[ExCTCitizen]

The 3 biggest families on my street were typical Catholic families, my dentist had 12 kids (yes, my dentist lived on my street), an aircraft engineer who worked with my dad) had 13 and an attorney/ judge had ‘only’ 10. What a great neighborhood...once we made a hot air balloon out of a trash bag, gasoline soaked rags and charcoal...it almost got the woods behind my friend’s house on fire...

[driftless2]

I will say in those days it was easy to get a mob of kids and go do something. Not as easy today. I guess many parents today don't like the idea of their one and only child cavorting outside by him or herself or with just one other friend.

Nevertheless, I can distinctly remember going many blocks from home on Halloween when I was four only accompanied by my brother who was a few years older. Nobody thought anything of it.