Which is better for kids? Now, or when we were kids.

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
When I was a kid-8,9,10, I walked a mile to school, by myself. I know that because to ride the bus you have to be over a mile away from the school. I lived at 422 Pleasant St. If I lived next door at 424 Pleasant St, I could have taken the bus. The thing that got me was all the neighborhood kids, who took the bus, waited for it in front of my house.
Today no 8 year old is going to be walking a mile to school. So what's better? yesterday or today?
 

I walked to grade school too Fuzzybuddy, first when I was very young, I'd walk with my mother. When I was old enough, I walked alone. I think yesterday was better for kids, but these days thing are different. More sickos coming out of the woodwork to do harm to young children it seems.
 
Between all the pedophiles ,and all the school bus accidents happening everyday,I feel sorry for kids who have to take the bus. When I was a child and living in the city the school was only 2 blocks away. After my Mom stopped walking me I walked with about 6 kids that lived on my block.I wish the kids today had the good days that I had when I was young.
 
I wouldn't have missed riding the bus for anything. It was the highlight of the day sometimes. Feel sorry for the kids whose parents drop them off and pick them up. :p

ps: I lived about 5 miles from school, and walking was not an option.
 
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RadishRose said:
For safety's sake, today. That was a strange set up you had, Fuzzy.
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Perhaps not that unusual, though. The second school district where I attended had the same policy- students in all grade levels had to walk if they lived within a mile of the schools.
What went too far, though, at least in my opinion, was when my youngest was in a certain elementary school kids from 4th grade and up had to walk TWO miles, and wintertime in that particular area was extreme.
 
In today's environment, I wouldn't want a child to walk to school alone; however, back when I was a kid it was an entirely different world, and we all walked to school, usually in groups or pairs but sometimes alone. We didn't mind, and I believe today's kids would be a lot better off if they had that exercise and camaraderie every day. However, with all the nuts and predators out there, it's not really safe in most places.

Back then, if we wanted to go anywhere, we walked. Most families had only one car and dad had it at work; also, most parents believed it was good for us to walk, which it was. There was none of this take you here, take you there stuff, and our social calendars weren't full of dance lessons and karate lessons and such. We had time to be kids and play ball and ride our bikes and whatever else; and we certainly didn't expect to be entertained nonstop.
 
I wasn't the only kid, who walked to school. Everybody within that 1 mile limit walked to school. It was a small town in the backwaters of Mass. My first day of school, my mom brought me to school at 8 AM. There was a school for the first few grades very close to where we lived. At noon, I walked back home for lunch. That was what everybody did. The kids on "Leave It To Beaver" walked to school. NOBODY drove their kids to school. We would have teased that kid unmercifully if your Mommy had to bring you to school. It was a different time.
 
It's sad to think kids today will never know the carefree times we had with simple things like walking to school and off for the day playing, especially during the long summer school holiday...
 
No school bus. I could get to school by city bus but it involved a transfer. I could get there quicker by walking. I not only walked about a mile to school, I walked all over town. Rules? Behave myself and be home by dark. The 1940s were a different time. Not particularly better, just different
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I wasn't the only kid, who walked to school. Everybody within that 1 mile limit walked to school. It was a small town in the backwaters of Mass. My first day of school, my mom brought me to school at 8 AM. There was a school for the first few grades very close to where we lived. At noon, I walked back home for lunch. That was what everybody did. The kids on "Leave It To Beaver" walked to school. NOBODY drove their kids to school. We would have teased that kid unmercifully if your Mommy had to bring you to school. It was a different time.
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You're right, Fuzzy, I hadn't thought of it from that standpoint -- we would have unmercifully teased kids whose mommy brought them to school each day. They'd have been called a baby or some such, unless they had a broken leg or something like that. We all walked to school. There wasn't any school bus here then.
 
Butterfly said:
You're right, Fuzzy, I hadn't thought of it from that standpoint -- we would have unmercifully teased kids whose mommy brought them to school each day. They'd have been called a baby or some such, unless they had a broken leg or something like that. We all walked to school. There wasn't any school bus here then.
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Heh, yeah- but these days, around here, parents even shuttle High Schoolers back and forth. The kids who don't have their own cars, that is. Because they 'don't like to ride the bus.' :rolleyes:
 
Per the topic we grew up hunting fishing shooting and always riding a horse, I do not know of anyone in our area that ever got into trouble, we carried pocket knives all the tie even to school left out shotguns in the principals office to go bird hunting after school on his land many times we never had any problems related to it, we all worked somewhere after school so you tell me who is better off.
 
