Thursday, 16 January 2025

Things I did as a teenager that I wouldn't let my teenagers do now in 2025!

When I look back at my teenage years, I can't help but chuckle (and cringe a little). The 90s were a wild time but as a parent in 2025, there are some things I absolutely won't let my girls do!

My girls and I

Disappearing for hours!
I could leave the house after breakfast and not return until tea time without my parents having a clue where I'd been. I'd go to friends houses, hang out in the park and go to town. It was the ultimate freedom.

I need to know where my girls are at all times. Even my eldest who's 22 I still like to know where she is. I am not a crazy, control freak I just know of the dangers that are out there!

Going out without a phone!
Back in the day, I would leave the house with just enough change for to use a phone box to call home (sometimes). Now the idea of my kids being out without their phones feels like a heart attack waiting to happen.

In 2025, phones aren’t just a luxury they're a safety net. Location tracking apps let me know they're safe (or at least where they’re supposed to be). Plus, they have no excuse for ignoring my texts! hehehe

Meeting random people from chat rooms!
Oh, MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Chat were a mysterious gateway to random friendships. I remember setting up meet ups with people I met online with zero fear. My friends and I would casually mention that we’re meeting “someone from a chat room” as if it was the most normal thing in the world and my parents didn't bat an eyelid.

The internet has evolved, and so have the dangers. With today’s apps like TikTok and Snapchat, online interactions are so much different. Online safety is a must, and I’ve drilled the importance of not trusting random online strangers into my girls heads.

Skipping school for a day off!
Skipping school to hang out in the park or at a friend's house was a rite of passage. There was no digital register back then, so it was easy to disappear for a day without anyone noticing.

With today’s technology the schools/colleges send out automated calls, texts and emails within minutes of them not showing up. Even if they tried to skip, I’d know before they even left the school gates. I remember a good few years ago Becky went missing from school or I thought she did as I got a message from them saying she wasn't there when I thought she was. Turns out it was an error with the electronic register and a supply teacher.

Hitchhiking!
Back in the day hitchhiking was another rite of passage. If you needed to get somewhere, you'd stick your thumb out and hope for a lift. It seemed totally normal to hop into a stranger's car. The dangers did not cross my mind. I would only do it if I was with friends and to be fair we lived out in the countryside so chances are the person we flagged down was probably someone my parents knew.

There is no way my girls would get into a car with someone they didn't know really well! I've seen all the true crime documentaries and news stories so the idea of my girls getting into a stranger’s car is absolutely terrifying. Public transport is so much better than it used to be now, thankfully!

Riding in cars without seatbelts!
I still remember hopping into the back seat of a car, sometimes even the boot with no seatbelt in sight. No one gave it a second thought. It was like playing a game of who could slide across the back seat the fastest when the car turned.

Today seatbelts are non negotiable and for good reason. With everything we know about road safety, I’d never let my kids in a car without one. It’s not just law, it’s common sense!

Playing out until after dark!
There was no internet so we spent most of our free time outside, playing until the streetlights came on our universal signal to head home!. No phones, no way to contact us, and somehow it all felt perfectly fine.

In today’s world letting our kids wander around until it gets dark doesn’t sit well with me. Sure I want them to have fun but with so much awareness of potential dangers, I’m all about planned activities and knowing where they are at all times.

Living without sunscreen!
Sunscreen? In the 90s? I’m pretty sure it was an optional extra. We were out in the sun all day, baking under those UV rays with little more than coconut oil slathered on for that perfect tan. I remember getting sun burned so bad each summer and one year my friend had to go to the doctors as her sunburn blistered and it had become infected! Eek!

In 2025 sunscreen is an everyday essential. In the summer practically chase my girls around with a bottle of sun cream. The idea of going outside without it makes me cringe, especially knowing how much we have learned about keeping safe in the sun, skin cancer and sun damage since then.

Going to random house parties!
Remember when we'd hear about a house party, grab a few friends and just show up? No real idea of who was hosting or how many people would be there but it didn’t matter it was a party!

House parties are a big no for my girls unless I know exactly where they are and who's going to be there. Unsupervised parties with random's in 2025 is too risky!

The world has changed a lot since I was a teenager and while some of the things I did back then feel innocent or at least mildly reckless in hindsight they just don’t fit in 2025. My girls may roll their eyes at my rules and restrictions, but as a parent, my job is to keep them safe, even if it means banning a few of the fun things I once did. 

What did you do as a teenager that you won't let your teenagers do?

5 comments :

  1. Check, check, check, done most of these, wouldn't dream of letting my daughter do them now! It's a shame that we had simpler times and now they've evolved into hidden dangers. My ex-sister-in-law and her friend hitchhiked from Los Angeles to northern California in the 1970s, over 500 miles, I can't imagine.

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  2. I was a wild one, lol. My boys are far more risk averse than I was, so I don't really have to forbid them from doing much - agree that I would not allow them to skip school but as you said, there's no getting away with it in this digital age (I used to skip school, take the train into NYC, and forge a note from my mom to excuse me the next day! I would kill my kid lol) I don't track them, though - because they aren't reckless I believe tracking their phones sends the wrong message to them particularly - I understand why many parents do it

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  3. The world is a much scarier place now! We have to be more diligent, unfortunately. I lived out in the country and didn't have a wild bone or streak in my body!! I truthfully think the most dangerous thing I did was to ride my bike on the country roads that didn't have sidewalks.

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  4. Lol. Yes to all of these!! I think I did all of these except for hitchhiking! It's so crazy how different things are this day and time than they were back in the 90's!!

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  5. My children are horrified that I met up with people I met online, a few times I even stayed away overnight as part of a fan club meet up (I took a male friend with me!) while I was still at sixth form! I remember sitting in the footwell of a car when there weren't enough seats for everyone. Now my son is 16 and I can't imagine letting him have the freedom that I had at that age!

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