[OBXNana]

Riding in the back of a pick up truck

Eating school lunches that wouldn't pass todays standards

Running after the ice cream truck for a special treat (nobody counted calories, we ran it off)

Just playing without being shuffled from activity to activity

Walking to a friends house at the age of 8 without the police calling my parents

Not complaining about the heat. Nobody we knew had air conditioning

Survived with one bathroom in the house

[Cisco Kid]

This is why no one ever smiled in old photos.

[manaboutown]

I survived riding and wrecking bikes without wearing a helmet, riding and having (one serious) accidents in cars with no seat belts, red measles, mumps, chicken pox, boils and a huge carbuncle before penicillin, corporal punishment, white bread containing lots of gluten, jello, liver, braunschweiger, liverwurst, boloney, Velveeta, drinking whole milk...

[Cisco Kid]

I survived growing up with nine siblings.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Cisco Kid

I survived growing up with nine siblings.

I had three, not counting pets.

[Laurie2]

Duck and Cover

[tomwed]

Cherry Bumps
[that's what they called it when you were on the high end of a see saw and somebody jumped off the low end so you would smash downward]
On the swings we had contests to see who could land the furthest jumping off the swing.

[tomwed]

Johnny Johnny Buck Buck
Someone would stand against a wall. The first kid would bend over and hold their waist. Other kids would do the same to form a chain. On the other team each kid would take turns running as fast as they could to jump as high as they could and land on someones back as hard as they could.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

When I had a cough, my grandmother would put Vicks Vapour Rub on my chest with a paper bag over it.
I wonder if the paper bag had healing qualities ... perhaps she just didn't want me to mess up my pajamas.
Anyway, it was very comforting. I miss my Nana -- Grandparents are great are offering unconditional love.

When I had a cold and couldn't breathe, my mother would slather cotton wads with Vicks and shove them up my nostrils. Making an already unbreathable situation even worse. To this day I can't stand the smell of Vicks!

I think the paper bag was probably to keep the Vicks from getting on your jammies, Bare.

Gracie, you forgot spoonfuls of Milk of Magnesia GAG!!!!

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by villagerjack

Making own margarine, Ration Stamps. Ice Boxes. 5 story walk up apartment. 10 cent weekly allowance. Stickball in the street.

Remember the white margarine in a bag that you mixed to make it yellow?

Originally Posted by tomwed

Johnson's Baby Oil [AKA suntan lotion]

Originally Posted by dbussone

We even added iodine to the baby oil. Makes you tan faster.

Instant self tanner! We could have made a million on Shark Tank.

[tomwed]

Witch Hazel fixed everything external. St. Josephs fixed everything internal. Pastina with an egg stirred in and cooked kept you full until your appetite returned.

[dbussone]

Smith Brothers cough drops. Always kept a box on hand.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by dbussone

Smith Brothers cough drops. Always kept a box on hand.

Cherry vs licorice.

Iodine (ouch!) Mercurochrome (ahhhh...)

Oh.. playing with the mercury from the broken thermometer.

[blueash]

You all know despite the light tone of all of this, that there are people who are not here today because they didn't wear a bike helmet, or a seat belt, or have adequate supervision, or got Vicks when they really had Pertussis or got Reye's syndrome from baby aspirin. So yes, those of us who survived were lucky but I like to believe that maybe some of the newer safety concerns have actually saved some children.

[chuckinca]

Grandma's phone #: two longs and a short.

Practice air raids - all cars off the roads.

2 cent bottles of white or chocolate milk for school recess.

Riding on the buses all day all over Chicago with 7 YO friends.

2 cent days at Riverview Amusement Park
Riverview amusement park photos - Chicago Tribune

.