This Made Growing Up In The 1950s GREAT!

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#recollectionroad #nostalgia #1950s

[@s95033]

Born in 1951. If I wasn't in school and it wasn't dark, I was playing outside. I didn't know we were poor because we didn't need stuff to have fun. Climb a tree, dig a "foxhole", jump rope. We somehow could even have fun with just a stick or a rock. Great memories.

[@martincvitkovich724]

ditto 1951 here. I had 4 brothers. when the younger ones needed new clothes , we would go through the boxes of clothes in the basement that the older brothers ourgrew

[@julialane6645]

@@martincvitkovich724 I grew up in the 50’s and we did the same with clothes. Mother would buy us a pair of shoes for church and school. Mother made the clothes for me & my sister. And taught me how to sew, and cook. We played barefoot outside, and I could walk on rocks. 😂. We played in the woods by the River, and swam in River. The video is exactly how I grew up, and raised my children.

[@caroles59]

I was born in 1951 as well. Grew up in a middle class family, but having a Pepsi or ice cream was a big treat to us. I was always playing outside, even in the Pennsylvania winter. I wouldn't change growing up in the 50's for anything.

[@tonycollazorappo]

I was born in 1961, same things and kids played outside on their bikes all day, outside. Not kids today, sadly.

[@ontimethatsme]

1951 was a GOOD year!

[@woodwaker1]

Probably the best thing about the 1950's - no cell phones.

[@martincvitkovich724]

my brother and I made phones with two empty soup cans, two buttons and a long piece of string

[@jacksons1010]

No social media. We kept our opinions on politics and religion mostly to ourselves, and society was immeasurably better off for it.

[@julialane6645]

@@jacksons1010 Politics never crossed my mind.

[@jacksons1010]

@@beadyeye2312 They are not asking that those things be "central to how people are treated" - exactly the opposite. Those things should have no relevance; people are demanding that it should be so and they should be treated the same as everybody else. We can agree that people really ought not to bring up their sex lives or whatever, but when those things become known and it leads to discrimination in the the workplace they must speak up for themselves. THAT is what has changed - no more suffering in silence.

[@woodwaker1]

@@martincvitkovich724 I think we all did, but long distance was terrible!

[@muskrat3291]

I was born in 1949. All the kids in the neighborhood rode bikes everywhere. No restrictions, just be home in time for dinner.

[@marknewton6984]

Cheyenne! Annette!😮

[@buickinvicta288]

Born in 53. Not only did we walk to school, we walked home for lunch. I remember many of those things. We played outside and not many toys. We were creative and used our imagination. Always together at dinner time.

[@chrisgraham2904]

Also born in 53, you bring up a good point about walking to school. Being the "baby boom generation" our little neighborhood which was 6 blocks wide and 8 blocks deep was serviced by one public elementary school with an enrollment of about 350 students. Most families averaged 3 or 4 children. I had two older brothers, but walked to school for 7 blocks on my own from age 6. I wasn't really alone, since I couldn't walk out of my front door in the morning for more than three minutes until I met up with other friends walking to school. No school buses and no adult supervision, but we had safety in numbers. Home for lunch, then back to school until the end of the day, making 4 trips per day.

[@buickinvicta288]

@@chrisgraham2904 Yep.

[@carolferguson19]

I loved going home for lunch. Bus for 7, 8 and ninth grade. We moved in 10th grade and it was a long walk alone and alot of snow to walk through. We would go to this restaurant after school and see kids from the other high school. We felt free.

[@davemckolanis4683]

@ Buick Invicta We Had Play Grounds In The Different "Wards" Of The Town. With Swings, Monkey Bars, Hand Powered Turn Tables, Teeder-Todders, Sandboxes, Basket Ball Hoops, And A Dirt Field To Play Baseball. And Also A Supervisor That Would Open A Large Wooden Box That Contained All The Balls, Gloves, Bats, Items To Play Games With, And Also Board Games Like Checkers Under The Pavilion. It Would Have Dozens Of Neighborhood Kids Playing There All Day. NO Street Gangs Or Drugs Or Bent Over Heads Looking At Smartphones Either. And NO FAT KIDS, Because Everybody Was ACTIVE Burning Off Calories...

[@arlenesheldon4296]

I also remember walking home for lunch from first through sixth grade.

[@billruss6704]

Being in a tent in the back yard on a rainy summer day with a stack of comic books and a couple of friends. Does it get any better than this.

[@pianomaly9]

The backyard tent us kids would sleep in, summer months in the early 60's.

[@Recon3Y3z]

hunker down!

[@mrforevernever517]

You have my sympathy.

[@freeguy77]

The simple joys of reading a (comic) book, or playing softball at the local ballfield, or just being active outdoors in riding a bike to explore new places in and around the neighborhood. Very few fatties or out-of-shape kids back then, because there was little to do indoors, except for reading or watching television. That was done mostly when the weather turned bad, or you had a friend over to look at your room and maybe see your baseball cards or stamp collection. Few people growing up then said they had bad memories in the 1950s, although the minorities did suffer egregrious violations of personal liberty. They should have moved, if at all possible, in the decade of more expansion away from the inner cities to the suburbs, as captured by "I Love Lucy" in its last year (1956-57). Much of this simple, inexpensive but growing wealthier life continued until the late-1960s when the War and other government programs created the excuse for the government to create inflation via ending 90% silver coins (through 1964), and then the 'dollar' ties to gold ended after Aug. 15, 1971.

[@gregorycoates9643]

I remember sleeping in an Army pup tent with my brother in our little row home backyard. All our friends did the same because our dad’s were all WWII veterans and they brought home all kinds of Army gear after the war.

[@jmcgregor316]

I miss the 50s. I am so glad I grew up then!

[@mernarodway7301]

AMEN! Oh how I miss those days of innocence.

[@navydad8916]

@@mernarodway7301 not for everyone,get a grip!

[@beansmcdonough1782]

​@@navydad8916 Nobody cares

[@robs5252]

@@navydad8916 There always has to be that one..."Not for everyone". Boo hoo no one cares.

[@navydad8916]

@@robs5252 so basically you’re ignorant of the things that happened in America in the 50’s ,yes people care,and we have moved on,I guess you haven’t ?

[@OcotilloTom]

I was born in 1946 and was blessed to have been so. Even though I'm 77 and have some health problems, I wouldn't trade my life with anyone born in the past 20 years.

[@slim-oneslim8014]

👍

[@carolferguson19]

You got it💕🙏

[@marknewton6984]

You got that right!

[@josem588]

@@marknewton6984more considering all the shit that me and my generation (born in 2007) Will have to deal with like the economic crisis

[@marknewton6984]

I have to deal with it too!

[@lizlittle1641]

I grew up in the 60s and 70s. We played outside all the time and didn't go inside until the street lights came on. Life was fun!

[@freeguy77]

Sometimes we got so engrossed in our fun, we did not go back home (from our bike) or at a friend's house, until after the known dinner time! Getting up at 5am to watch the 6am exciting space launches in '61-'63 was an indelible experience for many boys growing up then!

[@michael-hw1uv]

As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the LEFT. Ecclesiastes 10:1-2. Using terms like, Mother, Father, son, daughter in today's time can cause a protest or Hate. Saluting our flag or just being an American .Thus verifying the Lords Word.

[@JanLarson]

One car along with one bathroom and one TV.

[@lovly2cu725]

BLACK & WHITE TV

[@explorepikespeak]

My father was a TV (and radio) repairman in the 50s. We kids only got to see a TV when he'd bring one home to work on. He got by with that con for years, not having to buy a television until there was a family rebellion.

[@buickinvicta288]

Yes! 😂

[@marknewton6984]

And one wife!

[@lmb4876]

Exactly..2 parents, 3 kids, 1 TV & 1 car..

[@gregorycoates9643]

I was born in 1949 so I remember all of these things very well. We didn’t have a lot but my childhood was wonderful.

[@frankmartin1344]

I also was born in 1949....wonderful time to grow up...we sure could use some of those morals and values now...we were not so materialistic...great times..

[@Dadsezso]

We didn't have a lot either but it didn't seem like it mattered. We had family, our neighborhood friends, a bike, and a dog. Played outside all day when not in school, even in the winter up north. If your bath water didn't look muddy when you cleaned up for dinner, you must have not had much fun that day. Those were the days.

[@imp736]

Born in 49 also. If I had a wayback machine, I would go back to that time, it was pretty cool.

[@jrnfw4060]

For my first Christmas, I was only three months old. Had a lot of proud relatives back then who bought me huge stuffed animals, and some of my best toys and gifts were handed down, though I didn't know it at the time. Seemed like I had a lot, though my folks couldn't afford very much. That was because others pitched in. Family meant a lot back then. Most of them are gone, now, including my parents.

