Times have definitely changed.

“My dad used to sit us on his lap while he drove on the freeway, then close his eyes and have us tell him where to go.”

"My dad used to sit us on his lap while he drove on the freeway, then close his eyes and have us tell him where to go."

—deenajordanl

NBC

“My parents sent me to the store to buy their cigarettes.”

"My parents sent me to the store to buy their cigarettes."

—Ang Bee, Facebook

CBC

“We woke up late for school one morning, and my dad was using the car, so my mom put me in a taxi. I was in kindergarten.”

"We woke up late for school one morning, and my dad was using the car, so my mom put me in a taxi. I was in kindergarten."

—deederbobber

CBS

“My parents let us put a mattress on the ground and jump off the roof.”

"My parents let us put a mattress on the ground and jump off the roof."

—jamiesayese

CBS

“My mom gave me cough syrup so I would sleep, calling it my ‘night-night juice.'”

—obviouslygaby

Bravo

“My parents would drop me and my friends off at the movie theater when I was seven, give us a few bucks for a movie, and then just leave us for a few hours.”

"My parents would drop me and my friends off at the movie theater when I was seven, give us a few bucks for a movie, and then just leave us for a few hours."

—fredzesty

Warner Bros.

“My friend’s mom would put the back seats in her SUV down and let us roll around while she made sharp turns.”

—Angela Lollie, Facebook

TvLand

“My dad took me into smoky bars and had me play bartender during work parties…when I was five.”

"My dad took me into smoky bars and had me play bartender during work parties...when I was five."

—rachelw50

Fox

“My dad invented a game called ‘crack the coconut’ for when my siblings were fighting. He’d have them crawl at each other as fast as they could until they hit their heads together. According to him, it was great for conflict resolution.”

—abibumbleb

NBC

“I set my friend’s oven on fire multiple times because her parents let us bake unsupervised.”

—fredzesty

Vh1

“I used to suck my thumb, so my dad would put hot sauce on my thumb so I would stop. I did.”

"I used to suck my thumb, so my dad would put hot sauce on my thumb so I would stop. I did."

—saraf46cbcaf4c

CBC

“Got to start up my mom’s car every morning and drive it around the block to warm it up…at ten years old.”

—sevenpointsixtwo39

CBS

“My brothers were given test tubes of mercury to play with and gunpowder to make their own fireworks.”

"My brothers were given test tubes of mercury to play with and gunpowder to make their own fireworks."

—annn451ef6308

GSN

“My dad poured a little wine in my water at restaurants starting when I was five years old. I preferred whites over reds.”

"My dad poured a little wine in my water at restaurants starting when I was five years old. I preferred whites over reds."

—rachelbatmanghelidjs

TvLand

“My ‘seat belt’ was my mom’s arm slamming me across the chest in the front seat when she came to a quick stop.”

—Brenda McMurry Gideon, Facebook

CBS

“They let us cross a state highway to walk to school.”

"They let us cross a state highway to walk to school."

—sweetestlittlebookworm

Fox

“My dad wore my sister in a baby backpack while he rode a jet ski.”

"My dad wore my sister in a baby backpack while he rode a jet ski."

—sarah72724

Hulu

“In my grandparents’ car, we would stand on the center armrest and hang out of the sunroof.”

—girl_skout

Starz

“Once I had a toothache so my dad gave me whiskey and told me to swish it around in my mouth. He never told me to spit it back out, though, so I swallowed it instead.”

"Once I had a toothache so my dad gave me whiskey and told me to swish it around in my mouth. He never told me to spit it back out, though, so I swallowed it instead."

—nikkig4f3188fbd

TvLand

“They would let us save milk cartons to build ‘cities’ in our backyard, then let us use matches to set them on fire and BURN THEM DOWN.”

—prettyfamiliars

Fox

“My mom allowed me to try coffee at nine years old, thinking that I would hate it. But it was love at first sip, so she allowed me to have a cup every Sunday after church.”

"My mom allowed me to try coffee at nine years old, thinking that I would hate it. But it was love at first sip, so she allowed me to have a cup every Sunday after church."

—jessicaf22

Bravo / Via gif-weenus.tumblr.com

“To make a car seat, my dad cut a milk crate in half, added a cushion, and tied me into it with a piece of rope.”

"To make a car seat, my dad cut a milk crate in half, added a cushion, and tied me into it with a piece of rope."

—karlyb4358af021

MTV

“I had my first Coca-Cola in my baby bottle.”

"I had my first Coca-Cola in my baby bottle."

—Lauren Hunt, Facebook

CW

“When someone knocked on the front door, we were allowed to just yell, ‘come in!’ without knowing who it was.”

—vickietessla

Fox

“When I was learning to ride my bike, my dad duct-taped my feet to the pedals, saying ‘if you stop, you’re going to fall’, then just sent me on my way.”

—kassiielove

NBC / Via icanhasgif.com

“My mom used to leave me alone in the apartment as an infant while she walked the dog around the block, saying, ‘Well, it’s not like you could go anywhere.'”

—caitlinfoxi

Bravo

“When I was an infant, we once stayed in a hotel that didn’t have a crib, so my parents made one for me…out of pillows. They woke up to find my head wedged between the pillows, and instead of checking if I was alive, my mom took a picture.”

—laurag45d970868

CBS

Some responses were edited for length and clarity.

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