The struggle was real. We had to deal with multi-party phone lines, cassette tapes that had to be rewound and the computer taking 45 minutes to load one game. Growing up without advanced technology at their fingertips is something our children will never understand about our childhood. So many of the things we did as children are becoming a lost art. Here are a few things that you can do with your child to show them how much it has changed!

Card catalog. Long gone are the days of spending countless hours flipping through cards in the card catalog! At most libraries the indexing is now on a computer, and a simple search will tell you where your book can be found. However, some libraries kept a sampling of the catalog, so call around to your local libraries (school and public) and find out who still holds this treasure!

Mailing a letter. Before there was internet, we physically wrote letters and mailed them, which baffles kids today! Have your children write a letter to a friend or relative using correct format. Then let them properly address the envelope, stick a stamp on it and personally deliver it to the post office. Contact your local post office before you go and ask if they can give your kids a tour, showing them the process.

Research with a real encyclopedia. We are all guilty of using online search engines to answer questions and provide information for school reports. Give your kids a few topics (fun ones!) and let them flip through an encyclopedia to gather information. They will be amazed at what they can find in those heavy books!

Develop pictures. In our day, we had to physically take the film to a photo center and wait a few weeks for the results. Let your kids experience the same! On the next outing, let the kids take photos of their favorite things. On the way home, stop by a photo developing center. While your photos will be on an SD card and not film, upload them the way they are (no editing!) and choose the longest developing time.

While this is just a glimpse of what childhood was like without technology, if your kids enjoyed the change, continue the adventure with your own childhood struggles. Now, go show your children exactly how vintage you are!

To your continued success,

CHEERS!

Cynthia and Sandra Kelsey