[@user-rx8wk2gv2d]

I was born in 1947. It was a blast. Sorry to see the society so decadent now.

[@johnrbreazeale7799]

Born in 47. Just about every day we would be outside til sundown. Punishment was having to stay indoors. Saturday morning cartoons came along & I was glued to the tv. My mom watched soap operas & dad watched the news in the evening. Good memories.

[@chrisgraham2904]

It was bath time on Sunday evening after dinner, then watching The Wonderful World of Disney, followed by Bonanza. Only 4 TV stations to choose from and you could usually find a western playing on every one.

[@marknewton6984]

Not to mention Sea Hunt and Have Gun-Will Travel!

[@harlow743]

Who glued you to the TV set and how did you get off ?

[@johnrbreazeale7799]

@@harlow743 ?????????Huh?

[@Squee_Dow]

@@harlow743 You're just hilarious. Not. 🙄

[@bridgetmccracken1381]

I wish we could go back to the standards and values of the past.

[@collinsfriend1]

I think what we'd like is the economy of the past allowing a parent to stay home more than anything and give the kids the experience of 24/7 support and security and decent food. Friendly neighbors who let kids play almost anywhere and gave us cookies and scolded us if we screwed up. There was a dark side too- and not all families were happy, police considered DV as a family affair as they did child molestation, not all people were respected. Rarely was there an arrest. As an adult and talking to former neighbors from our upscale 50's-60's home I was shocked to find out our next door neighbor, a VP of Bank of America in SF was a spousal and child abuser. Had no clue. Things were kept secret and shameful. A lot of men tried to molest me and other girls when we "safely" walked to the library, school grounds etc. but no kidnapping attempts- Now there likely would be. Some things were good and if we could have the good without the bad it would be perfect.

[@mernarodway7301]

Yes Bridget! If we knew then what we know now we would have appreciated it more.

[@bobdillaber1195]

@collinsfriend1 You got all that right. I was a kid and teen then. Much was nice but far from perfect.

[@voxtango1916]

It would help to stop voting for LEFTISTS.

[@deniseiseki530]

The standards of racism, misogyny and homophobia? Yeah...great standards. Maybe we should go back to the standards of feeding people to lions.

[@christopherkraft1327]

Those were the days!!! I was born in 58 & mom stayed home & took care of us & the household!!! So many fond memories!!! 👍👍🙂

[@stuarthirsch]

Same here, and we only had 1 car, an apartment, then a row houses, and 1200 sq ft ranch house (our dream house). Dad worked, mom was took care of me, the house, and meals. Today, two cars, 2500 sq ft min house, 3 TVs and outsource parenting and get the government else to provide for my kids needs.Of course every kid today needs a high end cell phone so they can be on Facebook and ticktock.

[@montanacrone8984]

Few can live on one salary today. Many jobs have been shipped overseas, two salaries are needed and home ownership has been a mirage.

[@michael-hw1uv]

As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the LEFT. Ecclesiastes 10:1-2. Using terms like, Mother, Father, son, daughter in today's time can cause a protest or Hate. Saluting our flag or just being an American .Thus verifying the Lords Word.

[@davenone7312]

@@montanacrone8984 Two salaries are needed because capitalism bases its economy on affordability. (How much can one afford to pay for something) So when women went to work full time demanding same pay we based the cost of everything on that new family salary structure.

[@jlrutube1312]

@@stuarthirsch Kids need cell phones so that they can watch porn until they are so confused they don't know if they are a boy or a girl.

[@hopefletcher7420]

Born in 1952, and it was a great time to be a child. No television until the very late 50s, the phone was a party line and we didn't use it. All the things being mentioned I remember. When we went to the drive-in, a great treat, Mom made buttered popcorn and put it a brown grocery bag and made Kool-aid in a cooler. Every Sunday afternoon we went for a drive, just to look at nature. Wonderful time to grow up.

[@hewitc]

Drive-ins were fun. I always had a hot dog wrapped in some foil package with a watery orange drink. We saw The Ten Commandmaents and Seventh Voyage of Sinbad

[@elfowl6873]

I'm 76. What memories you gave me, I did all of these things in this video. Thank you sooooooo much.

[@janeripple6165]

I never knew my grandparents on my mom or dads side

[@kaylamongiovi-oe6er]

​@janeripple6165 well same. My mom was adopted so ill never know my grandparents on her side. My dad's dad died before I met him so I only know one grandma that's actually related to me. Sad about that :(

[@martincvitkovich724]

Some of us kids would get together and walk down the ditches picking up pop bottles. When we got to the store we had enough for a pack of bubble gum cards or candy cigarettes

[@markharrington7843]

Yes. We would scavenge our local creek for "free money" in the form of returnable pop bottles to buy a sponge ball and soda and enjoy a day of stick ball.

[@robmatlock7675]

We used to get 4 pop bottles, 2 for Hershey bars, 5 cents each, 1 for an RC Cola, 5 cents, and 1 for the nickel deposit. We lived next to Route 66, so it was easy to get bottles.

[@markharrington7843]

@@robmatlock7675 The wonderful world of recycling!

[@chrisgraham2904]

Pop bottles were my main currency in the late 50's and early 60's. My neighborhood was lucky to be flanked on one side by a row of small commercial businesses and factories where the workers were always tossing pop bottles. We picked up pop bottles everywhere we could and it was the main source to buy candy, chips and pop. Glass bottles were a real threat to the basic rubber tires of the day and the kids kept the roads clear of them.

[@markharrington7843]

@@chrisgraham2904 When you left home in the morning and did not have to be back until the street lights came on you needed something to keep you going. Looking back on it you just might think that the 50's was one big sugar rush. Then came the 60's and other rushes from other substances.

[@tonycollazorappo]

I think what I like about the 40s, 50s and 60s is that people were always dressed up, even some of the singers and such. Respectful times, I was born in 1961. Kids shows taught morals and the kids always did the right things. Maybe corny for today's kids but it taught us all how to be civil with each other.

[@dnews9519]

It was the Pinnacle of American civilization.

[@freeguy77]

@@dnews9519 Western Civilization began going downhill after Nov. 21, 1963. Too many government ("Great Society") expenses, too many undeclared, illegal foreign wars are sapping the economic strength and moral guidance to not intrude in other countries civil wars from our overextended government and power-seeking officials. Including unelected bureaucrats spouting one "emergency" after another to override cherished personal and economic rights (supposedly) guaranteed by the now-ignored Constitution. Insiders now profit from the illegal wars, and power-mad "emergencies."

[@lylasway594]

I was born in 61 also. I had a terrible home life due to my father, but I still had a great time being a kid back then. I wish the country didn't change to what it is now. Sad 😔

[@priscila5612]

I completely agree.

[@johnmcclintock8004]

That's very true, even further back to the 1900's ..... Now folks have no problem with walking out in public dressed like slobs.

[@diane1390]

I was born in October 1953, and turned 7 in 1960. Things are vastly different than they are now. My dad worked for Pacific Gas and Electric and my mother was a stay at home mom. How blessed we were back then. Another sign of success was owning a television and not having a party line on your phone.

[@marknewton6984]

Don't forget your first Air Conditioner!

[@hewitc]

@@marknewton6984 That mad a huge difference. Car ACs were for rich people.

[@RobSwan1948]

The 1950's - a much better time. I'm 75 - remember the 50's very well. Great times.

[@bigj1001001]

im jealous i wish i was born in the 50s will you tell everything you remember from the 50s lol

[@marilyntaylor9577]

I’m 75 too. The 50’s were great. Grew up in the Midwest, played outside all of the time too. We all had a sandbox, a fruit tree and a red wagon. Played in the snow, came in and stood on the register to warm up, then out again.

[@carolferguson19]

🆒 I just turned 75. Didn't feel old until this number...but I still am young in my thinking. First birthday nobody called or sent a card. That's how it goes it's 🆗‼️ All my friends have left this earth. Why do I have to go through this alone ⁉️ LoL ❗.Best to you 💕

[@carolferguson19]

@@marilyntaylor9577 Me too ‼️ I grew up in lower Michigan 💕🙏

[@marilyntaylor9577]

@@carolferguson19 Turning 75 was ten times worse than any other year, especially now that we are called ”seniors”.

[@georgeeads8689]

That was a walk down memory lane. I wish my grandkids could experience life as I did.

[@justgrand3429]

Your grandkids will be just fine. Just don't go drowning them with "In my day" nonsense.

[@georgeeads8689]

@@justgrand3429 I do not believe "in my day" is nonsense. I cherish the things I was told by my elders when I was a child.

[@matrox]

@@justgrand3429 No matter how much we deny it. America is a sh!thole compared to then.

