The 1950's sucks - Page 5 - New England Patriots Forums

wistahpatsfan · 07-19-2011, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSR

The common theme in this thread is that it was better then because children had "freedom" and were out unsupervised most of the day and only came in for meals. Were two parents not supervising their children better than one?

The common theme is "unsupervised during play" as opposed to completely unsupervised. Moms were still home. Every neighborhood had moms looking around at what was going on in the yards and streets. The big difference now is that moms and dads are all over thier kids' *****. Kids can't breathe. They may never develope the skills needed to innovate and adapt on their own. They can only do and go where they're told. I'm referring to simple things like making a base out of cardboard, picking sides, or building a raft out of barrels and palates or finding trails in the woods to hike or ride your bike. Hell, we had a different fort every summer. In the winter, we built forts with branches and frozen leaves. Nothing was passive.

Of course, things were much more difficult for disabled kids. Granted.

I think the theme is more accurately described as "Lots of freedom" vs. "No freedom whatsoever".

PatsWSB47 · 07-19-2011, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrs.PatsFanInVa

The 50s were indeed great----if you were a white male. Not so great for anyone else - unless, of course, you didn't mind being a black woman sent to the back of the bus or a black kid sitting in an unheated segregated school building or a white woman who spent Monday running 15 loads of laundry thru a hand wringer and hanging it up outside on the line praying the rain didn't Start until it dried and then spent Tuesday chipping the ice out of the freezer section of the refrigerator. You probably loved the 50s as long as you didn't have a handicapped baby or a Downs Syndrome baby that you had to institutionalize and "forget'" or suffer from post partum depression and end up lobotomized because that was "the cure."

Who and what you happen to be has a lot to do with what you think you miss.

As you point out a lot of things sucked in the 50's but we didn't know what we didn't know. Some of what we know today isn't all that good though. For instance in the 50's we would take those jobs that today we now know are only for illegal immigrants.

We didn't have the endless unemployment benefits, food stamps, welfare programs etc. that allow us the time reflect and determine we're too good for those jobs. Women didn't know that the the role of homemaking was incorrect and men didn't know that being the bread winner was sexist on their parts. In their/our eyes they were all doing their jobs fulfilling their roles. You cannot judge cultural norms of the past by current standards. Just as we complain now, I can remember my grand parents especially, complaining about the world going to hell in a and basket then.

Sure we're more advanced socially in terms of race and sex but have gone astray socially in a lot of ways. personal, physical interaction is being lost in favor of face book and texting, sexting, thising and thating. Kids(and adults) are getting fatter and substance abuse is rampant. I think there is a growing gap between "smart" kids and "dumb" kids that kind of parallels the same growing gap we see in rich and poor...though they're not necessarily connected(lots of dumb rich kids).

Knowing what I know now, I don't miss the things that we've grown past, but I think we've lost some character along the way too.

BSR · 07-19-2011, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wistahpatsfan

The common theme is "unsupervised during play" as opposed to completely unsupervised. Moms were still home. Every neighborhood had moms looking around at what was going on in the yards and streets. The big difference now is that moms and dads are all over thier kids' *****. Kids can't breathe. They may never develope the skills needed to innovate and adapt on their own. They can only do and go where they're told. I'm referring to simple things like making a base out of cardboard, picking sides, or building a raft out of barrels and palates or finding trails in the woods to hike or ride your bike. Hell, we had a different fort every summer. In the winter, we built forts with branches and frozen leaves. Nothing was passive.

Of course, things were much more difficult for disabled kids. Granted.

I think the theme is more accurately described as "Lots of freedom" vs. "No freedom whatsoever".

On one left end of the spectrum there is total neglect and on the right is No Freedom. I think the reality is that parenting then was generally near the middle but to the left. Parenting today is generally near the middle but to the right. The idea that they have no freedom is just wrong.

My kids go out everyday during the summer and play with the neighborhood kids. My wife only checks in on them from time to time and they know enough to let her know where they are going and with whom. They are 6 and 8 years old and this is pretty common where we live. They play basketball, ride bikes and scooters, play tag, catch bugs and have waterfights. When I came home last night from work we walked down to get dinner at a local restaurant. We got back and they played with the neighborhood kids until it got dark while we talked to the neighbors. I suspect that their memories as kids won't be much different then yours or mine.

