People Who Were Kids In The 1960s Learned These 11 Life Lessons That Are Sadly Rare Today
Nataly23 / Shutterstock People who were kids in the 1960s, largely late baby boomers and older Gen Xers, learned many life lessons that are sadly rare today, given the rise of gentle and overprotective parenting trends. Without cell phones to distract them from boredom and unrealistic expectations of parents to be “perfect,” these kids had to learn resilience and a work ethic on their own time and through their own effort.
People who were kids in the 1960s learned these life lessons that are sadly rare today. They didn’t have parents who came to their rescue at the slightest sign of discomfort and were often taught the art of independence before they knew what it took to maintain.
People who were kids in the 1960s learned these 11 life lessons that are sadly rare today
1. How to entertain themselves without a screen
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Many kids today are immediately encouraged to use screens as a distraction by their parents or solve their problems with mindless entertainment, but for kids just a few decades ago, unsupervised play outside was the solution. They were expected to manage their own boredom and find ways to entertain themselves without a screen or a parent around.
While it might’ve been annoying for these kids, the benefits, such as resilience and emotional regulation, that came from their unsupervised play were endlessly important in crafting their adult lives down the road.
2. Hard work isn’t always comfortable
Many boomers who grew up in the 60s were forced to learn a strong work ethic because they had to put in a lot of effort to solve problems and care for themselves when a parent wasn’t around. Compared to many kids today who are always comfortable and have parents around to solve their problems for them, these kids had to get comfortable with discomfort.
Of course, it’s essential to find a balance between rest and hard work for the sake of personal health and well-being, but many kids in the 1960s had to find that balance on their own. They had to learn to work hard without burning themselves out and to manage their emotions around discomfort without completely giving up.
3. Nobody is coming to save you
There’s a reason why older Gen Xers are often considered the “latchkey” generation. They were expected to entertain, care for, and manage themselves without much parental supervision. Their parents often loved them deeply, but they also worked a lot, meaning these kids had to get comfortable spending more time alone without an adult to come save them when they were uncomfortable.
From managing their own boredom to solving problems while watching their siblings, people who were kids in the 1960s learned that nobody was coming to save them early in life, which is a lesson that’s sadly rare today among overbearing, overprotective parents.
4. Freedom requires responsibility and effort
According to a Michigan State University study, kids often learn responsibility from watching their parents and the world around them. However, for kids from the 1960s, who were often unsupervised for most of the day at home, independence came from effort and mistakes.
They knew that freedom requires responsibility and effort because they had to work at it themselves. It was often something they were thrown into, rather than offered in small doses, so they had to navigate the learning curve on their own.
5. How to assess risk
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Without overbearing parents at home solving their problems for them or telling them what to do, kids from the 1960s learned life lessons like how to assess risk that are sadly rare today.
From managing arguments with their friends to solving problems at home while watching younger siblings, these kids had to be independent and resilient enough to face challenges without an adult coming to save them. Kids who were parentified and took on more responsibility at a young age had to mature into decision-makers early.
6. Resilience requires adversity
Kids from the 1960s learned something about adversity that’s proved true by research, like a study from the Psychological Science journal, today: growth and resilience often require a certain level of discomfort and hardship. When you go through tough times or learn to regulate emotions in the face of adversity, you end up more resilient on the other side.
Especially for 60s kids who lived through economic hardship, social changes, and unsupervised time alone, they were faced with opportunities to practice resilience from a young age. Their parents didn’t try to protect their feelings or encourage them to stay where they felt most comfortable, so they were forced to learn to manage their emotions around discomfort.
7. How to manage disappointment
Especially without the gentle parenting tactics today that encourage kids to express their emotions and speak openly about mental health, it’s not surprising that managing complex emotions like disappointment or embarrassment was a life lesson kids of the 1960s had to learn on their own.
They were often unsupervised at home or playing with friends and had to learn to handle these emotions independently, without a parent creating a safe space for them to share or solve all their problems. While it might’ve been challenging as a kid, these adults today have the emotional capacity to hold their emotions without needing to run away or seek support instantly.
8. Failure is a part of life
Many kids today, protected from discomfort and failure by their parents, don’t learn to appreciate the growth and meaning that come from making a mistake. Instead, they cling to their comfort zones and run away from things they don’t understand, making it harder for them to grow as people.
However, people who were kids in the 1960s learned these life lessons that are sadly rare today. They know that failure is a natural part of life, and have learned that adversity and mistakes aren’t inherently bad, but rather opportunities for growth and connection.
9. The art of waiting
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Technology, cell phones, and social media have created a culture of convenience for kids and adults today, taking away the benefits of waiting and delayed gratification. Having access to everything they want all the time, whether it’s attention or entertainment, leads them to chase instant gratification at the expense of their own well-being and mental health.
However, for people who were kids in the 1960s, the art of waiting was a life lesson they had to learn. They didn’t have convenience or cell phones to distract them from boredom, so they had to get comfortable waiting for what they wanted.
10. Dealing with consequences
Compared with many gentle, modern parenting styles today, many kids who grew up in the 1960s were accustomed to dealing with discipline and consequences from their parents. The rules and expectations around parental discipline were largely uncontroversial and uncontrolled, meaning kids were expected to frame their parents as authority figures rather than friends.
There was always a lesson in the consequences they faced, developing a sense of independence and personal accountability that’s often replaced by entitlement in modern generations of kids.
11. The power of being resourceful
Dealing with economic turmoil and a recession in the early 1960s, it’s no surprise that many kids who grew up during this period were taught the power of being resourceful by their parents. Whether it was stretching meals or making the best use of the material things they already had at home, they were rarely taught to avoid consumerist, wasteful habits during their most impressionable years.
In contrast to our convenience-centered consumerist culture, people who were kids in the 1960s learned these life lessons that are sadly rare today.
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.