[@baseballmomof8]

@@georgeeads8689absolutely agree. Huge problem… they don’t know what they don’t know. And they THINK they do. Ignorance is NOT bliss.

[@davemckolanis4683]

@@justgrand3429 I Now Wish My Grandparents AND PARENTS Gave Me MORE Details Of Their Lives, Happenings And What They Could Remember. Instead Of ME NOW Trying To Fumble Around In Old Census Records, Birth, Marriage And Death Certificates, Reading Local History, And Having Our Historical Society Tracing My Great Grandparents Back To The Old Country Before They Arrived In America. Trying To Piece Together My Heritage. Some Shallow People Only Live For Today. Where As OTHERS Want To LEARN From The Past, And What Our Ancestors Had To Endure...

[@markk4336]

1968 here.....I skinned my knees and elbows riding my bike with my friends...my Mom would put some band-aids on me and send me out the door to play some more......Good days being a kid....The rule was...be home before the street lights are on.....

[@martinpennock9430]

Born in 1955, and this was our family life all through the 60s as well. Great times, miss them a lot! As always God bless you and your family! Thanks for everything you do!!

[@marybertel3915]

Also born in 1955 and this presentation depicts my happy life.

[@sonhuynh8222]

@@marybertel3915 what a great childhood u must of had 🙏🏽🥰

[@martinpennock9430]

@@sonhuynh8222 yes it was!

[@johnwood551]

I was born in 52 and those were great years growing up . This was such a great stroll down memory lane. Use to spend Saturday out with friends playing all over multiple neighborhoods. I had a creek in our front yard and my friends and I spent hours and hours building dams and catching salamanders and crawdads. You had to behave because neighbors all knew who you were and would either pull you in and correct you or tell your parents. It was a great way to grow up and learn how to act.

[@LUIS-ox1bv]

Exactly. People today have a weak notion of just how cohesive and strong neighborhoods once were. Neighbors kept an eye on other neighbor's children.

[@jerryshunk7152]

'52 🎉

[@rooky55]

Me too and the parents were so forgiving and wonderful

[@hewitc]

@@LUIS-ox1bv I was a kid then. I can't say the neighbors kept an eye on us. Plus we took our bicycles everywhere so no one could keep an eye on us.

[@kennethlowrie995]

I was a kid and then a teen in the 1950’s. I graduated from high school in 1959. It was the best. We ate healthier and were optimistic about everything.

[@zovalentine7305]

Dolls, hide & seek, hopscotch, board games, exchanging garden foods & flowers w/neighbors, swing sets & slides in back yards, walked everywhere or bikes. Knew everyone on the block + a block either way & around the corner, Halloween was fun & learned trading skills....

[@marknewton6984]

Were you a Chevy or Ford family? Only choices...

[@zovalentine7305]

​@@marknewton6984 Ford (raised w/Grandparents in Detroit). I've since learned that means: F ix O r R epair D aily

[@lmb4876]

@@marknewton6984Dad said; Lori, you can’t go wrong with a CHEVY!

[@marknewton6984]

My dad owned 1959 Chevy Impala. White with red leather interior. Cool, man!😎

[@majorusafret8560]

Thanks for the memories! I was born in 1951. I remember shooting marbles during recesses in grade school. I loved playing with the balsa wood airplanes as well, especially the rubber band powered planes.

[@sanseijedi]

But I never painted balsa gliders; we never would do anything to compromise the flight characteristics of these beauties! Old Guy b. 1954

[@johntaormina1084]

I did the same activities I carried my marbles in a Seagram 7 Crown bag . Never forgot the look on Sister Elna's face when she saw that bag . I guess she thought prohibition was still the law.

[@jrnfw4060]

Who remembers playing Hopscotch on the playground in elementary school? That was a lot of fun. And tetherball. Every playground had tetherballs. When we moved into our new home in 1960, Dad eventually got us kids a tetherball setup so we could play with it in our lower yard.

[@marknewton6984]

I still have my red plastic Snark rocket model 1959.

[@cedricforbes7482]

There was a marble season, yoyo season, top season and kite season. Playgrounds, parks and baseball fields were in use on days when it didn't rain and during the winter or when it did rain we played board games and card games. We collected empty bottles of soda for a two cent deposit so we could get a full bottle for just over a dime. Venders sold hot dogs for a quarter and tamales for fifteen cents. Days were long and summers were endless. Rarely did you hear foul language and people were kinder and more trusting. Days were long and summers seemed endless. I miss it all. Today's kids do not know what they have missed.

[@johngammons5471]

I was a teenager in the 50s and the world has changed so much since then. My kids grew up in the 60s and got to experience most of the same things I did. I miss the serenity we had back then.

[@kfl611]

Serenity? I'm 62 and still waiting for some serenity ! Maybe in the next life.

[@Squee_Dow]

@@kfl611 Only 62? Please. John is right. There was serenity in those days. We didn't have any idea how chaotic things would become.

[@annmatthews196]

I'm so happy that i had the privilege to grow up during this time.i truly miss those days now.

[@user-pk2fg8im4u]

Born in 49 on a farm about 40 miles from town. After all these years, I know without a doubt that I was greatly blessed. BTW I just retired off that same farm, and another thing I know is that values are being turned upside down.

[@billtruthseekertaylor4576]

I think ‘mainstream’ is still mainstream but the ‘marginalized’ are having their day. We just need to keep helping each other I think.

[@OofusTwillip]

Until the 1970s, children were taught Civics in school, to know their responsibilities to their neighbours, town, state/province, and country. They learned that with freedom comes responsibility. Today, most people demand complete freedom to do whatever they want, with no responsibilities, or even a thought for how their action might affect other people.

[@samanthab1923]

They don’t know what’s expected of them because they haven’t been taught. Sad

[@bonniegaither3994]

I was taught civics and such all through the 70’s.

[@TeddyStrongBear]

Schools didn’t start changing curriculums until the mid-80s, and that was because of those huge budget cuts Reagan made to public education…

[@loriloristuff]

I took Civics in 1972. Please don't make pronouncements about one area of the country when you don't know what happened in other states.

[@samanthab1923]

@@TeddyStrongBear Always wondered what went wrong.

[@Dadsezso]

As a kid from the 50's, I approve this message.

[@ClaudiaMitchell-jn7fw]

I do too ! 😊

[@myleshagar9722]

I would stress how tolerant people were then, at least in my world. At school, speaking out your opinion was encouraged. For me, it was NOT a strict conformist time at all.

[@Wilett614]

YES I Agree 50s were Amazing times ... Sadly kids today have No idea of those days ..

[@FlexibleFlyer50]

The families in our neighborhood were all in the same boat: mortgages, one car that dad drove, mom stayed home and did the cooking/cleaning. Families had anywhere from two to four children back then, and the houses were all 5 room ranches----with one bathroom to serve the entire family and visitors. No dining rooms, no family rooms. The living room was for tv watching and guests. If we were lucky, we were allowed to play in there----only if we didn't eat or drink anything to dirty the upholstery. Even the dog had to be on his best behavior in that room. Most of the families lived on a tight budget; no room for vacations. When the father got his two weeks off a year, he usually spent the time at home----painting the house or doing major chores. Meals were served like clockwork----the big meal came between 5-6 p.m. and children were in bed by 8. Only for special occasions were we allowed to stay up to 9 p.m. Having a bike was a luxury, and that one bike made its way down the family with younger siblings getting the older ones' castoffs. My brothers all shared one bike----it moved from the oldest to the youngest over the years. I was lucky as a girl that I didn't have to share my bike, but I didn't get a Hercules' 3 speed bike from Penney's in town until I was in 8th grade. That bike was a sign of maturity, and I got the lecture from my parents about taking care of the bike since that was the only 26" bike I'd ever get from them. Even though we didn't have much compared to today's families, I think we had a better life. It was not a complicated life full of pitfalls like today's children face. We knew everyone in the neighborhood----and where we could go if we needed help. We also knew which houses to avoid because someone was a heavy drinker or had "strange" tendencies. I wouldn't trade my childhood growing up in the 1950s for anything!!!!

[@donaldthomson1733]

You had a parlor , dining room, den and family room. It was called the living room!

[@anthonyeaton5153]

A mortgage in the 1950s! you were wealthy!

[@michaelhegyan7464]

I hear ya..I'm 65, my parents are gone, and so are my closest friends, I truly miss those times..

[@janetdavid2619]

I was born in 1950 and grew up in a small one red light town. I remember climbing up a maple tree to read my latest Nancy Drew book. We played for hours using a hammock tied to two trees as our rocket ship and your friend would shake the hammock to simulate asteroids. Some days we played badminton for hours. We never knew the rules, we just tried to hit it back and forth as long as we could. We had badminton set up in the backyard and croquet in the front yard.

