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"Back in my day, we used to walk 5 miles to school in sub-zero temperatures without batting an eyelid. Not like you spoiled little brats these days!" We all have an older relative who says things like this about raising kids. They are despairing the coddled youth with their smartphones, crappy music, and parents that seemingly can't say no to their every demand.

And you know what? They might actually have a point on the parenting styles of today. Although the world might seem like a more dangerous place now with higher safety standards required, kids of previous generations had to make their own entertainment. They had to learn to look after themselves from a younger age and take far more risks while doing so. Parents didn't have things like Mumsnet to help them with parenting tips, alternatively, guilt and stress them out for letting kids go out of the safe environments and learn from their own mistakes.

To celebrate the eccentric approaches of old-school parenting and child safety, we here at Bored Panda have put together a list of parents and their kids doing things that would horrify the mommy and daddy bloggers and Instagrammers of today. What's your opinion on the evolution of parenting over the years? Scroll down below to check out the vintage photos for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments!

#1

Me Back In 1991 Just Your Typical Aussie Kid Drinking Xxxxlight Beer(I Wasn't Aloud Heavies Back Then) And Holding A Baby Crocodile

Me Back In 1991 Just Your Typical Aussie Kid Drinking Xxxxlight Beer(I Wasn't Aloud Heavies Back Then) And Holding A Baby Crocodile

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#2

My Mother And Grandmother Demonstrating Safety Standards In The 1960s

My Mother And Grandmother Demonstrating Safety Standards In The 1960s

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Aunt Messy
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m apparently the same age as the mother in this photo, and I distinctly remember a chairlift just like this at Lake Louise. I think the only “safety feature” was a bar that folded down over our laps.

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Lena Hudson
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The patented Mother-arm-of-steel barrier though. The maternal power behind that arm is proof of magic imo

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Phoenix
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ah yes... the arm across the chest move. Before seat belt laws were in place, this was my dad's standard operating procedure for quick/jolting stops, while he drove and I was the front-seat passenger.

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joe
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is no way in this world, or in any number of alternative universes, that you'd get me to go on that insane deathtrap. My kid would have to go by themselves.

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Alusair Alustriel
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd rather say the lift itself was demonstrating safety standards.... This freaks me out

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Bonnie Blue Bird
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

HAHAHA ... The mom seat belt! I remember mom doing this to us in the car ... as if it would have made a bit of difference. :P

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Sue Clifford
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same here. I think it’s the Pavlovian mom reflex, as soon as you get in the car or any other moving object out goes your arm.

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Chrissa P
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the amount of anxiety this picture gives me is unbearable

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Just a Purpler
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually I've been on ski lifts that are like this, they're not as scary or dangerous as they look

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Blau Taub
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I rode this with my mom & 2 year old son a few years ago. 936 feet from the bottom of the mountain (Jackson Hole, Wyoming) to the photo snap...not even at the top yet. Chair is about 50-75 ft above the face, but the grade is insanely steep. No safety restraints whatsoever. AND the seat is both narrow and shallow with not much of anything for a back rest. Yes, the wind gusts blow and rock the chair even on sunny days and it's very frightening.

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María Hermida
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think people then were aware of the dangers, and they used their brains, their eyes and their reasoning to keep safe. Nowadays, we tend to take safety for granted, so some people have turned off their brain and their logic. Safety is obviously necessary, but nowadays many people cannot think by themselves and need to be reminded of obvious things, like "don't fold the chair with baby inside", or "hot coffee is hot and may burn". We were tougher, I think. I remember learning to ride a bike without wearing a helmet or any kind of protection, and I've never met anybody who had brain damage or anything more terrible than scratched knees or elbows. Now, children look as if they are going to war, so "protected" they can't move.

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SMarriott
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So what happened if the wind picked up.. Are there even seat belts?

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Donald Holder*Doc
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well at least she properly secured her purse. She may lose a child, but that purse isn't going anywhere without her! Lol

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Franco
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

936 on the board indicates the number of accidents in a weekend?

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Lu
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

936 is the number of people who died that day.

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Kusotare
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is no big deal. Ski lifts still look like this. It's just that you almost never see them from this perspective. And those bars that have appeared on lift chairs in the last 10-15 years? Liability attorneys in the industry don't let us call them 'safety bars'. Too many kids slip under them for that.

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C.S.
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

she's making one of those smile through the freakout faces. You know she's holding on those handles for dear life.

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Esther Evans
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even in the 60s when it was considered acceptable, I never would have done this because heights terrify me...LOL

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Jace
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would’ve found that insane had I been an adult in the 60s. Or even a child.

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Jubilation Lee
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what about the person taking the photo? I assume they're sitting in the seat in front twisting around to take the photo. Brrr.

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Alex Craig
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I suffer from severe vertigo and a paralysing fear of heights, this not only makes me uncomfortable, it makes me terrified just sitting in my office chair ha ha

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John Davidson
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How we used to roll back then, wouldn't do for the present snowflake generation!

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Lee from Phoenix
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's just a ski lift. Many of them run in the summer for tourists. I've never skied but I've ridden on several. It is fun.

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Bonny Saxon
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At least she's holding onto the kid with her arm. What could possibly go wrong?

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LaDonna Hulcy
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I LOVE this!! reminds me of all of us in the car just standing on the seats and being thrown around when mom had to slam on the breaks...she'd look over and say "you ok?" Yep! and I'd hop back up onto the seat. good times with Mom!

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Steve Cruz
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"A woman fell from the Snow King Charilift when one of her slip-on shoes came loose and she reached for it."

