Before The Internet.

[saintpeter48]

How on earth did my parents generation cope with the boredom before the internet and multiple television channels, I even asked my 19 brothers and sisters and they didn't know either!

[jennyjoan]

I totally agree with you APG - even when I see the kids walking up the streets I notice they never smile, always sombre, ready to cry etc sad or something.

When I came up the street in my day - we laughed, carried on with each other, carried each other on your back. Then we swung either round the lamps with old ropes cutting the backsides of you and if you had a kind mother - she lent you one of the cushions off the settee for the ropes and of course far more mingling and playing, skipping - all the physical things that kept us all very fit and slim.

When I watch old footage of "Call the Midwife" eg , or footage of the Troubles here - I could not see one fat person, either female or male. Oh maybe Miriam Mirgoyles LOL.

[barry1010]

Plenty of fat people in Call the Midwife, but it has only been on TV a few years, they are not actors from the 50s and 60s

[ummmm]

That's not the Internets fault. I was out all the time, but there were very few cars. Kids can't play in the street anymore.

I live very close to a park....my kids were up there all the time.

[emmie]

we played in the streets, with no thought for safety, skating, skipping, go karts made from orange boxes, old pram wheels, no brake except your feet - happy days.

[ummmm]

I'm sure kids would love that now but it'll never happen again unless we have car free streets.

[jennyjoan]

Barry - I realise they are actors etc but they did pick the thinnest to play some of the parts.

I can't talk about anybody but when I am out walking with the dog I cannot believe how many fat girls and boys are out there and I mean some of them are gigantic. Then you look at a crowd of boys and girls coming out of school and I look to see if I can find the thinnest one and always eating cos they have passed bakeries, shops and chippies, nowadays they don't eat the wee tiny singular packs of crisps but the ones that have been made for 2 or 3 people.

I was so thin right up to my 40s but then I danced a lot then in my younger day - maybe 3 or 4 nights a week and went to work every day and no car.

My sister was telling me she thought she was too thin in her day and her friend and herself went to the chemist and bought "Wate On". A product to put weight on. OMG - when we look at ourselves now. What a waste of a product LOL

[ummmm]

I don't know any fat kids.

[Ken4155]

People did what humans are equipped to do. They talked to one another face to face and spent more time outdoors.

[barry1010]

Nor do I., Ummm. The kids still play out in my cul de sac and in the woods and fields at the back of my house. A lot of sledging when we had the snow a couple of weeks ago.

[pastafreak]

As long as I've been in this neighbourhood, I've always seen plenty of kids about.
Not by my building...no little ones right now...but there are 3 others in my little complex, and there are always games being played on the lawns. Also many in back gardens and loads in the park nearby. Not fat either.

[barry1010]

I worry that social media has a negative influence over our youngsters. Three of my eldest grandchildren don't drink alcohol, ever, because they don't want to be photographed doing something stupid or not looking their best and they understand the implications such photos can have on their career prospects.
All the teens and young adults I know want to look good for selfies and Instagram and that, to them, means keeping slim and fit.
Not good reasons to be healthy - but I suppose I wanted to look good and be trendy at that age too.

[Bazile]

//..I even asked my 19 brothers and sisters and they didn't know either!//

There's part of the answer , right there :-)

[pastafreak]

I figured that^^^^ out straight away.
But, it's still something to discuss.

[ichkeria]

This is supposed to be a joke I think :-)

When we had to we did.
Now we just watch others do it (so I hear)

[jennyjoan]

this is isn't a joke, my next door neighbour is one of 14 children - then mammy and daddy made 16.

another lady I knew, well my mother knew (she was a bit of a loan shark) - she came from a family of 22 - many years ago - so they knocked down two wee houses to accommodate them.

[margarettom]

I must have had a sense of humour bypass this morning. Just reread the post.

[ummmm]

Was that when contraception was illegal?

The joke is...before the internet and 24/7 TV all couples had to do was bonk.

[saintpeter48]

ichkeria, ummmmm and emmie, you are quite correct, it was a joke, I only have one brother and 2 sisters lol, and I am 73 years old and can relate to all of the answers regarding playing outside, etc.
Where I live I rarely see children playing and I can remember Mondays being 'wash' day, mum doing all of the laundrey in a large 'copper' then hanging it all out to dry, no tumble dryers in those days, or electric irons, not until I was an adult I didn't appreciate how tough my mum had it, it was hard work for her.
Us kids would play endlessly outside, cowboys and indians, cops and robbers, we'd build dens, go fishing with one of mums old nylons on a stick, play marbles, hop scotch, skipping, football, cricket, tennis and we'd only go indoors for dinner and tea, happy days indeed.

[ichkeria]

I agree Saint Peter. The internet wasn’t a “thing” then so as I keep explaining to our son it wasn’t “missed”.

[ummmm]

I was born in the 70's and we played out rain or shine.

People talk about kids programmes back then and I can't really remember any of them because I was never in.

Fashion wasn't a thing. We had playing out clothes and a few smart clothes