[@thesnare100]

the town I live in had absolutely NO (if you can believe it, it's true) traffic lights until about 12 years ago, it's a country town, but had over 10K residents.

[@elainegoolsby9902]

Oh my yes! Where did all the fun go? When did they stop making paper dolls. You could make more clothes for them if you wanted to draw and design.

[@talfacprez]

I can still remember the days when TV stations would show a test pattern until the scheduled time for the show you were waiting to see would finally come on the air.

[@davemckolanis4683]

YEAH. The TV Stations Went Off The Air Around Midnight, With The Star Spangled Banner Playing Before The Test Pattern Came On Until About 6:00 A.M. Then It Was The Today Show And Captain Kangaroo On The Week Day Mornings, And Cartoons On Saturday Morning...

[@marknewton6984]

I remember the first test pattern in Tampa Bay: a smiling sun wearing sunglasses! 1954

[@marilyntaylor9577]

@@davemckolanis4683 Howdy Doody and Shari Lewis & Lamb Chop

[@Havilah_Springs]

It’s funny, after six or seven decades under your belt you really don’t stop and reflect on these things so much. To entertain ourselves, the neighborhood boys and I would hike up in the hills to look for fossils or find some sticks to play army. We were never bored and always found something to do, the only rule was to be home in time for dinner.

[@ashleymarie7452]

I'm 72 and this brought back a LOT of memories. Thanks!

[@theodoresweger4948]

87 Thanks for the memories surprised to still be here...

[@dxradioman6351]

You were spot on with every second of this video. At 75, I was lamenting my lot in life with my family gone and the general situation in our country. Then I thought, I'm in generally good health and I grew up in the 50s and early 60s. Now, I consider it the best time ever to have grown up in those times. Many of my teachers were WWII vets .and had just earned this right to their future happiness. I also was blessed to grow up with parents, grand and great grand parents. What a treasure trove of knowledge they had from three generations. I could not have asked for a better life and childhood. I wish I could thank them all now. They really got much smarter as I grew older!! Now, when things get bad, I just remember those times. And for those who are younger watching this, it's not made up, life was not always perfect but it really was as depicted here.

[@artdoyle9599]

100% agree!

[@marknewton6984]

Same here. I had a great 50's boyhood in Florida: baseball, barefoot, Davy Crockett, beach! Better back then, glad I had it.

[@elainegoolsby9902]

Yes, it was just like this, but even more wonderful!

[@GuyPipili]

I was born in the sixties. A lot these were still around in the seventies. The games, drive-in, toys, and such were still in existence.

[@tonycollazorappo]

1961, and yes, a lot of these were still around because some came out in the late 50s and were still around in the early to mid 60s.

[@kathymcel]

I was born in 62 and I remember all of this, especially going to the "candy store" to sit at the counter and have an egg cream. I lived in the Bronx. We had one car and would drive up to the "country" to visit family on the weekends.

[@marknesselhaus4376]

I was born in 56 so my memory of childhood was the early 60's but really just about everything in this video was spot on for me 🙂

[@matrox]

I was born in early 57' but I remember lots of stuff from the 50s. We moved to our new house in 1960, but I remember lots of memories from our old house.

[@LUIS-ox1bv]

Born in 54, and yes, many of these aspects continued, not only through the 60s, but into the 70s. It wasn't until the 80s, that brought the changes we are now living with. Technology really took off during the 80s, when cellular phones first made their appearance, and video games became very popular.

[@johnmcclintock8004]

1956 . . . . me too Mark.

[@davenone7312]

1956 here also. Was a great time to be a kid. Plus the 60's and 70's gave us the greatest music of all time!!

[@matrox]

@@davenone7312 Exactly...hit after hit songs coming out on a weekly basis. Great songs from easy listening, rock n roll, to pop rock to motown to even country.

[@thetraveler2561]

50's and 60's were great times. This way of life worked for everyone. Mom's probably suffered a little bit more but housekeeping and raising little people properly is of the utmost importance. This is all gone now and is the foundation of the most serious problems in this country.

[@mikesnyder4801]

We had marble front steps which were scrubbed with Ajax weekly by my mom.

[@thetraveler2561]

@@mikesnyder4801 They don't build Moms like that anymore.

[@gabbyhayes4561]

​@@thetraveler2561 Didn't know it then , but I sure as hell know it now. RIP MOM 😇🌹

[@thetraveler2561]

@@gabbyhayes4561 I hear you Gabby. Our Mom's are the best. I look after Mom now she is 95 and still is an inspiration to my life and the rest of our family members that are still with us.

[@carole2403xqv1]

I agree- but both my parents had to work because my father made so little income. Both my parents pitched in but I think my mother had it the hardest. She would get up at 5:30 or 6 AM and cook a meal that we could later heat up for dinner. She would get us off to school and then clean or do laundry. I got permission to go home for lunch and I walked 8 city blocks to our house. Mom and I would have lunch together and the. I would walk back to school making it just in time for the bell. I loved lunch at home because Ma and I would watch the 15 minute TV soap operas together. She would always have a special treat like a candy apple at my lucnh plate.My father went to work very early so that he could be home with us after school . Ma would then head off to work the 4 PMto 12 AM shift at a local factory with my Aunt Josie. Daddy would reheat the suppers Ma made in the AM for us and then stay up till Ma got home from work at 12:30 AM,. My parents barely slept. Ma's favorite saying was " I'll sleep when I'm dead-that will be enough." We never felt poor or deprived since we lived in a working class city neighborhood and we all lived the same way.

[@johnmcjunkin4613]

Everything you mentioned was so true. Hard to believe just how far we have fallen.

[@salvadorvizcarra769]

We fallen cuz... "In 250 years of existence as a nation, the US has fought against 29 sovereign countries. (In Fact, since 1785, we have been involved, for 231 years, in some kind of war. And this wars, against all varieties of nations. From going against the Sultan of Morocco, to invading the tiny island of Grenada, 1983. Well, this means that in our entire history, we have only had 17 years of peace, and even fewer, cuz here the almost 5 years of our Civil War (Union/Confed 1861‒1865), are Not counted, since this war was not with another country, but against us. And the wars against the Native Nations of America either are not counted, for the same reason). Anyway: We fought against 29 countries. We have "Grown" 711 the size of our territory from the original 13 colonies. Our Economic, Political and Military development was established thanks to the Piracy, the Slavery, the Massacres, the Opium Trade or Cocaine Traffic, and the Weakness of many abused sovereign nations. We have provoked with total impunity, 12 Genocides and 9 Massacres, ‒inside and outside our own borders‒, and Assassinations of Gov’t. Leaders, Coups d'État and Economic Blockades in 6 UN member nations. Between 1947 and 1989, the US tried to change other nations gov’ts 73 times. It includes 66 covert Ops. And 7 overt ones. In Civil Wars: The US has taken advantage of and intervened without justification in the following Civil Wars: In Marquesas Island. (Massacre. 1813). US Forces seize Nuku Hiva Island (French Polynesia 1813), and establish here «The First US Naval Base», in the Pacific. This historical fact is important, cuz in 1813, the US had NO Territorial Land nor Maritime Rights in the Pacific Ocean, until 1848, when the US seized California and other Mexican territories facing the Pacific. In Haiti (1813 and 1901 and then 1915-1919-1934-2001). In the Philippines (Genocide. 1898-1902. One Million people death). In Hawaii (1889 and 1890-1893 and 1901). In Cuba (1898 and 1901-1902 and 1906 and 1913 and 1952 and again 1960). In Island of Samoa (1898-1899). In Colombia (1899-1902 and 1948). In Mexico (1836 and 1847, and 1859-1861 “Cortina Wars”. And 1875 "Las Cuevas War”. And 1886 and 1904 and 1914 and again in 1916-1917 “Pancho Villa”). In Russia (1918-1920). In the "Republic Banana Wars" of Central America. (Massacre. 1912-1934). In Dominican Republic. (1916-1924 and 1965-1966). In Honduras (1903 and 1912 and 1919 and 1924-1925 and again 2009). In Venezuela (1936 and 1945 and again in 1948). Military Coup in Peru (1948 and 1967). In China (1856-1859, and 1899-1901, and 1913 and 1933, and again in 1945-1946-1949). Military assistance to Chinese rebels in Taiwan (1951-1952). In Korea (1871 and 1950-1953). In Iran (1953). Coup against Mohammad Mosaddegh. (Massacre). In Vietnam (Massacre and Genocide. 1959-1975). In Albania (1949-1953 and 1955). In Panama (1856, and 1903, and 1964-1968, and again 1989). In Brazil (1950 and 1959 and 1964 and again in 2016). Coup and Intervention in Guatemala (1944, and 1954, and 1966, and again 1982-1985). Coup against Patrice Lumumba and Intervention in Republic of the Congo (Massacre. 1960-1961). Coup and subsequent Fascist regime in Greece (1967). The Hunting for Che Guevara, in Bolivia (1968). US Military assistance in the Coup in Bolivia (Copper Mining Co. 1971). The “Bombing of Laos” (1971-1973). Terror in Uruguay. Support for the regime of Juan María Bordaberry. (Genocide. 1973). Support for the regime of Moboth, in Zaire (Genocide. 1974). Attack on Cambodia (Kampuchea. 1975). Democratic Republic of the Congo “Simba Rebellion”. (Massacre. 1964-1967 and 1975). Entry of US Troops into Nicaragua (1928-1932 Augusto Sandino, and 1937 and 1972-1973, and 1983 and again 1995). Coup in Chile. Salvador Allende. (Genocide. 1973-1976). Argentina (1976-1986). Armed conflict between the Saharawi Arab Republic and between Morocco. (1976-2002). Support for the cannibal Jean-Bédel Bokassa, in Central African Republic. (Genocide. 1979). We, the US, assistance Saddam Hussein against Iran. (One Million deads in ten years. 1980-1990). Support and funding of the Khmer Rouge. (Genocide 1980). In Angola-Namibia. (Massacre. 1980-1981-1984). In Chad (1983-1986). In Bosnia (1994-1995)... In Libya, Palestine, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Jordania, in Kosovo, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Oman, Afghanistan, etc.

