30+ Outrageous Old-School Parenting Photos That Would Be Scandalous Today

You might hear older folks say, "Back in my day, things were done differently."

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• June 21, 2024

Parenting today is different from how it was in the past. You might hear older folks say, "Back in my day, things were done differently," or comment on how kids today seem more sensitive. They're not wrong, but there are good reasons why parenting has changed.

One significant change is safety. Nowadays, we ensure kids wear car seatbelts and warn pregnant women not to smoke. But in the past, safety rules were not as strict. Old photos of parents with their kids often show them without seatbelts or safety gear in cars, which we now know is risky.

Discipline used to be stricter, too, with more parents using spanking. Now, there's a focus on positive reinforcement and discussing things with kids.

Health and food advice has also changed. In the past, what kids ate wasn't always balanced or healthy. Now, we know how important good nutrition is for growing bodies.

Roles in families have also shifted. Today, moms and dads share more responsibilities at home, unlike before, when roles were more traditional.

Today, parents have more information at their fingertips. The internet helps us learn the best ways to raise happy and healthy kids, which allows parents to make better choices. Take a look at these old-school parenting photos, and you'll see what we're talking about:

1. “Dad: Let’s take a picture that will make Mom angry 1970”

2. “My dad showing off his parenting skills 1985.”

3. “How kids became legends, 1990’s.”

4. “My mother-in-law riding a bear at 2 years old.”

5. “Back in the day. 1950s to be exact. Check out that car seat.”

6. “Stealing a drink of wine at a wedding while my mom (behind me) isn’t looking. (1987)”

7. “Children’s Motor Wheel, 1927”

8. “No One is Born Racist 1992”

9. “Harley with a baby seat, 1962.”

10. “A couple ice skating with their baby, 1937.”

11. “A photo of me dressed up as my Dad, with my Dad (1982).”

12. “My mom showing off her parenting skills 1978.”

13. "The ultimate BMX mom. "

14. “My Hilarious Father (with the magazine) and my Grandfather, Grandmother, and Uncle at His Bar Mitzvah in 1972.”

15. “My mother and grandmother demonstrating safety standards in the 1960s.”

16. “Me back in 1991 just your typical Aussie kid drinking XXXXlight beer and holding a baby crocodile!”

17. “My mom in the hospital after giving birth to my sister. Canada 1978. Smokes and roasted chicken eh!”

18. “13 y/o Dad having a taste while the grownups are busy playing cards; upstate New York, August 1954.”

19. “Infant me, my mother & father at a bar because that’s how parents rolled in the early ’80s.”

20. “Car seat safety in 1958. Not strapped into anything, these seats relied on the mother to put her arm out and stop the baby from falling forward.”

21. “California marijuana initiative rally 1972. That’s me in the box and my parents in the picture.”

22. “Two boys embracing each other’s culture 1965”

23. “Budapest Marketplace, 1984”

24. “The pinnacle of parenting: 1930s swimming lesson.”

25. “I was not a popular child. 1995.”

26. “Just a photo of yours truly (at 11 yrs.) petting a full-grown tiger. My mom calls it her ‘Bad Parenting Moment.'”

27. “Getting serious helmet-less air in the San Fernando Valley circa mid-70’s”

28. “My dad and his veterinarian mother, with their pet lion which they raised for two years, 1959.”

29. “My dad got in trouble for skipping school because the local paper printed this picture of him, 1984”

30. “Me, 1958, relaxing after my bath with Toby, I was never again this cool.”

31. “My adorable (4-year-old) mother at a zoo in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 1970.”

As we look back at how parenting has changed over the years, one thing's for sure: we've come a long way from the days of car rides without seatbelts and diets that wouldn't pass muster today. While our parents might still reminisce about the "good old days," it's clear that parenting today is all about adapting and learning.

Sure, we've swapped out spankings for time-outs and swapped in kale smoothies for whatever passed as a meal back then. But one thing hasn't changed: parents' love and dedication for their kids.

Damjan