For the most part, parents and kids are pretty much the same today as they were years ago. But the styles of raising children has definitely changed. To prove that, all you have to do is look back at old-fashioned photos. Especially with the internet, these 58 images aren’t something moms and dads could post today and feel proud.
What was once considered acceptable is now taboo or vice versa. When it comes to parenting, it’s a crazy world. We hope you enjoy these photos or at least use them to reflect on just how much times have changed over the years.
1. What’s the harm?
Although parents didn’t let their small children get drunk, at least we hope they didn’t, giving a kid a swig of beer wasn’t considered all that bad. As a matter of fact, some moms and dads would giggle, thinking it was cute. Today, someone would likely call CPS.
Source:
Reddit/truthcrusade
2. Nice kitty
Most kids love their pets, including soft, cuddly cats. But that doesn’t include this kind of kitty. Well, it did for one teen, who in 1971, had a pet lion. Posting a photo like that now would result in all kinds of negative responses.
Source:
Reddit/spencehord
3. Taste test
In 1954, this 13-year-old boy wanted to see for himself why people liked alcohol. The funny thing is…the adults are there but too busy playing cards to notice. You can only imagine what posters would think of this today.
Source:
Reddit/stevierayfrog
4. Just a little toke
Not only is this toddler holding a cigar in his mouth but you can see the flame of the lighter. This was in 1958. But now, the parents would be blasted for child endangerment. Something like this could easily land a mom or dad in jail.
Source:
Reddit/ickeyray54
5. Horrible advertising
It’s bad enough to see a small baby with a bottle of Heineken beer to his mouth. But the crazy part, the company used this as part of its marketing campaign. Yes, this was a real Heineken advertisement. In 2020, that’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Source:
Drinking Made Easy
6. All alone
Parents used to leave their children alone to fend for themselves for hours. That included placing a child in a cage that hung on the outside of the window. That wouldn’t fly today.
Source:
Twenty-Two Words
7. Arranged marriages
If you thought arranged marriages only happened eons ago in foreign countries, you’d be wrong. Even in North America, there was a time not all that long ago when parents would promise their son or daughter to another family’s child.
Source:
Twenty-Two Words
8. Potting training 101
Back in the day, parents would pick out a cooking pot, place it on the floor, and then plop their child down to help potty train them. Besides being incredibly uncomfortable, we’re hoping they didn’t use the same pot for cooking dinner.
Source:
Twenty-Two Words
9. A drug addict in the making
For those of you who don’t know, laudanum is a product that contains roughly 10 percent powdered opium, including codeine and morphine. Some parents would give this to their babies as a way to help them fall asleep.
Source:
Pinterest/b3ta
10. What’s with all the beer?
As this mother casually visits with friends, she gives her small child a can of beer to sip on. In 1978 when this photo was taken, this was a somewhat common practice. Parents didn’t give it a second thought.
Source:
Reddit/thedumone
11. “Here honey, have fun”
Today, we know that sparklers can cause serious injury, especially to a small child. But back in 1985, moms and dads would hand one to their child without having a care in the world. People now would be in an uproar.
Source:
Reddit/imakethenews
12. Like father like son
Considering this kid is dressed to resemble his dad, fake beard and all, we’re pretty sure allowing him to “smoke a cigarette” was just for fun. But if someone posted something like that on social media now, all hell would break loose.
Source:
Reddit/fuuuuuckendoobs
13. Early education
Giving a Playboy magazine to a 13-year-old boy is never a good idea. But it’s especially bad when adult family members are around and they’re at this kid’s Bar Mitzvah. We hope this was staged but by the look on the boys’ faces, it could’ve been real.
Source:
Reddit/JasonPlatz
14. Smaller babies
People on the internet would be all over this one. According to this Winston advertisement, women were advised to smoke to keep the weight of their baby down. So, that’s supposed to make delivery easier? What about the fetus?
Source:
Pinterest/worth1000
15. Never too young
Here’s another horrible advertisement that people today wouldn’t agree with. This states that parents should start giving their kids cola as early in life as possible. Forget about tooth decay and the increased risk of health problems.
Source:
Hubpages
16. 7-Up, too?
Yep, cola companies weren’t the only ones pushing sweet, carbonated beverages on infants. As shown in this old advertisement, 7-Up also thought it was a good idea for parents to introduce their kids to this beverage at a young age.
Source:
Pinterest/Typepad
17. Comfortable but dangerous
Not only is this small child sitting in the front seat but there’s also no safety restraints. In all fairness, in the late 1950s, car seats didn’t exist yet. It’s still amazing that parents thought this was a good idea.
Source:
Reddit/claire303
18. Learning to swim
You read that right. In the 1930s, this is how parents, typically fathers, taught their kids how to swim. Today, this would be seen as some form of child abuse. We wonder how many of those children grew up o be tafraid of the water.