[@shionkreth7536]

Going to be a huge period of adjustment over globalization, new communication technologies and corporate influence, among other things.

[@johnmcjunkin4613]

@@salvadorvizcarra769: Gee, you almost forgot the most heinous thing our country did.... stopping Hitler....😁😄😆😅😂🤣

[@LUIS-ox1bv]

@@salvadorvizcarra769 Your screed is protracted, and enlonged rubbish. It is nothing but a compounded litany of hate towards the US, by citing a string of armed conflicts. Many other countries can produce a far longer list of wars, which doesn't prove why a country declines. While you zero in on wars to ram through your point, you neglect the great achievements of this country, and why it has been a magnet that continues to draw many to come to these shores. Your hate for this country is one of the underpinnings of what has gone wrong with it. How ironic that a person who despises America, would use a tool invented by Americans, and language that isn't native to Spain, to post such garbage.

[@gideonwestgate3291]

@@salvadorvizcarra769 "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance."

[@daveleo7248]

Born in 1945, lived in Coney Island through the 50's. This video pretty much depicts my life then. I am so fortunate to have had that life, if for just a short 10 years. Thanks for this wonderful video.

[@sallymiller6139]

Yes i was born in 47 and.grew up in bay ridge Lots of trips to coney island taking the n express to the last stop Remember the dancing going on under the boardwalks Thats because i had A brother And sister above me and had to bring me everywhere Those simple but so evocative Dance floors under the board Walk So wonderful And riding the parachute! Nothing like it today

[@beckygrayson5077]

I use to ride my bike all over town with friends. We never had a fear of being grabbed or harmed. Life was so relaxing and enjoyable! Of course, for my parents it might have been different, but we were always doing things together. Some of the best memories were out on a fish bank. We would take a picnic and stay for hours. We also would walk to town and go to Woolworth. It was fun times. Church was also a big part of our life. Now we are scared to even let our kids out of our sight. Boy have things changed.

[@billace90]

Boy, can I relate to this. I am 74 years old and this really took me back! Thanks for the upload!

[@henrymorgan3982]

When money had a lot of purchasing power that is just about down to zero as we speak.

[@davemckolanis4683]

I Don't Think The Price Of A Gallon Of Gas Went Much Higher Than .23¢ A Gallon In 1950, To .30¢ In 1959. However A Person's Wages Were In The CENTS Or Low Dollars Per Hour Too...

[@leslie594]

I still remember getting a raise in my allowance to 15 cents 😊

[@explorepikespeak]

My Dad was rich, I guess. He paid me 35 cents a week!

[@chrisgraham2904]

I was a young entrepreneur. At age 11, I delivered newspapers everyday for about 1-1/2 hours after school and on Saturday to 55 customers, through the heat of summer and the frigid cold of Canadian winter. I made $6.00 per week.

[@richardtrudeau7363]

What is a Allowance?

[@chrisgraham2904]

@@richardtrudeau7363 An allowance was the TOTAL amount of money that parents gave to their child to save or spend, usually on a weekly basis. It was used to buy a bottle of soda, an ice cream cone, bag of chips, candy or to go to a movie or an event, or even save up to buy a toy. Parents provided shelter, three meals per day, school supplies and clothing. When the child's allowance was spent, there was no further purchases made,or goods acquired for the rest of the week. My allowance began at age 8 at 25 cents per week.

[@timgodfrey2362]

Born in 1950 I remember when they raised the price of Twinkies (which were much larger than today) from 10 cents to 12 cents. I couldn’t for the life of me understand why they did that😂

[@sbukosky]

1958 I was just getting into Cub Scouts. On a den meeting day, we'd wear our uniforms to school. Our belt would have an official Cub Scout pocket knife hanging from a clip. I guess that gets kids expelled from school these days. I think one pal brought his Daisy BB rifle to school once. That was for a merit badge. Nobody went apoplectic, called police or locked down the school. It all was fine back then. I still remember the creed. A cub scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful. friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, brave, clean and reverent. I think cheerful was in there too. So sad that we've lost most of that some time ago.

[@matrox]

My brother was born in 55' he became a cub scout in the early mid 60s. I remember my father taking him to a surplus store to buy him a knapsack, canteen an axe and some other cub scout stuff. I felt like sh!t because he was getting all this stuff and I was getting nothing. I was trying to hide that I was feeling left out, then I remember my father looking at me and asking me if I also wanted some, and he bought me a knapsack, axe and canteen also. I was beaming after that as we rode home in the car. Ill never forget that. And I still have the knapsack, I think the axe is stored away at my brothers house somewhere.

[@marknewton6984]

In 1958 I used to wear my Cub Scout uniform proudly to school!

[@elainegoolsby9902]

😆Kids are missing so much fun today. I feel bad for them. Life was an adventure then and so much fun! Rarely did any one get hurt except for a skinned knee, or a knot on the head. Oh, those good ole days!! Don't forget Monopoly, and the Saturday matinee, double feature, cowboy movies, with the cartoons before the features started!😮❤❤️😊❤❤❤❤️❤️

[@elainegoolsby9902]

🌹Mom's cooking and baked goodies were the best, and she made my clothes; very pretty and fashionable. She taught me these skills! Thanks Mom🙏

[@bunnyd9334]

Life was wonderful, even during hard times. Parents, family was everything...would go back in a heart beat...❤

[@marknewton6984]

Me too!

[@Squee_Dow]

I'd go back and STAY.

[@OofusTwillip]

Companies used to consider their employees their most valuable asset, and treated them accordingly, with free or highly subsidized cafeterias on-site, training programs, high wages, and full benefits. (And, until Nixon was lobbied by Kaiser Permanente, the U.S. healthcare system was legally required to be not-for-profit.)

[@thesnare100]

really? I thought they were much harder on you back then, from what I've seen anyway

[@contemporaryprimitiveman3469]

Bring back the 50s and 60s. Grew up in a small midwest town. Every adult male worked, everybody took care of their homes and yards and took care of each other. I could ride my bicycle to visit both sets of grandparents. We were outside and sunburned, bug bitten, and dirty all summer. Nobody had to lock doors and almost zero crime.

[@johngergen4871]

Born in Southern California in 1942. My greatest memory was the enjoyment of going to the Saturday kiddy matinee. For 25 cents you could spend an entire Saturday watching cartoons, adventure serials, and two shows. There were give a ways between shows for a chance to win free movie tickets and sometimes a bike. Cowboys, Pirates and War Movies were the most common showings. During and after the Korean War the Army War Surplus Stores were filled with all kinds of things that parents would buy their boys to play war in the neighborhood vacant lot. The neighborhood kids recreated the latest war movies all dress up with helmets , gasmask, web belts loaded with shovels, holsters, and canteens. Most of the neighbor kid's fathers were WW2 vets. The 1950's was a decade of patriotic symbolism in play and at school.

[@matrox]

We had a Sunny Surplus in our area that sold real surplus from WW2 stuff. In the mid 60s there was a hardware store that sold lots of ww1 stuff like guns, bayonetts, knives, uniforms, even had some ww2 stuff. These were working guns you could buy cash and carry, none of this lic. and background check and FFL BullSh!t. If you had the money it was yours. These were the days before 10 sensless murders a day like you see on tv now.

[@marknewton6984]

Saturday matinee in Florida 1958 for 25 cents. Saw great cold war sci-fi films with giant ants,etc. My uncle picked us up in his '57 Chevy. So cool!

