"No mobile phones meant once you left, you were genuinely unreachable. Your parents had no idea if you were at the intended destination or had wandered three neighborhoods over following some spontaneous adventure. The only rule? Be back before dark or for tea. I remember entire afternoons spent exploring building sites (definitely off-limits), abandoned buildings, and patches of woodland that felt like unexplored territory. We'd build dens, create elaborate games, and yes, occasionally get into the sort of minor trouble that taught us actual consequences."
"Can you imagine telling a parent today that their 10-year-old is "somewhere in the area" and they'll be back "later"? They'd probably call social services on themselves. But here's what that freedom gave us: The ability to assess risk, make decisions, and deal with problems without adult intervention. When your bike chain came off two miles from home, you figured it out. When you got lost, you found your way back."
Growing up outside Manchester in the 1990s involved long stretches of unstructured, unsupervised time after school with no GPS tracking or constant check-ins. Children walked or biked alone, disappearing for hours with a single announcement of where they might be and a rule to return before dark or for tea. Afternoons were spent exploring building sites, abandoned places, and woodlands, building dens and creating elaborate games. Occasional minor trouble taught real consequences. That freedom required assessing risk, making independent decisions, and solving practical problems such as repairing a bike or finding the way home.
Read at Silicon Canals
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