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Alexa
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This doesn't even seem legit! Is this for real!? Why are they up that high without any belts!?

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Doug Kirk
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a ski lift being used in the summer. Ski lifts today still don't use any safety belts as it is a continuous load/unload.

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LFSchind
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For the record, the local ski resort I go to in Colorado still doesn't have safety bars and this is exactly what you still do to keep the little kids on the lift...though the easiest way is to just shove your ski pole through the arm hole to create a makeshift bar.

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Mel
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Go to Sol Vista in Colorado. They have a ski lift with no safety bar. Used to scare the c**p out of me when my kids did it alone. Especially after hearing a mother and daughter fell off!

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DC
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

lets make a scene/idea for Final Destination franchise

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Michelle Line
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, kids behaved then. They sat still and minded their parents. Such a simple and effective concept.

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#3

If Your Mum Didn't Lay On The Ground Making Herself Into A Ramp For Your New BMX, Did She Even Love You? 1980's

If Your Mum Didn't Lay On The Ground Making Herself Into A Ramp For Your New BMX, Did She Even Love You? 1980's

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#4

California Marijuana Initiative Rally 1972. That’s Me In The Box And My Parents In The Picture

California Marijuana Initiative Rally 1972. That’s Me In The Box And My Parents In The Picture

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#5

My Dad And His Veterinarian Mother, With Their Pet Lion Which They Raised For Two Years, 1959

My Dad And His Veterinarian Mother, With Their Pet Lion Which They Raised For Two Years, 1959

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#6

Princess Yvonne And Prince Alexander In Germany, 1955

Princess Yvonne And Prince Alexander In Germany, 1955

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#7

A Couple Ice Skating With Their Baby, 1937

A Couple Ice Skating With Their Baby, 1937

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#8

Infant Me, My Mother & Father At A Bar Because That's How Parents Rolled In The Early '80s

Infant Me, My Mother & Father At A Bar Because That's How Parents Rolled In The Early '80s

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Aaron W
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hung in bars too when I was little. Then they wouldn't let me back in until I was 20 - I must have been a rough toddler.

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#9

The Pinnacle Of Parenting: 1930s Swimming Lesson

The Pinnacle Of Parenting: 1930s Swimming Lesson

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Bobby's Girl
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My father threw me into Tampa Bay. I was about 3 years old. I learned to swim in a hurry, because there were scary things swimming around in that water! Google "Horseshoe Crab" and you'll understand.

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#10

Car Seat Safety In 1958. Not Strapped In To Anything, These Seats Relied On The Mother To Put Her Arm Out And Stop The Baby From Falling Forward

Car Seat Safety In 1958. Not Strapped In To Anything, These Seats Relied On The Mother To Put Her Arm Out And Stop The Baby From Falling Forward

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#11

My Hilarious Father (With The Magazine) And My Grandfather, Grandmother, And Uncle At His Bar Mitzvah In 1972

My Hilarious Father (With The Magazine) And My Grandfather, Grandmother, And Uncle At His Bar Mitzvah In 1972

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#12

My Mother-In-Law Riding A Bear At 2 Years Old

My Mother-In-Law Riding A Bear At 2 Years Old

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#13

Harley With A Baby Seat, 1962

Harley With A Baby Seat, 1962

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Monika Soffronow
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Safety first! Remember to properly attach the baby seat with the convenient succion cups to the gas tank before putting your baby in it.

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#14

A Photo Of Me Dressed Up As My Dad, With My Dad (1982)

A Photo Of Me Dressed Up As My Dad, With My Dad (1982)

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#15

My Dad Showing Off His Parenting Skills 1985

My Dad Showing Off His Parenting Skills 1985

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karen snyder
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And his Awesome fashion choices. Cut off tummy top, micro running shorts and Sears Roebuck velcro kicks was my go to in '85 too! but he tops it off with that cherry Tom Selleck stash. Your dad is a legend.

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#16

My Mom In The Hospital After Giving Birth To My Sister. Canada 1978. Smokes And Roasted Chicken

My Mom In The Hospital After Giving Birth To My Sister. Canada 1978. Smokes And Roasted Chicken

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#17

Back In The Day. 1950s To Be Exact. Checkout That Car Seat

Back In The Day. 1950s To Be Exact. Checkout That Car Seat

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#18

My Mom Showing Off Her Parenting Skills 1978

My Mom Showing Off Her Parenting Skills 1978

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#19

Me, 1958, Relaxing After My Bath With Toby, I Was Never Again This Cool

Me, 1958, Relaxing After My Bath With Toby, I Was Never Again This Cool

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#20

13 Y/O Dad Having A Taste While The Grownups Are Busy Playing Cards; Upstate New York, August 1954

13 Y/O Dad Having A Taste While The Grownups Are Busy Playing Cards; Upstate New York, August 1954

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#21

My Father And His Pet Lion Priscilla, California 1970's

My Father And His Pet Lion Priscilla, California 1970's

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#22

My Adorable (4 Year Old) Mother At A Zoo In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 1970

My Adorable (4 Year Old) Mother At A Zoo In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 1970

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#23

Just A Photo Of Yours Truly (At 11 Years) Petting A Full Grown Tiger. My Mom Calls It Her "Bad Parenting Moment"

Just A Photo Of Yours Truly (At 11 Years) Petting A Full Grown Tiger. My Mom Calls It Her "Bad Parenting Moment"

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Monika Soffronow
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From the infamous Thai temple tiger farm. https://www.traffic.org/news/thai-seizure-of-a-dozen-captive-tigers-resurrects-farming-threat/

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