[@christinedavison7604]

Remember the fifties so well. They were very happy times for me, life was so much more simple then. ❤

[@jamessmith3978]

Born in 1942, I well remember these days. Today media, cellphones, laptops, and other tec. make it easier to connect, but harder to connect in a way that lasts. My grand-daughter (she is 14 yrs. old) has her pretty little nose in any electronic device she can get her hands on. She is bright (straight A's in all advanced classes) , but I think needs some grounding in the real world. I am 81 yrs old, and I hope to be able to take her on a nation spanning road trip the summer of 2024, from here in Florida to my old home of Seattle. On the way she may find that mountains majesty cannot be captured on a video, nor Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, et-all, they must be experienced to really grab your heart. I pray I will still be able to show her, If she will want to go. Yes, I miss the simpler quiet 1950's.

[@katperson7332]

Wow! I hope you make that road trip with her. You sound very young at heart. I have a 16 year old granddaughter and I fear this shallow world has taken her over already. She has a good heart but they’re so easily manipulated and influenced by the wrong things.

[@marknewton6984]

It was quieter with 3 channels.

[@joyceconnolly1065]

Here's wishing you and your Grand Daughter the trip of a lifetime! I'm certain it will be! (I was born in 1942, also.)

[@Cathy_fifties]

I grew up in the 60s and 70s I do remember the things in this video that we used to do in the 60s. I love the 1950s and I wished I grew up in that era it was the best time to be alive as a child and as an adult. ❤❤❤

[@corywilhelm9768]

Yep. I wish I could have been a kid in leave it to beaver land, too. I was born in '71, but my mom instilled all of the ways of life in us, too. It'd be pretty neat if this country will settle down and embrace what this video represents.

[@markbeames7852]

it was a great time - if one was a white male with a college education living in the suburbs.

[@angeldesigns1385]

@@markbeames7852 last time I checked my family has never been white, and ironically, my parents always expressed how great life was back then.

[@tonycollazorappo]

I was born in 1961, and 50s cars were still around. And the 50s music and movies, wow! I was taken to the movie the 10 commandments went I was about 3yrs old and that came out in 1956. I would go back to those days again if I could. Best times for kids to have grown up in, 40s, 50s and 60s. People were still sane then unlike....sadly.

[@matrox]

@@tonycollazorappo I was born in Feb. 57. I remember lots of 1940s cars still on the roads. You would still see an occaisional 30s car. In the early mid 1960s one of my fathers friends came buy our house he was driving an early 1930s car. He was a bit older than my father at the time so he may have even bought the car new. Back then the car was only about 30 years old.

[@brucenel46]

Thanks a lot for this review of the 1950s. Life was certainly more simple, less hurried and well spent with friends and family. I believed that children were healthier back then as we were outside doing more physical activity than they are today. We had a skating rink every winter and biking in the spring to fall months. My 4 - 14 age span was the best of times.

[@tonyzila5071]

Grew up in the 50’s was a wonderful magical time. Wish it was the same way today.

[@marknewton6984]

I would go back in a second.

[@hewitc]

I like color TV and air conditioning though.

[@oohweeoohwee9222]

0:59 so true. In my opinion I think we should go back to that aspect.

[@hikerx9366]

Thanks Recollection, love your channel. 💜🙏

[@lescobrandon3047]

I was born in 1941 in lower Manhattan, NY, and enjoyed myself very much. We moved to Brooklyn after the war and my family fell in love with the Brooklyn Dodgers. We played outdoors until it got dark. Plenty of friends in about 1959 when I graduated from High School on Long Island. We traded baseball cards and ignored football. Girls ignored us and made us chase them until the girls caught us. Crime was well down and we went to church as a family. … Then came 1963 when I and a lot of the guys got drafted.

[@jaysotherwife6007]

So much nostalgia. I lived through all of this.

[@footballlvnlady]

Born in 1957. So glad to have experienced life in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Playing records on a little record player. Listening to music on my transistor radio. The outdoor on many weekends. We played outside daily with friends. Never stayed in the house. Mom’s would yell out for their kids to come home. Sundays we went to grandparents house for dinner and TV after. The year I was born there were eight babies born in our neighborhood.

[@sanseijedi]

Learned early on to never tell mom 'I'm bored.' She'd have me vacuuming or washing dishes in an instant!

[@ronwinkles2601]

I was born in 1946. I grew up with two wonderful brothers, and a Mom and Dad who loved their immediate and extended families. My mother worked hard at having a great home, and my father earned a good living as a machinist. We wanted for nothing. We took wonderful vacations. Our home was always open to friends and family who would often come and visit for days. Our parents kept us three boys occupied with sports, church, 4-H and Scouts. They always went to our schools and supported the PTA. It was a beautiful life that money really could not buy. There was always something to do, and it was mostly outside.

[@larryboysen5911]

I came into the world in 1943...and my childhood was great and is a fond part of my memories! Very close to this recollection of the era!

[@lucyflorey9152]

I was born 1955. I was so free as a child. After our chores we were free especially in the summer. We had horses and we would ride all over the countryside not worrying about violence. We swam in ponds, creeks and lakes without our parents. Whatever we could think of we were pretty free to do. School wasn't bad and a very safe place. So different today.

[@norwolf4765]

Born in 1947. Loved growing up in the 50's. Comic books, yo yo's, hide and seek, baseball, touch football, kick the can. I was a Cub Scout . Saw the Lone Ranger at the fair. Listening to the radio, Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, the Shadow. Riding my bike and cashing in pop bottles for more pop. My mom hanging up cloths on the line as we didn't have a dryer. Cutting the grass with the push more.

[@j1st633]

Not only the suburbs but urban areas as well. Born in '54. Grew up 71st Street & B'wY Upper West Side Manhattan. Played with neighborhood kids on the Street. Off the point, kites, Ring-a-lario, stick ball, roller skating, and many more. When it was time to go home my mother would yell my name out side out the window. And of course the ice cream truck would play theMr.Softy music. What memories!

[@buickinvicta288]

Yay! Ring a leveo up in Yonkers 😂

[@grit5124]

Born in 1951…so glad I grew up in those times. It was great. I’d go back in a heartbeat 💗 We didn’t expect to be entertained…we entertained ourselves. We played baseball, rode our bikes, played tetherball. My parents took me and the dog to the drive in movies 🎥. We listened to records and watched TV, but the programs were wholesome family shows and usually had a good lesson in them. My daddy owned a large grocery store and getting a coke and a candy bar was always a treat…or in summer, a popsicle. It was a wonderful time.

[@ronaldjohnson1474]

Vintage 1947 here. You nailed it! What a great time to grow up in a small town. My USA flag flies proudly outside my house.

[@deborahandrianos463]

Wow the days when people said Hello , hold the door for you ,and the word excuse me when you bumped into someone 😊

[@matrox]

Yeh...now if you bump into someone they killya.

[@navret1707]

I was born in 1946 so I saw everything in this video. No cell phones. No internet. Was always outside, rain or shine. Each family in our immediate area had its own method of calling their kids in for dinner. My recall was a whistle. One neighbor had an old firehouse bell. Another used a cow bell. It’s amazing we managed to survive childhood with some of the stuff our imaginations would come up for us to do: “Hey, everyone, watch this!” A couple of times for me this resulted in a trip to an aunt’s house (RN) or the ER. Scars were a fact of life. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@smunilla74]

It’s been said a family can live without a nation but a nation can not live without the family.

[@GordoGambler]

Now the Lefty sickos are waging war on Mother's Day. OMG.

[@hewitc]

We had gay couples in our neighborhood but they were called "sisters" or "cousins". Ever wonder about Abbott and Costello or Laurel and Hardy? Two men living together who called each other "partners".

[@bobhart9916]

i was born in1942 and the best part about living was all the moms and kids were home and everybody new each other and were very friendly.

[@davidsquires154]

I,was born in 1957,and raised in 6:11 6:15 the 1960's and early 1970's. Those were the good old days Those were the good old day's ,and I 65.

[@BoneyWhy]

Like others here, I was born in 1951. We were poor, but still had plenty to eat. We had woods all around and would spend almost all day in them without fear of being kidnapped etc. In fact, we would travel miles through the woods without a thought. We also had baseball and would be outside almost all day, everyday including winter which was really fun! It was incredibly simple and kind, without the 'so informed' cynicism and self-absorption from living in one's own world. Frankly, I would gladly trade the tech stuff to return to those days. No one considered mass shootings then as I believed we were more balanced and hadn't been training in front of video games so real you can almost taste it. Yes, we "played" army etc. , but it wasn't even close to this! We clearly understood the distinction.

