It was partially this, way less micromanaging kids, but I think that people also fail to realize, is there are way more single parents now, two parent homes still working full-time, and the whole breakdown of extended families in general. I mean, I am 42... I spent a ton of time at my Grandmas house when I wasn't exploring the town with my friends, not counting when I was hanging at friends homes, or my aunts house, etc
I would say greater than 60-70% of my friends had extended family abodes to hang out, between their regular two parents in a two parent household, not to mention, many of us had at least one parent that didn't work or worked minimally.
I tell this to my dad all the time when he bitches about me needing money for daycare/school.
I then remind him he’s an absent grandparent/parent who left me with all of my extended family while my parents worked, and I don’t have that same fortune because of that breakdown in extended family. I am also 42.
Sure but still not ideal. I remember when I had it out with my absentee father. He always paid child support. Better than a lot of other absent fathers. As a kid that doesn't matter. I would have gladly missed a couple meals and had him around. Or so I thought at the time.
True! But on top of work, there were all sorts of other reasons parents might not be around - because it was more socially acceptable to just leave kids at home. I spent most weekday evenings by myself from age 6 or so, because my dad went to the pub. And on the weekends, both parents could just go off to do whatever they were interested in, and it was no big deal. It was just "See you at 6pm, there's a microwaveable blah blah in the freezer".
So although more kids are growing up in houses with two working parents today, I don't think it's the critical or only factor that's different. Parents back then had plenty of other non-work things they'd just go off and do, as well.
Oh, absolutely. I think my examples show it is multifaceted for sure, heck, add another to the list... a lot of us grew up with siblings to look after one another in an empty house. More people than ever are having only one kid, not super uncommon for those of us old to have grown up with a sister or brother that was 3. 4. 5+ years older that was essentially the stand in babysitter.
When I was a kid we constantly were at friends house's where their 15/16 year old sibling was "in charge". All of my friends (and mine too) had 3-4 kids or more per family.
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u/Own-Raisin5849 Sep 11 '26
It was partially this, way less micromanaging kids, but I think that people also fail to realize, is there are way more single parents now, two parent homes still working full-time, and the whole breakdown of extended families in general. I mean, I am 42... I spent a ton of time at my Grandmas house when I wasn't exploring the town with my friends, not counting when I was hanging at friends homes, or my aunts house, etc
I would say greater than 60-70% of my friends had extended family abodes to hang out, between their regular two parents in a two parent household, not to mention, many of us had at least one parent that didn't work or worked minimally.