a beautiful Mother. Back in the day, those were the good ole days. I would scrap when I was challenged. I was hanging with the big girls in my tweens. I avoided trouble as much as possible so I rarely got into trouble, skipped school and I walked right into my Mom, slapped me and took me out for food and ice cream, told me to do better and I did. Moms back in the day were really tough but wise.
I’m that Momma to this day with one exceptable thing when my kids skip school they stay home…not the malls unless Momma is with them at distance cause Momma needs to do some shopping too 😅