Peter and I went to the pool this morning. There was sunshine, hardly any breeze, and the water was beautiful!
At the entrance to the pool Peter noticed this sign that children of a certain age had to be accompanied by a responsible adult. This made Peter think back to his childhood days when he would as a six year old wander off unaccompanied to a pool some distance away from home. Well, this would have been more than seventy years ago. How times have changed!
AuntyUta 
If you’ve been able to open the zip you may have found that the sign says Children ten years and under have to be accompanied by an adult of 16 years or over.
I think being left to our own devices and unsupervised helped us to develop greater independence. I feel sorry for children nowadays, constantly having to be watched. My friends and I used to go out to play in the fields and would wander off for hours – nobody worried about us, and we had all kinds of adventures, but we had the sense not to do anything really dangerous (or else our Guardian Angels were particularly attentive!).
Thanks for this comment, Cat. My younger brother was born when I was 7. I was allowed then to take him out to a park in his pram. The only other person with me was my friend who was 11 at the time and she also had a baby brother whom she had in a pram. We were pushing the prams alongside each other to the park. I believe these days a 7 and an 11 year old would not be regarded as suitable responsible persons to take care of their baby brothers!
According to this sign at the pool you have to be 16 before you can be regarded as a responsible person. If it comes to this, I even doubt that many 16 year olds these days have the required maturity to be responsible for younger children!
Not so long ago a lot of 14 year olds had to leave school and start full-time work. The raising of kids was very different from what it is today. Our children in our Western societies these days lead a very ‘privileged’ life.
How times have changed indeed, Aunty Uta. My sisters & me were oft to be seen, wandering around the neighbourhoods alone up to my age 6. It was a wonderful sort of freedom, but never is it a wonderful risk.
It’s a pity you couldn’t put the photos on your site like you normally do. I had to download them to view. That was a bit odd.
Isn’t it great, this long weekend! 🙂 xx
Hi, Noeleen!
You mention risk. I wonder how much risk taking is acceptable. Is it these days really less safe to let children wander about? The risk was probably always there. However these days we want to play it extremely safe at all times. Have we become very afraid, or what?
On the other hand there are guns freely available to everyone who wants them. There’s always the danger of car-accidents, getting poisoned by too much processed food or junk food, over-prescription of drugs, ‘recreational’ drugs, luring kids into becoming smokers
. . . . . The list goes on. And how many kids wander the streets because they haven’t got a home to go to?
Sorry, that I neglected to process the pictures. Yes, I feel like I had a long weekend, which I needed very much. I feel much better now. Still I have to see the doctor tomorrow because of some trouble with my right leg. Was really very, very painful yesterday, but is getting much better now after having had a good rest. The sores in my mouth are healing beautifully. Soon I’ll be as good as new!
Hugs, Aunty Uta.
I visited your post becauce of the great comment you put on ‘Words fall from my eyes’ post.
All things are subject to time, they were wonderful times wandering in the bush with my bitsa dog Pinto. Carefree no one worried as long as I returned by sunset. Then as a youth my job riding the crane hook high up on the steel. No safety supervisors it was fun and a daring challenge. We have lost freedom it has been replaced by safety.
I never worry about sleep if I am tired I will sleep if not I can consciously dream.
It’s great to hear, Jack, that you had such a carefree wonderful time and enjoyed your freedom as a youngster.It’s good not to have to worry about sleep. Thanks for your comment and keep enjoying whatever you do. Wishing you a lovely week ahead! Cheerio, Uta.
My childhood was spent at a Moorebank it is built up now totally changed, Sydney is wonderful but Burleigh is better. GoldCoast Qld. is now home, when we are at home and not traveling in Matilda.
We are familiar with the Gold-Coast, Jack. Spent a few holidays there in the past. I think last time we were there was about four years ago. Next month we are off to Melbourne to visit our son. Not so long ago we were visiting Berlin, Germany. This used to be our home town a long, long time ago. We came to Australia in 1959 and love it here.
Cheerio, Uta.