When we were kids for sure. Walking with friends discussing the days activities, just being silly at times. I have many remembrances of walking to and from school. In grade school we were a group of three that always walked together. My house was the furthest away. Before we left each other it was always decided that we would meet to play as soon as we asked our Moms and changed into our play clothes. I don't think they do that anymore. My Dad got home from work at 6pm and I had to be back in the house at 5:30. After dinner was homework time, a bath, maybe a little TV once we got one, and in bed by 8:00 on school nights. It was a structured way of life but I felt loved and secure.
 
I walked to school or took the bus with my best friend. Later (in high school ) I rode my bike sometimes. I don't believe it's safe anymore for kids to walk to school. There are too many sexual predators out there and kids can be easily overpowered. It was fun in the old days to have the freedom of choice to walk to school, but kids these days should be driven for safety's sake. Just IMO.
 
I think kids are more intelligent today due to technology. I also think there's a huge lack of respect kids have for almost everyone nowadays. Remember the phrase, " wait till your dad gets home?" Don't think that's said very often anymore. Social skills? We are a minority because we still sit at the table for dinner with the tv off and no phones, iPads, etc on. Nothing fancy, but it's become tradition, I doubt I'll ever drop that. We often wonder what happened to kids mowing the lawns while we watch the adults doing it knowing full well there are able bodied kids in the house. Different world nowadays. Sure am getting old.
 
I never realized until now, but it was a different world back then. My mom & dad had no qualms about me walking to school. There were no "helicopter parents". There was no danger. I could knock on somebody's door and they'd take care of me.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
When I was a kid-8,9,10, I walked a mile to school, by myself. I know that because to ride the bus you have to be over a mile away from the school. I lived at 422 Pleasant St. If I lived next door at 424 Pleasant St, I could have taken the bus. The thing that got me was all the neighborhood kids, who took the bus, waited for it in front of my house.
Today no 8 year old is going to be walking a mile to school. So what's better? yesterday or today?
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What great memories, Fuzzy.

I had a mile walk to and from school every day starting in kindergarten. I remember mom walking with me for the first few days, and she'd be waiting for me when school was out to walk home with me, which lasted for a few days as well.

I think people were more in-tune with others back then, as most everyone knew one another, and I absolutely believe that people actually cared for others back in the day, unlike today, where it's all about ME and MY life. I get the impression today's generation are blind when it comes to anything outside of their own little dream world.

Additionally, women/mothers stayed at home when I was growing up, so there was always someone watching, looking, paying attention to the daily goings-on, today however, everyone is in a rush to scramble off to their workplaces to be slaves. I get the impression they're oblivious to all around them. I see people more as robots today than I do people.

Another important aspect of walking to and from school when I was growing up, EVERYBODY walked EVERYWHERE. There was groups of us that walked together, unlike today where I see few young children walking to and from school on their own. In fact, I see few kids no matter what the age walking to and from school. Boy, how times have changed.

When I entered junior-high, school was a handful of miles away, and for the most part I walked, and for those of us who grew up in the era where walking was the game, you never heard kids complaining and whining about it raining, or being cold, or have to trudge through snow, we just did it.

I do think creeps were around back in the day, just as they're around today, but that old saying, "safety in numbers" I believe rang true back then.

My vote goes out to back in the day being the better time.
 
I walked 4 miles a day to school and back.
The first couple of years my mom stayed home but after that she worked full time until she retired. We were latch key kids. We made our own lunch. When we sat together for any meals, we weren’t allowed to talk. At the breakfast table we’d use the cereal boxes for walls so we didn’t have to see each other. 😂
Sometimes I walked with my friends but usually I preferred to walk alone. I enjoyed walking to and from school more than school itself.
We had a great neighbourhood and community. Such a mix of cultures made it interesting and fun.
I had an odd mixture of friends from many different cultures which greatly enhanced my childhood years.
 
We were "free-range kids" before it became trendy. As long as we came home for meals and bedtime with at least three limbs still attached, it was OK.

No "play dates" arranged by mothers (you just went out and found someone to play with who you weren't mad at this week.) Parents tended not to get involved in your squabbles; Dad's advice: "Well, hit him back!", Mom's advice: "You'll be best friends again tomorrow so I don't want to hear about it!"

No "kiddie gym programs".......there were trees to climb and wondrously dangerous playground equipment to fall off of.
 

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