10 Things Us Parents Over 40 Thought Were Bitchin’ When We Were Kids

I love being 44 because I get to say things like “Back when I was growing up”¦” and “Back in the day..” and watch as my kids look at me dumbfounded about how weird life was back when their mom was born in 1969. Growing up was very different for me, compared to what my kids are exposed to and experience now. And I think things were a lot better in many ways then, at least when I compare my childhood and how amazing and exciting everything seemed to me to the sort of blase nonchalance my own kids have towards things now.

When I was growing up, these things were all a VERY big deal.

1: Having one of these before any of the other kids on the block 

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Now it seems like every family has multiple gaming systems. Back when I was a kid, it was a HUGE deal to have one, and your parents probably saved up for weeks to get you one as a family gift for Christmas. And you played your Pong and you LOVED it.

2: Buying These 

(image: tumblr)
(image: tumblr)

My older sister was more into these then I was, but I can distinctly remember buying my own when they had people like KISS on the cover. If you grew up seeing these, you were probably the same kid who bought Maximum Rock and Roll when you were older. Or else, started your own ‘zine, with the help of KINKOs.

3: Making These 

(Image: Fiber Flux)
(Image: Fiber Flux)

It didn’t matter if you were making these to attach to your roller skate so you could skate to Kool And The Gang in style, or making these to add googly eyes to, making pom poms was pretty much the best. Fiber Flux has a tutorial so you can school your own kids in doing these.

4. Watching This 

Cartoons were such a BIG deal back when I was growing up. One evening in the fall they used to preview the NEW SATURDAY LINEUP and we would beg our parents to make sure we awoke in time to watch things like Captain Caveman and Jabber Jaws and Land Of The Lost. Speaking of”¦.

5. You Were Terrified Of This 

And this:

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6. Someone Gave You One Of These When Trick Or Treating

(Image: wordpress)
(Image: wordpress)

Or when you were just trying to ride your bike to the 7-11 to get a Slurpee. Chick Tracts were these weird little religious books that usually had to do with the evils of heavy metal music, drugs, sex and Dungeons and Dragons. These were terrifying little pamphlets, and your parents probably threw them away when you were given them. But that’s OK, because you probably got the same message while..

7: Watching These 

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The After School Special was basically the best.
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Between this and CBS’ ‘Schoolbreak Special’ we learned everything about drugs, underage drinking, what to do if we are gay, and anorexia. They were the most scandalous things on TV. And also, the best.

8. The Toys Were Way Better 

(image: tumblr)
(image: tumblr)

 

(Image: tumblr)
(Image: tumblr)
(Image: tumblr)
(Image: tumblr)
(image: tumblr)
(image: tumblr)

Or maybe they just seemed so much better because we didn’t have that many of them.

9. You May Have Collected These. 

(image: tumblr)
(image: tumblr)

10. And there was no other sound sadder in the world than this.

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To this day, this sound fills me with this overwhelming sense of sadness, because it will always mean it was time to take a bath and go to bed and the weekend was over.

(Image: tumblr)

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