‘Did parents really just let their kids wander the neighborhood with no phone and just say… be back before dark?’ – 17 nostalgic responses
No phones. No tablets. No screens. No trackers. Ah yes, simpler times. Parents wanted their kids to go away and kids were totally entertained for hours at a time skipping rocks into creeks.
But was it really that simple? One Twitter prompt wants the truth.
Be Honest..
Did parents really just let their kids wander the neighborhood all day with no phone and just say… be back before dark?
— Kevin W. (@Brink_Thinker) September 2, 2025
Based on personal experience, yes, it was that simple. And based on these responses, it was a hell of a lot better then, too. Kids these days don’t know how to entertain themselves without scrolling mindlessly through a bunch of cat memes and 3 second dance trends. (Shakes fist at the sky.)
1.
neighborhood? we could go as far as our bikes could take us and be gone all day.
— Chip Davis (@ChipDavis10) September 3, 2025
2.
They literally had commercials to remind parents they still had kids pic.twitter.com/cB65jQ41DJ
— SexyStockSlayer (@SexyStockSlayer) September 4, 2025
3.
Not just the neighborhood.
They had no idea where we were.— Mary Walter (@MaryWalterRadio) September 2, 2025
4.
Yep
We even came home from school to an empty house and fed ourselves.
— Cedric Youngelman ⚡️ (@CedYoungelman) September 4, 2025
5.
— Terry Moore (@TerryMo1956) September 3, 2025
6.
When this came on, time to go inside pic.twitter.com/ZzGRdJHOj9
— Josh Isaacs (@JIsaacs_91) September 3, 2025
7.
Yes. And we found each other and figured out how to negotiate, cooperate, create allies, defend ourselves, and appreciate the natural world. We built forts, baseball diamonds, bike trails, and ultimately learned who we where and how we fit into this world.
— Ron Pyle (@rreactor) September 3, 2025
8.
No. It was more like “Get the hell out of the house now! Don’t come back until dinner.” LOL
— Hat Uncle (@HatUncle_) September 3, 2025