Being a Boomer meant that you learned all kinds of things kids don’t even consider anymore. The world wasn’t the same – there was no internet, no smartphones, no gadgets. It took more time and effort for everyday tasks, and trying things out was just a part of growing up. Such skills were not optional — they were a necessary part of life. Now a lot of those same activities are automated or no longer necessary, and children today might not even recognize how much easier their lives are. Here are some of the skills Boomers learned that children now take for granted.
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Fixing Things at Home
If something broke, Boomers were expected to fix it themselves. They had to solve it – patch a punctured tire, fix a leaking sink, or sew a torn shirt. They didn’t have YouTube to teach them. They picked these skills up from their parents or through trial and error. Today, children assume that everything is easy to replace or call for help.
Waiting for Entertainment
Boomers had to wait for their favorite shows to air, and there were no reruns or online streaming services if they missed an episode. Music was not instantly accessible — you had to buy records or cassettes to listen to your favorite songs. Today’s children can watch anything and everything. The idea of waiting for a specific time to watch or listen feels outdated.
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Cooking Without Shortcuts
The vast majority of food in the Boomer generation came from scratch. There weren’t chopped-up vegetables, a microwavable dinner, or delivery apps. Cooking meant peeling, chopping, measuring and following directions. Food is click-and-go now, and making things from scratch feels like an event instead of a day’s chore.
Using the Library for Research
Before the internet, information had to come from the library. Boomers needed to read card catalogues, browse bookshelves and skim pages of text for school facts. It took time, sometimes maddeningly so. Children today can Google a question and have it answered in seconds.
Writing Letters by Hand
If Boomers needed to connect with someone far away, they wrote letters. This involved a long wait – sitting down and deliberating on what to write and delivering it by post and waiting days or weeks for a response. Today, kids can text or video message instantly and never know how communication used to take so long.
Dealing with Boredom
Boomers didn’t have 24/7 entertainment. There weren’t endless apps, games or videos. They had to think out of the box when bored — to build things, or to go play outside, or create games of their own. Kids today have a whole lot to entertain themselves with and are hardly ever bored like that.
Handling Money Carefully
There weren’t many credit cards and Boomers used to pay everything in cash. They learned to budget because you couldn’t spend too much money – if the money ran out, you couldn’t buy anything else. They had to even balance checkbooks in order to record expenses. Kids today can swipe a card or press a phone button without having to wonder about running out of cash.
Living Without Instant Answers
Boomers didn’t search on Google when they had a question. They had to figure it out themselves, either by trial & error or by consulting someone experienced. In some cases, they were forced to put up with not knowing until the answer was known later. Children have Google and voice assistants and real-time information so it’s a lot easier to figure things out.
Walking Everywhere
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Boomers walked or rode bikes to school, their friends’ houses or the grocery store. Parents weren’t as likely to drive them around, and public transportation wasn’t always available. It taught them independence and responsibility. Children now ride buses or use other forms of transportation, so walking is no longer required.
Reading Maps
Boomers didn’t have GPS or mobile phones telling them where to go. When they needed to move, they had to look at maps on paper. Everybody needed to learn to interpret those little lines & signs on a map. It was easy to get lost. To return, you asked strangers for directions. Nowadays, youngster just have to type an address into their phone and follow the blue line.
Memorizing Phone Numbers
Before cell phones made it easy, Boomers memorized phone numbers or wrote them in an address book. They knew all the important numbers such as those of loved ones or friends by heart. If you lost a piece of paper containing someone’s number, you lost touch with them until you could find it again. Phones now remember everything – kids hardly think about it anymore.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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