Last Updated on April 17, 2025 by Colby Droscher
Back in the ’70s, parenting looked a whole lot different than what it does today. It was a time of shag carpets, rotary phones, and a whole lot more freedom, especially for kids. From riding in cars without seatbelts to disappearing for hours with no cell phone in sight, many of the things parents allowed back then would raise more than a few eyebrows now. Rules were looser, supervision was lighter, and somehow, everyone just hoped for the best.
It wasn’t about being intentionally reckless, it was just the norm. Parents trusted their kids to figure things out, and kids, in turn, learned by doing things themselves. It was a hands-off style of raising children that today’s parents might find shocking. So buckle up as we look at 14 things parents let their kids do in the seventies that are pretty much unthinkable today.
1. Walk home alone
Kids as young as six would trek home solo, sometimes crossing busy streets or railroad tracks. Parents trusted them to remember the way and not to talk to strangers, simple as that.
2. Staying out until dark
There were no cell phones or GPS trackers, just a vague “Be home before the streetlights come on.” Kids roamed neighborhoods, woods, and empty lots without supervision.
3. Ride in cars without seat belts
Seat belts weren’t mandatory, and many cars didn’t even have them in the back seats. Kids would lie on the floor, stand behind the driver, or stretch out across the backseat like it was a couch.
4. Ride bikes without protection
No one owned a bike helmet, let alone wore one. Scraped knees and elbows were just part of the experience.
5. Sit on parents’ laps while driving
It wasn’t rare to see a toddler on Dad’s lap “steering” while he worked the pedals. Safety concerns were low, but smiles were big.
6. Play with toy guns that looked real
Cap guns and BB guns looked like actual firearms, and kids carried them in public while they played. No orange tips, no panic, just cowboys and robbers.
7. Going into the woods alone
Parents encouraged kids to explore nature. Kids built forts, climbed trees, and got muddy for hours, miles from home and without cell phones.
8. Climb on dangerous playground equipment
Playgrounds were made of metal and concrete, with towering slides and see-saws that could launch you. Broken arms were a rite of passage.
9. Go days without contacting parents
Parents actually encouraged their kids to leave them alone in the ’70s. Kids would spend a full week at another family’s house. A few days with no kids was a parent’s dream back in the day.
10. Walk barefoot everywhere
In the yard, on the road, even to the store sometimes, going barefoot was normal. Tough feet were a badge of honor in the ’70s.
11. Be home alone at a young age
Most parents in the ’70s weren’t wasting money on a babysitter. Kids came home from school, made a snack, did their chores, and waited for mom and dad to get home.
12. Play in the street
The street was fair game for tag, kickball, and hockey. The only rule was to yell out when there was a car coming, then you’d resume the game like nothing happened.
13. Hitchhike (Yes, seriously)
It wasn’t weird for a teen, or even a kid, to stick a thumb up and catch a ride somewhere. Creepy? For sure, but it was the ’70s.
14. Babysit at a young age
If you were an 11-year-old older sibling, you can bet you were in charge of your younger brothers and sisters in the ’70s. Young kids were left in charge of multiple kids, sometimes overnight.