Source:
Reddit/chemi0vin
19. Along for the ride
And we don’t mean a leisurely car ride to the park. Even during the mid to late 1980s, it wasn’t all that uncommon for parents to take their small kids with them to a bar. Then, they’d drive home with the child in tow…that’s scary.
Source:
Reddit/areyoufknserious
20. Just hanging out…
…of the car. We think this was just a way to keep a child contained while the vehicle was parked. Surely, parents didn’t drive with their kids dangling on the outside. Either way, this wouldn’t be acceptable in today’s society.
Source:
Pinterest/Babble
21. That did the trick…not
This was one of the first car seats marketed. As you can see, it simply fits over the top of the seat. But here was the best part. Parents could buy it for just $0.98 although its full retail value was $1.33. What a bargain.
Source:
Pinterest/Babble
22. Way too dangerous
Even today, a lot of people in Asian countries use motorbikes as their main form of transportation. But as you can see, this is potentially dangerous. The only thing is this parent put a helmet on their kid.
Source:
Pinterest/Babble
23. An outlaw’s house?
That’s the only explanation we can come up with for why this kid’s parents had guns hanging all around the crib. Can you imagine if a mom or dad posted a photo of something like this today? They’d have their child yanked away in a New York minute.
Source:
Pinterest/Buzzfeed
24. Sweet but risky
It’s sweet to see an old-fashioned photo of a dad and his son going on a bike ride. But there are two issues. First, neither one of them is wearing a helmet. Second, with the kid up front, he’d take the brunt of an accident.
Source:
Pinterest/Circusofsplendor
25. That looks like fun
And it probably was for this small child. But one misstep and things could’ve turned out really bad. Today, a lot of people would have an opinion about a child being tossed so high.
Source:
Flickr
26. Getting high around the baby
Although marijuana is now legal in many states, back in 1972, it was very much illegal. Even so, it was common for some parents like these to smoke it around their children. Even people who support smoking pot wouldn’t like this photo for obvious reasons.
Source:
Reddit/19blackdog72
27. Hold on tight
While riding a chairlift to enjoy the beautiful view in the 1960s, this kid’s only means of safety is the grandmother’s arm. Thank goodness things pertaining to safety have come a long way since then.
Source:
Reddit/thisisanendtable
28. Probably not a good idea
In 1937, couples who wanted to take their infants with them to ice skate would use a contraption like this. As long as they stay upright, it might not have been that bad. But one tumble…and well, things wouldn’t go well for the baby.
Source:
Reddit/gar1986
29. Looks perfectly safe
Sure, put a two-year-old child on the back of a bear and allow her to go for a ride. That’s what this girl’s parents did. Now, something like this wouldn’t even be an option, which is a good thing.
Source:
Reddit/NS7qBV
30. A kid and his gun
Many people are staunch gun supporters while others aren’t With all the controversary surrounding Second Amendment rights, if this photo was posted today, it would lead to some pretty ugly discussions.
Source:
Pinterest/eBay
31. What were they thinking?
Even by today’s standards of parenting, pushing a baby in a stroller across a busy highway in Paris during the 1960s was just downright dumb. If I were the parent in this photo, I’d be so ashamed to post it.
Source:
Pinterest/Vintag
32. So convenient
Apparently, it was okay to carry your kid around in a bag at one point in time. While the child is probably comfortable, it wouldn’t meet the parenting standards of today.
Source:
Facebook/Saving Lincoln
33. This will make you cringe
While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying Harleys, there is something wrong with putting a small child in the front of two other people, none of whom are wearing helmets. It doesn’t matter if this photo was taken in 1962 or not.
Source:
Shorpy
34. Just chilling
From the looks of it, not only did smoking cigarettes help reduce a baby’s birth weight but it also helped a mom calm down shortly after delivering. People online wouldn’t like this or the fact that hospitals used to let patients smoke in their rooms.
Source:
Reddit/rookdanger
35. It’s a miracle kids survived
Here’s another old-fashioned car seat, which offers no safety whatsoever. But it does have an adorable faux steering wheel with its own little horn. Of course, that wouldn’t have helped in the event of an accident.
Source:
Redhead Ranting
36. Lack of supervision
For the most part, today’s parents keep a close eye on their kids, especially when visiting places like the zoo. But while visiting a Vietnam zoo in 1970, this girl’s parents weren’t too concerned about her falling.
Source:
Reddit/youngbarrister
37. No problem here
Year’s ago, photo ops like this one were common. Now, this boy’s parent would be admonished for making a poor decision that could put their child’s safety at risk and the animal advocates would be in an uproar…no pun intended.
Source:
Reddit/reesmeister
38. Positive thoughts only
Many years ago, pregnant women were taught that if they had bad thoughts before delivering, their baby would grow up to be a brat. Can you imagine the pressure that would put on an expectant mother?