PatriotsReign · 07-19-2011, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wistahpatsfan

The common theme is "unsupervised during play" as opposed to completely unsupervised. Moms were still home. Every neighborhood had moms looking around at what was going on in the yards and streets. The big difference now is that moms and dads are all over thier kids' *****. Kids can't breathe. They may never develope the skills needed to innovate and adapt on their own. They can only do and go where they're told. I'm referring to simple things like making a base out of cardboard, picking sides, or building a raft out of barrels and palates or finding trails in the woods to hike or ride your bike. Hell, we had a different fort every summer. In the winter, we built forts with branches and frozen leaves. Nothing was passive.

Of course, things were much more difficult for disabled kids. Granted.

I think the theme is more accurately described as "Lots of freedom" vs. "No freedom whatsoever".

I'll also add that we had to be much more creative back then. "Pretending" was something we did everyday. We'd build a fighter jet that could actually fly! And although it never left the ground, you couldn't tell us that.

Or we could be in "the woods" and pretend we were in the "Magic Forest" full of who knows what. Hell, I wish I could still do that!

I don't think kids today do nearly as much "Pretending"....

PatriotsReign · 07-19-2011, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsSB42

As you point out a lot of things sucked in the 50's but we didn't know what we didn't know. Some of what we know today isn't all that good though. For instance in the 50's we would take those jobs that today we now know are only for illegal immigrants.

We didn't have the endless unemployment benefits, food stamps, welfare programs etc. that allow us the time reflect and determine we're too good for those jobs. Women didn't know that the the role of homemaking was incorrect and men didn't know that being the bread winner was sexist on their parts. In their/our eyes they were all doing their jobs fulfilling their roles. You cannot judge cultural norms of the past by current standards. Just as we complain now, I can remember my grand parents especially, complaining about the world going to hell in a and basket then.

Sure we're more advanced socially in terms of race and sex but have gone astray socially in a lot of ways. personal, physical interaction is being lost in favor of face book and texting, sexting, thising and thating. Kids(and adults) are getting fatter and substance abuse is rampant. I think there is a growing gap between "smart" kids and "dumb" kids that kind of parallels the same growing gap we see in rich and poor...though they're not necessarily connected(lots of dumb rich kids).

Knowing what I know now, I don't miss the things that we've grown past, but I think we've lost some character along the way too.

Super post SB42! Bottom line is we can't judge yesterday by today's standards. I agree completely.

PatriotsReign · 07-19-2011, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSR

The common theme in this thread is that it was better then because children had "freedom" and were out unsupervised most of the day and only came in for meals. Were two parents not supervising their children better than one?

Your common theme seems to be that the 50's, 60's and 70's get you angry for some strange reason.

BSR · 07-19-2011, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsSB42

Knowing what I know now, I don't miss the things that we've grown past, but I think we've lost some character along the way too.

Well the children of the 50s, 60s and 70s are all in between 35 and 65 now. They are the ones running the show and setting the tone. They are the parents of today. They created the internet, facebook, texting and all of the ills of today. They are the ones collecting those welfare checks and unemployment benefits. If anyone is responsible for that loss of character isn't none other then those that grew up during the 50s, 60s and 70s?

BSR · 07-19-2011, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatriotsReign

Your common theme seems to be that the 50's, 60's and 70's get you angry for some strange reason.

My common theme is that people see what they want to believe especially when it comes to the age old meme about the good ole days. They convince themselves through selective memory and anecdotal evidence of some reality that doesn't exist.

Kids were better at pretending? really?

***Harry Boy*** · 07-19-2011, 12:02 PM

I call them "the good old days" because I compare them to today.

PatsWSB47 · 07-19-2011, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSR

Well the children of the 50s, 60s and 70s are all in between 35 and 65 now. They are the ones running the show and setting the tone. They are the parents of today. They created the internet, facebook, texting and all of the ills of today. They are the ones collecting those welfare checks and unemployment benefits. If anyone is responsible for that loss of character isn't none other then those that grew up during the 50s, 60s and 70s?

FYI Mark Zuckerberg was born in 1984. Widespread internet addiction use....as it is today is only a recent phenomenon. Remember Obama was way ahead of his competition in it's use for his campaign run. Since then it's absolutely exploded along with virtual socializing and gaming. I also pointed out that we lost some character along the way so yes we share some responsibility. So if you're using the "tone"(internet, facebook, collecting etc.) to criticize the parents of today, then it follows that you agree that it's not all good. So is that tone a nod of approval or a criticism?