Things we did as kids, that could have killed us.
9 Things From Your Past That Almost Killed You
What kid doesn’t experience their fair share of bumps and bruises growing up? It’s a part of childhood. However, there are some things from your past that are probably best left behind.
Check out the following list of things from your childhood that seemed fun at the time but were extremely dangerous.
1. Riding in the Bed of a Truck
Many grown adults may remember the freedom of riding in the bed of a pickup. What with the wind blowing in your hair, the bugs plastering your forehead, and your knuckles white from clenching any support you could find, who’d have ever imagined that riding completely unrestrained in the bed of a truck would be considered dangerous?
2. Playing Lawn Darts
Lawn darts were a staple at backyard barbecues and company picnics for years. Just imagine the picturesque scene: smell of hot dogs wafting from the grill, the sun slowly setting along the trees, and dozens of football sized metal darts raining from the sky as Uncle Bill’s toss goes wild and sends everyone running.
3. Not Wearing a Helmet
Even as recent as a decade ago, the helmet laws in the United States were pretty lax. However, after recognizing an uptick in head-related injuries, these little noggin-protectors became mandatory. If you’re out for a ride, make sure it’s with a helmet.
4. Your Atomic Energy Lab
Not everyone will remember these, but in the ’50s and early ’60s, you could purchase – and play with – your very own Atomic Energy Lab, complete with real uranium and radium. That’s no joke, Einstein. Not surprisingly, these science kits were discontinued for only about a billion different safety reasons.
5. Not Riding in a Car Seat
Some adults remember not ever using car seats to transport their tykes. In fact, it wasn’t until the mid-to-late 1980s that mandatory car seat laws passed throughout the United States. Ask almost anyone over the age of 30, and they’ll tell you all about laying in the backseat during the family’s annual road trip.
6. Sky Dancers
Who could possibly forget the hours of fun-filled playtime with these plastic flying pieces of potential head wounds? As it turns out, probably a lot. Among other common injuries were concussions that happened while fleeing these errant hand-held helicopters, not to mention scratched corneas and facial lacerations.
7. Waiting in the Car
As kids, we all recognized that going to the grocery store was a boring mundane ritual of riding uncomfortably in those wire-shopping carts. So, undoubtedly, you begged Mom or Dad to stay in the car while they shopped. Even in the middle of summer! After untold emergencies related to heatstroke and – in some cases – death, this a definite no-go for today’s parents.
8. Easy-Bake Ovens
You probably remember this little, timeless home bakery. Who doesn’t love the idea of making mini brownies in your bedroom as a kid? As it turns out, these ovens were a little too hot to handle, causing serious burns and even leading to house fires in some cases.
9. Not Wearing Seatbelts
Maybe you remember hopping in the car and flying down the highway. Only in the past 15 years or so has the message about wearing your seatbelt become a nationwide concern. After many states passed mandatory seatbelt laws, we’ve seen a dramatic decrease in vehicle related deaths. So remember, buckle up – it could (and probably will) save your life.
Stay Safe and Sound
It’s said that with age comes wisdom. We hope, even if your childhood was filled with these daredevil experiences, that you’ll know what’s best when it comes to safety nowadays.
Even now, when we do the right thing, there can still be accidents or dangerous products that cause injury, such as defective seatbelts, recalled airbags, anddangerous toys.