Kids In The 1980s Learned 10 Life Skills That Modern Parents Have Pretty Much Wiped Out Of Children Today
melissamn / Shutterstock Overall, kids in the 1980s lived much more independently than kids do today. Gen Xers were often called “latchkey kids” because they let themselves into empty homes and apartments after school with no adult in sight.
Because they entered the world without overprotective parents, they were expected to mature and live independently from a very young age. This means that kids in the 1980s learned many life skills that modern parents have pretty much wiped out of children today. From watching their younger siblings to entertaining themselves and managing boredom through unsupervised play, '80s kids were prepared for their grown-up lives in ways that today's gently parenting and convenience-oriented society ignores.
Kids in the 1980s learned 20 life skills that modern parents have pretty much wiped out of children today
1. How to make plan on their own
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Without their parents around to step in during social interactions or to manage their responsibilities, kids in the 1980s were expected to make plans, do their homework, and manage their schedules on their own, to some extent.
From playing outside unsupervised and making friends on their own to entertaining themselves without a parent around, they learned early to plan for themselves. While it might seem harmless and unsuspecting, it’s this life skill that offers kids the chance to practice independence and self-reliance.
2. How to entertain themselves when they are bored
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According to experts from the Child Mind Institute, despite kids complaining about it often, experiencing boredom without constant stimulation or screens to entertain them is important. In fact, being able to spend time in their own company and entertain themselves when they are bored is a life lesson that many younger people today are missing out on practicing.
In the ‘80s, before personal cell phones and modern parenting styles that encourage parents to be always-present for their children, they had to find ways to spend time alone. From playing outside without structure or supervision to making friends in the neighborhood, they were acquainted with alone time and boredom early on.
3. How and when to talk to strangers
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From assessing risk with other people before “stranger danger” had officially made its mark on parenting and safety concerns to simply appreciating conversations with people they didn’t know, kids in the 1980s were expected to learn the life skill of socializing on their own. They couldn’t rely on their parents to solve issues with their teachers at school or step in for conversations to make their lives more comfortable, because independence was a fact of their lives.
While there were certainly challenges for socially awkward, anxious children in this time period, they still had to practice overcoming their fears and struggles. From running errands alone to walking to school without a parent, this life lesson was an obligation, more than a choice.
4. How to handle delayed gratification
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Kids who are taught to expect instant gratification and comfort early in life tend to be more impulsive, more distracted, and have a greater desire for constant entertainment and stimulation, according to a study from Bucknell University. Without the chance to master patience or the art of waiting for what they want, they end up seeking dependent relationships, adopting entitled behaviors, and sabotaging their own sense of meaning and purpose in life.
However, without the overly convenience-centric society we live in today and the constant stimulation of cell phones, kids in the 1980s learned the life skill of avoiding instant gratification. They had a chance to appreciate alone time and develop emotional regulation skills before, as adults, being subjected to the pressures of the world today.
5. How to adapt to new technology
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From cassettes to CDs and cell phones, kids in the 1980s have spent the last couple of decades dealing with a million changes, both to modern culture and technology. They’ve never gotten too comfortable with one thing, and thanks to their parents, who taught them the art of resourcefulness and adaptability from a young age, they don’t feel overly committed to one thing.
While it’s an overlooked trait and life skill in the modern world, where materialism and comfort are top of mind, a study published in the Heliyon journal argues that resourcefulness serves as a buffer against mental health problems and other life struggles. The more adaptable you are at leveraging your resources and solving problems, the healthier you are, and this generation is lucky to have flexed that skill early on.
6. How to read paper maps
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Instead of being entirely dependent on their phones to get around and understand where they are in the world, as many younger people are today, according to an Ordnance survey, kids in the 1980s learned the life skill of reading paper maps in the car from a very young age.
From being tasked with directing their irritable parents on a road trip to playing a guessing game trying to get to friends’ houses, these kids didn’t have the option to rely on their phones. Printed MapQuest directions and the oldest paper maps in the glovebox were their only options.
7. How to be OK being truly alone
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While kids today can be “alone" while still entertaining themselves with others on social media or texting their friends from their phones, people in the 1980s were expected to handle their own boredom and appreciate solitude. Especially for kids tasked with watching their siblings or running errands, they were taught the art and importance of independence and boredom.
While feeling alone often predicts loneliness and mental health struggles, being alone isn’t necessarily tied to these things. In fact, being alone is important for well-being because it teaches people to reflect, regulate, and cultivate a stronger sense of self, enabling them to feel comfortable spending time in their own company.
8. How to budget and save money
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Without the option to instantly buy whatever they wanted or to be entertained by parents who didn’t want their kids to feel “left out” for not having the greatest new thing, Gen X kids in the ‘80s had to learn to be comfortable with delayed gratification and saving money. If they didn’t save their allowances or get a job themselves, they weren’t getting all the things on their wishlists.
That’s part of the reason Gen Xers are more likely than younger generations to report better financial literacy and behaviors compared to Gen Zers and millennials, according to a 2024 study. They were taught by their parents the art of budgeting and saving money, even if open conversations about spending were still somewhat taboo and elusive early in their lives.
9. How to form an independent identity
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Rather than seeking belonging by following trends on the internet and feeling constant pressure to compare themselves to curated versions of people online, Gen X kids learned the life skill of digesting pop culture from peers and cultivating their identities from real people in their lives.
Instead of taking on all the stress and poor self-esteem that comes from overusing social media for belonging, as a study published in the Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Disorders suggests, they had the chance to learn and grow up somewhat on their own terms.
10. How to have patience
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Whether it was sharing the same landline with their entire family or waiting to save their allowance for something they wanted to buy, kids in the 1980s were taught the life skill of patience early on. As adults, this sense of patience might seem unsuspecting, but it plays a strong role in more than just our mood on a daily basis.
According to researcher William Damon, in his book “The Path to Purpose,” patience also gives people the chance to cultivate a sense of purpose. By mastering the art of waiting, patient people can see the bigger picture, cultivate and follow goals without expecting immediate outcomes, and find their unique sense of meaning as they navigate the world.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