[@pauldeamer9581]

All of our dads were soldiers in world war 2

[@rooky55]

Born in 52 and spent my childhood in the woods and running the alleys of our small town, No worries as parents would step in and help if needed, otherwise leave the kids to explore and use their imagination.

[@rooky55]

@@pauldeamer9581 Not all Dads. Some stayed home to keep the country going and feed people and keep them warm, but they were all great dads.

[@Squee_Dow]

My friends and I have desperately wished that time travel were real. We'd happily return to the decade of the 50s and stay there, never to return to the mess we're now mired in.

[@Pudentame]

@@Squee_Dow Wouldn't be the same though. You'd still be OLD ... and the 50s were before Medicare & all the medical advances in the 60s, 70s, 80s. Great time to be a kid, but not such a great a time to be an old person.

[@peterschaffter826]

I grew up in the 60s but I remember all of this. The feeling of stability and security family life provided back then was the best part.

[@marefisher6462]

Born in 51 and I'm so glad I was. Wonderful memories.

[@donaldwycoff4154]

It didn't take much imagination to figure out how to have fun as a kid. In the 60's they connected my street to the town sewer. They dug 10-foot deep trenches up and down the street with branches to each house's foundation. We (the kids of the street) had a week before they started laying pipe. We had a blast exploring over a mile worth of 3" wide trenches, like a huge maze. It only got better when we discovered the soil at the bottom of the trenches was actually a fine, damp clay, and all of us made dishes, cups or bowls or dinorsaurs that our parents would fire in the bbq. Every kid on the street had their own ugly mug, red as a brick, but hand-made. Cracking fun memory.

[@carolferguson19]

The yoyo, 5 cent cherry cokes at the counter in the corner store. All the kids lined up on the stools. Penny candy. Good to bring up how we learned the value of money and how to make it last. I wish I didn't give my brother my baseball cards. I had all the good ones. If I think of stuff I'll text‼️🤔

[@marknewton6984]

I sold my bad baseball cards to my little sister for a penny each. My Dad made me stop! Cerca 1957

[@gieb6428]

Our cokes were 5 cents and a cherry coke was 6 cents

[@marknewton6984]

@@gieb6428 I knew a place that sold vanilla cokes with an olive in it. Made us feel grown up for a dime! Now I'm sorry I grew up.

[@freeguy77]

Swanson made TV dinners starting in 1953. Turkey was the first main dinner, with two sides in an aluminum packaging, Cooked in a regular oven, before microwaves became more affordable and popular. Within a year, over 10 million were sold, and by 1956, over 13 million were sold yearly.

[@mindyschocolate]

I played Red Rover in the 80’s, and there’s an amazing drive-in theater near where I live. It’s got arcades, a beer garden, and a massive food/snack bar. It’s still going strong! Oh, and I had a French pen-pal, and we had a record player too.

[@samanthab1923]

Born in Sept. ‘59. Oldest of my sibs. Have two older cousins born right in a row. Still tight today ❤

[@mikez2249]

I’m jealous of people that got to grow up in the 50’s either as children or young adults. It just looked like a much better time than today. Everything seems so clean and wholesome. None of the problems that we have today. I feel like we’ve witnessed the decay and fall of an empire from the 50’s to the present.

[@pianomaly9]

I hear you. Sure - anybody can get on this site and others like it and tell what was wrong, ugly, and corrupt here in the US and in the world at the time, although we who lived then remember life through the eyes of childhood. woke/broke/socialist banana republic we're becoming.

[@luisreyes1963]

Despite the patina of rose-colored optimism, a majority of the 50's kids eventually wound up in the hellhole that was Vietnam when they reached adulthood.

[@maried3717]

It's true. Born in 1949 and even though we weren't well off after our dad left, things weren't scary or dangerous like today. We lived out of our mother's Woodie station wagon and went from Southern California up to Oregon and back, stopping wherever there was work our mother could pick up at produce farms. We ate what she picked and fished out of the streams. People were kind enough to give us honey, nuts, black strap molasses, and maybe a cold root beer out in the desert towns. We ate canned beans, sardines, peanut butter, dates, fruits and raw vegetables. All good. I slept on the tailgate under the stars and fell asleep listening to our mother tell stories about the Man in the Moon, the Milky Way, Orion, the Big and Little Dippers, and the astrology signs like Taurus, Gemini, and Sagittarius. We traveled back roads into the mountains and found people camping all year long with their horses and goats. One old lady lived in a teardrop camper, and her old horse pulled her camper through the mountains to a shady creek that became her permanent home. We wandered from place to place until one day our mother told us to be good and wait for a nice lady to come and get us. She told us she would be back to get us, but she never did. It was the last time I saw her. I was 6 yrs old. We were sent to an orphanage and separated. One day our dad came with his mother and they dressed us in new clothes she made for us. They took us to my grandmother's house. A one bedroom cottage. Our father slept in the garage because the house was too small for 3 kids and our grandmother. They took care of us with the basics, which is all they had. They were still traumatized by the great Depression, WWII, and the Korean War my dad fought in. We lived like they lived during the Depression, but we had more because my grandmother kept a garden with many types of fruits. Nothing was wasted, and everything was handed down or bought at the thrift store or second hand. We got one pair of shoes for school and one pair for church when we grew out of them. All our clothes were handmade, and I started learning to sew on a treadle sewing machine at age 7. By age 12, I made all my clothes and my sister's. I got to make 3 or 4 dresses a year, and usually, that amounted to about 4 dresses for the school year. Anything else was hand me downs from neighbors or a cousin. Our brother, being the only boy, always got new clothes. We played hopscotch and Jack's for hours. Got books from the library, put on plays like the little rascals, road bikes, drug home appliance boxes, and made forts, hung old bedding over the clothes line to make tents, hunted frogs and toads, made leaf sail boats when it rained, dressed our cats up in doll clothes, played tug O war with the dog, and pretend we were the three Musckateers. Western movies were big, and we watched all of them. We were in bed at 8 every night until school ended, and then we could stay out till dark playing soft ball in front of the house until the street lights came on and when our dad whistled, everyone ran home. It wasn't glamorous like people think. But it was solid. People had manners, were polite. Being ugly wasn't tolerated. People were clean, dressed respectfully when they left home, and didn't crowd each other in the stores or one the road. The ME FIRST attitude was unheard of. I never got to see my mother again until I was grown and expecting my daughter. After my father, mother, and grandmother died, I found all the letters my mother wrote me from the time I was 6 yrs old, hidden under newspaper that lined the drawers of my grandmother's dresser drawers. I was 28, and the realization of what they did was devastating. I never realized we were homeless or why... because our father left us to live with his mother. Every Mother's Day, I plant flowers for my mother and me.

[@markguntly7827]

Your feelings are valid.... Unfortunately, we are in decay

[@jacksak]

@@maried3717 What a touching story. It's amazing to hear. I hope your adult life has gone well for you.

[@dongrainer6405]

For some of us this was a dream world. I was born in 1944 so I "grew up" mainly in the fifties. My dad didn't make a lot of money on his job so we lived in a poor part of town in a rental house. When I was too old to share the second bedroom with my sister mom and dad bought a sofa that could be made into a bed. Not a hide-a-bed though. I slept in the living room. Mom didn't work and we made it by with my dad's salary. Drove a 1933 car that dad bought new shortly after marriage and had that for twenty years before buying used cars then. Lost job in 1956. Moved west the following year. Still not much salary from new job and we lived in a small apartment. Had enough to get by on and a few extras, but hardly what the "American Dream" was all about.

[@deborahlarive7711]

There is no such thing as the American dream. The real American dream was the family you had and the provisions that was in the home. The rich were the only ones who coined the phrase American Dream to separated themselves from the middle and lower class by salary standards. I lived the American Dream that most kids who were in those rich homes dreamed of having one day.

[@davemckolanis4683]

@ Don Grainer LOTS Of Folks In My Rural PA Town During The GREAT DEPRESSION, (In Our Parents "Greatest Generation"), Struggled To Get Buy Indeed. Even Before Then, My Dad And His Brother When They Were Boys Would Walk Along The Rail Road Tracks And Pick Up Lumps Of Coal That Fell Off The Cars, To Have Some Heat In The Cook Stove Or Basement Furnace. One Christmas He Told Me That All He Got For A Present Was AN ORANGE. He Was EXTREMELY Lucky Enough To Get A Factory Job After High School During The Great Depression In 1933, And Remained Working There For 62-Years Into His 80's. 40-Years Of It Bending RED HOT Steel Plates In Front Of A Blast Furnace. Blue Collar HARD LABOR Was No Stranger To Many Parents In My Neighborhood. Your Young Life Was A Very Unfortunate Situation To Be Born Into Indeed. But I'm SURE It Formed A Frugal Way Of Existing With LESS, (As My Parents Did), And An Appreciation For The Value Of A Dollar. Unlike A LOT Of People And Young Folks Today, That Don't Seem To Know What A Hard Days Work Actually Means, And Spend Their Money Away Frivolously. Hopefully Your Adult Life Improved And You Had Some Lucky Breaks Along The Way...