Source:
Chase the Trend
39. Right-handed only
Even as recent as the 1960s, a lot of parents thought it was a sin for their child to be left-handed. So, they’d force them to learn how to write and handle objects with their right hand. Some parents took photos of their children making the transition, which for the kids was devastating.
Source:
Chase the Trend
40. Put them in the overhead bin
That’s right, to ensure that little ones didn’t get in the way of other passengers and the flight crew, parents were told to place them in one of the overhead bins known as “sky cots.” Today, that would be considered child abuse.
Source:
Pinterest/Good Housekeeping
41. Riding sidesaddle
Okay, there’s a big difference between riding a horse sidesaddle and riding a bike in that fashion. Years ago, this wasn’t a big deal. But now, other parents would be having a fit since this isn’t safe.
Source:
Pinterest/Facebook
42. This wasn’t any better
Perhaps having their child lay down while riding in the car gave moms and dads a sense of peace. But in all honesty, this wouldn’t have done anything in a crash. Doing this today and posting a photo of it would land a parent in trouble.
Source:
Pinterest
43. Why…just why?
Thankfully, today’s parents know the dangers of plastic around small children. But back in the day, one company that manufactured cellophane thought this was a great advertisement. Not the smartest move.
Source:
Pinterest/MOC Blog
44. Pipes are just as bad
Whether it’s cigars, cigarettes, or pipes, at no time should a parent post a photo of their kid with one of these in their mouth. It might look cute at first but it sends a wrong message.
Source:
Pinterest/Buzzfeed
45. Put them in the overhead bin
At first glance, this might make you laugh. But try this today and people won’t think it’s so funny. This mom got it all backward. How? We’re not sure.
Source:
Pinterest/Viral Nova
46. They’re just having fun
Jumping into piles of trash from two and three stories up is a surefire way for someone to get hurt. Our only question is why did this mom take a photo of this instead of yelling at them to stop. Today, this would be considered poor parenting
Source:
Pinterest/Photography in America
47. Teaching trust
Instilling trust in a child is super important. But this isn’t the right way to go about it. But this was in the 1970s. Moms and dads everywhere would probably recommend taking a different approach today.
Source:
Pinterest/Shareably
48. Puff…puff…puff
A photo like this posted today would have people on the internet in a frenzy. Did this kid’s mom or dad take the photo? Why didn’t they yank that thing out of his mouth? We have so many questions.
Source:
Twitter@firstthingsmag
49. Looks familiar
Unfortunately, photos like this one are posted online today. But for parents regardless of the era, this isn’t the type of thing you want to share or promote. It not only makes you and your kid look bad.
Source:
We Heart It
50. Have a cup of java
In the early 1960s. Dr. Walter Sackett told parents they should start giving babies as young as six months old black coffee. Parents today would never follow that advice.
Source:
Good Housekeeping
51. Babies sucking their thumbs
A lot of moms took photos of their babies sucking their thumbs because in the 1960s, doctors said it was healthy. Today, we know otherwise. So, sharing photos like this, a parent could expect to receive a lot of negative comments.
Source:
Good Housekeeping
52. Forcing children to like animals
Most kids naturally gravitate to animals, regardless of the kind. But some are genuinely afraid of them. Sadly, many parents would take photos of their kids with critters even though they knew they were petrified. That wouldn’t work out well today.
Source:
Pinterest/Buzzfeed
53. A major car seat fail
This car seat is even worse than the others. Since it sits so high, this kid could easily go right through the windshield. We said it before and we’ll say it again…thank goodness times have changed.
Source:
Pinterest
54. One more car seat for good measure
The first thing you notice with this particular car seat is that it has no safety features at all. The second thing you notice is that it looks incredibly uncomfortable, even to the point of being painful.
Source:
Pinterest/Babble
55. Have crib will travel
Back in the 1920s, someone came up with the not-so-brilliant idea of putting a portable crib in the back seat so couples could go for a drive while their baby slept peacefully. This photo leaves you feeling really uncomfortable.
Source:
To the Twenties
56. Terribly misguided
Parents today do a much better job with their kids’ diets than ever before. But in the 1960s, it was all about eating as much butter as possible. After all, the more of it kids ate the better lubricated their veins and arteries were. What?
Source:
Imgur
57. Alrighty, then
If a parent were to post an advertisement like this today, they’d become the laughing stock of the internet. Why in the world would someone even think of a product like this? It’s kind of disturbing.
Source:
Pinterest/Buzzfeed
58. Adopt a lion
This mom was a veterinarian when her son was young. So, the family adopted a lion cub. With so much focus on animal rights today, something like this would get a significant amount of push-back from internet users.
Source:
Reddit/ryanb99
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Source: Shareably, Bored Panda