Why More Parents Need to Ignore Their Kids Like This

What Childhood Was Like Growing Up In the 40s

by: Evelyn Hannon

I grew up in the 40s without television to distract me or CNN to scare me. News didn’t travel as fast back then so my parents and I were not traumatized by horrendous tales of kids being murdered or kidnapped when allowed outside unattended.

Thinking back to when I was nine, I can’t remember what the furniture in my room looked like but I do have vivid memories of our quirky neighbours and the small five and dime shops up and down our street. Reading, colouring and listening to stories on the radio were for rainy days only. Every free moment we had, we begged our moms for permission to go outside to play with friends. We were taught not to speak to strangers and then set free to run with the pack...

Read more about Evelyn's childhood and how it shaped her hippy parenting style...

What Childhood Was Like Growing Up In the 60s

by: Erica Ehm

I had a weird and wild childhood. Weird as in good, I guess.

When I was six years old, my crazy-kind-of hippy parents bought a summer camp IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. My sister and I got used to being on our own in the great outdoors, making our own fun. My parents had no idea where we were at any given time. 

The city was equally carefree and unsupervised for us. If you grew up in my generation, you too probably have stories of taking off in the morning with a gang of buddies and showing up at home when the sun went down. We hung out with the kids on the street, walked or biked all around the hood to our friends' places and came home when our tummies grumbled. Once again, my parents didn't have a clue where we were...

Read more about Erica's wild childhood and how it affects her kids today...