this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2026
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Parenting

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Little secret you weren't taught: Parenting as a concept basically didn't exist before the 1970s. The overwhelming job that we call "parenting" used to be a community effort. (lemmy.today)
submitted 1 day ago by 1dalm@lemmy.today to c/parenting@lemmy.world
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[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

All kids used to be free range.

Ask anyone born circa 1960.

Pretty much everyone of them will have a 'Stand By Me' type story about travelling alone as a grade school kid.

[–] 1dalm@lemmy.today -1 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Parents used to buy postage and literally mail their kids across the country.

And people didn't think that was weird.

[–] David_Eight@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Kids are allowed to fly without an adult today.

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Compared to the conditions in the trains, it wasn't that bad.

Also, the longest distance was about 700 miles, not really cross country.

https://postalmuseum.si.edu/very-special-deliveries

[–] 1dalm@lemmy.today -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

In 1913, 700 miles was practically across the country. That was further away than most adults traveled from their birth town in their lives.

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago

Not really. The transcontinental railroad had been around for over fifty years.

Cars were already pretty popular. There were already about 5 million of them out there.

Ocean liners and tourism was available.

The St. Louis Worlds Fair of 1904 got 20 million visitors.