Elf and Safety - have you survived?

Elf and Safety 

This is an old post but worth a second look :)

How on earth did we survive back then?

If you were born between the 1940's through to the 1970's then congratulations on being alive!  

Our mothers (while carrying us) smoked and drank. We are here and we are healthy. 

As toddlers our toys had real glass eyes held on with pins (yes those sharp things), painted surfaces were chewed and we drank tap water, even though they both had lead in them.  Childproof lids did not exist, doors and cabinets had no safety catches, bikes were ridden with no helmets.  Yes you guessed it, we are still here.

We climbed trees, played in the snow, had a game of conkers, made makeshift slides balanced on steep steps, slid down the hallway banister (without the aid of a safety net), We made mud pies and played with insects and worms and ate god knows what in the garden.  

We shared the same bottle of juice with our friends and as far as I can remember no one actually died doing this.  We ate sherbet, white bread, fizzy drinks and consumed real full fat milk and butter, and because we played outside and got lots of exercise no child was OBESE.  

We found our friends at school or in the same street, we spoke to each other. Remember we had no mobiles, FB, Twitter or the internet.   

 Do you know who your child is chatting to tonight?  

We played cowboys and Indians with pointy sticks and toy guns.  We fell over countless times with cuts and bruises.  We cried and got over it.  We had total respect for the law and our elders, and that included teachers. 

 Parents and teachers were allowed to discipline kids and those children have NOT turned into violent psychopaths whatever your personal feelings on this subject. 

We did not have sex education in primary school. Give me one good reason why a 3 or 4 year old needs this?

Our parents were allowed to take a picture of a child and not be branded a Paedophile.  A teacher could simply hug a child.  Totally unacceptable now.  How sad the world is - and this is progress?

The older generation were indeed blessed and guess what? 

WE HAVE SURVIVED!!!!!

Pat yourself on the back oldies - you all made it to 2015.

* children and teenagers today suffer unnecessary issues with chronic depression, weight anxiety, how they look, obesity, diabetes, bullying, unwanted pregnancy, etc etc.  

 I am so grateful I had the chance to be a child and only became an adult when my age said I was *