[@marilyntaylor9577]

@@davemckolanis4683 If you grew up in the fifties, and all of your friends were just as well off as your family, you don’t necessarily see your world as impoverished. You played games outside, walked or rode your bike (mine was used). My family was lower middle class, my dad had to quit his job as a crane operator when I was eight because his muscles were becoming useless. Mom went to go to work as a secretary. We had to watch him turn into a vegetable for the next 14 years. But I still look back on the 50’s as a great time to grow up. An innocent time.

[@davemckolanis4683]

@@marilyntaylor9577 Glad To Hear That You Still Have A Positive Outlook About The 50's, (As Most Of Us Boomers Do), Even Though It Sounds Like You Endured A Harder Youth To Experience. The BOTTOM LINE That The Friends My Age Seem To Realize, (After Living This Long Into Our 70's); Is That We Were Living During The Better Times Of The Last Century, (Speaking Mostly About If You Were White), Than The Way Things Are Turning Out In These Later Years Of This 21st Century. The Technology May Be Far More Advanced, But It's The ATTITUDE Of LOTS OF The Younger Generation That Has Shirted To Another Track Of Ethics And Expectations, Apart From What WE And OUR PARENTS Had Been Brought Up With, And Had Been Passed Along To US...

[@terryklinger1648]

Growing up in the 50's and 60's was wonderful, simple, community and family oriented, patriotism, boy scouts, soda fountains, visiting relatives, playing outside, such memorable times.

[@billruss6704]

I was born in 1956, if I could go back and do it all over again I would not change a thing. It was the best time to be alive. I think it started going downhill when they changed Friday holidays to Monday.

[@arizonaarmadillo5829]

Naaah, it started going downhill after November 22nd, 1963.

[@DianeLake-sw3ym]

1956 here. It was so much fun to be outside all day everyday and play and do stuff. Being a kid was the best back then. Kids today don't know how fun it was back then. They think it normal to spend all day inside watching tv and playing on electronics. Us kids back then would look at that and think how boring

[@shionkreth7536]

@@handle-schmandle That's excellent if it's not like that where you live. :) Unfortunately where I live, I've seen the amount of kids playing outside, even on nice summer days, lessen year after year, until now where it's almost a strange sight to see it.

[@stuarthirsch]

@@DianeLake-sw3ym The 50s got me hocked on Lionel toy trains and Gilbert erector sets. Today I am a train collector and model railroader. I notice kids are stil fascinated with toy trains, but few seriously peruse them beyond Thomas and maybe a Polar Express set. Erector sets are long gone. Expensive by 1950s standards, but taught boys how to build and run machines.

[@freeguy77]

@@arizonaarmadillo5829 That was the day the independent, more peaceful, economy growing life (and non-stop foreign wars) started changing for the worse.

[@user-vm5ud4xw6n]

I slid into home base in 1952 so I remember much of this. You showed a lot of stuff boys did but precious little about girls. It was a great time to be a kid regardless. Playing outside until the street lights came on was the signal to come home. I got a bit of nostalgia 2 days ago when my grandson showed off the car he built only this was made from Lego’s. Times change. I enjoy your channel so much because it gives me a bit of relief from the craziness of every day life in 2023! Thank you for such wonderful content!

[@jimsmith9301]

Born in 54 and was a teen in the 60s and 70s. Great times.

[@AccordionJoe1]

As a kid in the 1950s, I learned to swim for free at the local YMCA. I learned first aid, how to cook food over a fire, how to stay way in a tent in January as a Boy Scout. In high school, I had a part-time job selling shoes for 75 cents an hour and that allowed me to take a date to the movies for 25 cents each and buy a box of popcorn for 10 cents. Sadly, those days are gone forever.

[@azmike1]

48 stars onthe flag during the parade scene! Cool! Alaska and Hawaii became the 49th and 50th state in 1959 folks. I was almost 5 years old when that happened.

[@MattGrossChannel]

1957 was an important year for me; 12-years before my birth. It was the year Sputnik orbited Earth, and a young man living in Coalwood, West Virginia (Homer Hickam) began launching toy rockets. 2008, I had a chance to communicate with Homer via email to tell him how his story inspired me to go to college; and a week later I got to work on a TV series with Laura Dern who portrayed Homer's teacher Miss Riley in the movie "October Sky".

[@richardtrudeau7363]

Good Movie

[@hjackson6307]

I was born in 1951 ,It was great being a kid.I lived in the country at the time ! Now it all urbanized I remember playing out doors a lot.I remember being able to see the Milky way .My dad's father ,was interested in astronomy .He would visit ,from Denver ,and he would show us the night sky ,when he visited . I inherited a 3 in reflector telescope ,that he made , by grinding the mirror ,a tube was a old bus muffler .I still have it. He got me interested in astronomy ,and I made a six inch reflector telescope a couple years ago ! I still use it and plan to pass it on to a member of my family ! I was great being a kid ,then ,playing in the woods ,and playing games in the yard ,etc .I wish kids today could experience the joy of that type of life .Kid's today stuck looking at their phone's all day .Looking down ,not up where the real world is ! Parent's didn't fear that someone would harm their kid's For parent's look out for each other's kid"s

[@philhand5830]

I was born in October of 1946, so I remember a lot of these things!!! Best years of my life!!!

[@WilAdams]

Growing up (after the 1950s) when one day at school our teacher introduced us to the concept of pen pals. She gave us the address and name of some kids in another state. In class that day we all wrote letters to this new pen pal and she paid to mail them. Weeks later I had forgotten all about this when one day a letter came in the mail. It was addressed to me, and contained a 'creepy crawler'. I was thrilled to get it, but had no idea who it was from. Naturally, I did not respond. It was years later when I came across the dude I had written to in class, name. Then I knew what had happened. To this day I still feel bad about not writing back.

[@marionabbott7173]

We used to make paper dolls from catalogue pictures and then use toilet paper to make clothes for them. We also used to play group hide and seek after it got dark. We divided into two equal groups. Each group had to stay on the move. The object was for everyone to end up as one group. This was accomplished by touching a person in the other group as they passed by or as you came upon them. Once touched your allegiance automatically transferred and you all ran like fire to get away before someone in the other group could touch someone in your group and gain another member. We called it "ditch um". It was the best.

[@jadestone8552]

Born in 47 and I spent my summers outside playing from breakfast to supper. I watched t v with my parents and enjoyed it all. Best of times, no we didn’t have money.

[@marknewton6984]

Remember "Cheyenne" with Clint Walker? Fess Parker as Davy Crockett? "Sea Hunt"?

[@jadestone8552]

@@marknewton6984 yes watched them all the time! Saturday night Gunsmoke, and Sunday was Wagon Train!!

[@ashleymarie7452]

My father knew Ozzie Nelson as a kid. (Ozzie was an Eagle Scout and my Dad was in the same troop as him.) He told me Ozzie was a real jerk. My father rarely disparaged anyone, so I count that as a real slam.

[@Lifeperhour94]

It’s nice to read all the comments of folks recollecting their memories from those times. My father was born in 1950. Although he’s no longer here. These make me feel closer to him.

[@magpie06]

Born in 1956. My sister & I played "princesses" or "mermaids" in the pond near grandma's house; cut out models from magazines or drew & colored our own paperdolls; dug up clay dirt near our house to sculpt animals and then paint them with watercolors; and always church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. The grandparents (all 4 of them), aunts, uncles, and cousins would join together in the evenings to visit, eat watermelon, tell stories, and listen to the crickets. It was such a sweet, peaceful time of life.

[@michaelmorrisey9760]

Born in 1950, we lived in Colorado from '58 to '67. I as a free range kid. We'd spend after school up i the foothills of the Rockies. We didn't have school buses, unless you lived up in the mountains, so we walked to school or rode our bikes. I well remember the small lunch counter at the local pharmacy, or the root beer floats at the A&W. In the summer on Wednesday morning, I could go to a B grade movie at the local theater for 2 empty milk cartons. McDonalds hamburgers were 15 cents, with over one million sold. Great times and glad I had the experience to look back on.

[@pamelamays4186]

My grandmas were stay at home moms. My grandpas toiled all day in the steel mills of Pittsburgh.

[@paulbourgeois4491]

I was an Industrial Union Blacksmith for almost 30 years, still remember the roar of the blast furnaces at the plant. I can relate to what your grandpa went through at the mill. He poured the steel, and then we forged it in our plant! Good paying jobs that are disappearing, unfortunately. Cheers.