Childhood was different when we were growing up.
There were no smartphones to keep us busy, no social media to scroll through and no YouTube videos to watch whenever we were bored. Somehow, we still managed to have fun.
In fact, some of the things we considered completely normal as children might leave today’s children wondering what exactly we were doing.
Here are some things many of us did growing up that would probably make today’s children laugh.
1. We played outside until someone called our name
There was no need to text your friends to ask where they were.
You simply stepped outside and started looking for them.
Sometimes, you could spend the entire afternoon playing outside. The only thing that brought the fun to an end was hearing your mother shout your full name from the house.
And when she called your full name, you knew it was time to go home.
2. We used empty cartons as cars
Give a child an empty carton and you could have a car, house, television or aeroplane within minutes.
We sat inside cartons, pushed them around and pretended we were driving.
Nobody needed expensive toys.
Our imagination did most of the work.
3. We fought over whose turn it was
Whether it was playing football, skipping rope, using a swing or playing a board game, somebody was always arguing about whose turn it was.
“You have played twice!”
“No, I haven’t!”
“Yes, you have!”
Five minutes later, everyone was playing again.
4. We drank water from a shared cup
If you grew up in a Nigerian home, you probably remember the communal cup or plastic jug of water.
Someone drank from it, passed it to the next person and nobody thought twice about it.
Today, children might look at us and wonder what kind of arrangement that was.
5. We watched television according to the schedule
There was no streaming service where you could watch whatever you wanted whenever you wanted.
If your favourite programme was showing at 7 pm, you had to be in front of the television at 7 pm.
And if you missed it, you missed it.
There was no “rewind”.
6. We waited for our favourite songs on the radio
Before playlists and music streaming, you had to wait for your favourite song to come on the radio.
Some of us would sit beside the radio with a cassette recorder, waiting patiently to record the song.
The moment the presenter started talking over the intro, you were annoyed.
7. We wrote phone numbers in notebooks
There was a time when people actually memorised telephone numbers.
And if you could not remember one, you checked the little notebook where you had written all your contacts.
No smartphone. No contact synchronisation. Just a notebook and your memory.
8. We played games with almost anything
A stone could become a game piece.
A bottle top could become money.
A rope could become a skipping rope.
A stick could become a sword.
We did not need toys designed specifically for every activity.
We simply created our own entertainment.
9. We sent children to call our friends
If you wanted to see your friend, you could send their younger sibling.
“Go and call your brother.”
The child would run to the house, knock on the door and shout their friend’s name.
No WhatsApp message was required.
10. We knew our neighbours
Children were not limited to their own homes.
You knew the people living next door, across the street and sometimes several houses away.
You also knew which neighbour would give you food, which one would report you to your parents and which one you should avoid when you had been naughty.
11. We turned household chores into competitions
Who could finish sweeping first?
Who could wash the plates fastest?
Who could fetch water without spilling it?
Sometimes, even chores became a competition.
Of course, the competition usually ended when someone broke something and everyone suddenly disappeared.
12. We played until the street became dark
There was no GPS tracking and no smartphone location sharing.
Your parents simply expected you to know when it was time to come home.
Once the sun started going down, you knew the day was almost over.
And if you were still outside when your mother started calling, you had better start running.
13. We borrowed things from neighbours
Need a cup of sugar?
Ask the neighbour.
Need salt?
Ask the neighbour.
Need a little kerosene?
Ask the neighbour.
People borrowed things from one another without sending a formal message or filling out a request form.
14. We had one person who knew how to fix everything
There was always that uncle, neighbour or older child who somehow knew how to repair a radio, bicycle, toy, fan or television.
They would take the item apart, disappear for a while and somehow bring it back to life.
Today, we would probably just buy a new one.
15. We made friends without knowing their social media handles
You met someone at school, church, the playground or your neighbourhood.
You talked.
You played together.
You became friends.
Nobody asked, “What’s your Instagram?”
Nobody asked for your Snapchat username.
You simply knew each other.
Childhood Was Simple
Looking back, we did not have many of the things children have today, but we found ways to enjoy ourselves.