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11 Boomer Character Traits That Were Developed as Latchkey Kids
Retirely ^ | 2/5/25 | Ron Clendenin

Posted on 03/15/2025 12:11:33 PM PDT by DallasBiff

Coming home to an empty house, managing homework without reminders, and making your own snacks wasn’t just part of the routine—it was the training ground for life. Boomer latchkey kids didn’t have helicopter parents hovering over every decision, which meant they developed character traits that today’s hyper-scheduled kids might never experience. Independence wasn’t a choice; it was the default setting.

While some might call it “neglect,” those solo afternoons shaped resilient, resourceful adults with a unique blend of grit, adaptability, and unshakable confidence.

(Excerpt) Read more at retirely.co ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; History; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: boomers; generationx; latchkeykids; traits
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To: ansel12

lol. Us kids loved it when we were alone. I loved being alone. All you hear today is the need for “me time”. What kind of kid pines for mommy or daddy when the are by themselves? The ones who are raised by helicopter over protective parents.

Of course it was a miracle any of my younger siblings survived this alone time.


81 posted on 03/15/2025 1:39:30 PM PDT by FreedomNotSafety
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To: jimtorr

Dirt clods and a drainage ditch, true gifts for boys, about as good a playground as boys can get.


82 posted on 03/15/2025 1:42:08 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: gnarledmaw
I'll never forget for the first time visiting the home of my future in-laws and seeing a state-of-the-arts Amana Touchmatic Radarange microwave oven 1967 model.   I thought they must be rich.   I'm sure they must have thought the same about my family though.
83 posted on 03/15/2025 1:43:29 PM PDT by higgmeister (In the Shadow of The Big Chicken! )
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To: DallasBiff

I mostly learned about music. With unfettered access to my mom’s library I had a lot of fun. And I learned not to like people, people would interrupt the music.


84 posted on 03/15/2025 1:44:26 PM PDT by discostu (like a dog being shown a card trick)
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To: ansel12

Boomers didn’t have remotes.


85 posted on 03/15/2025 1:45:45 PM PDT by Thud
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To: stanne

Kids didn’t have convenience foods? What were the little kids cooking for themselves?


86 posted on 03/15/2025 1:46:15 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: Thud

Boomers were outdoors anyway, TV was for evenings and Saturday morning.


87 posted on 03/15/2025 1:47:49 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: ansel12

“ Kids didn’t have convenience foods? What were the little kids cooking for themselves?”

No boomer was cooking for themselves in an empty house after school

There was not a lot of eating between meals. We were all skinny. Seriously.


88 posted on 03/15/2025 1:48:03 PM PDT by stanne (Because they were mesmerized by Obama, the man for whom this was named, whose name they left out of )
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To: GingisK

Yes, because a lot of Boomers’ parents were divorced, like my brothers and I.


89 posted on 03/15/2025 1:49:06 PM PDT by Thud
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To: ansel12

I was taught various ways (pre-microwave) to reheat left overs. In recent years I’ve rediscovered the pan fry reheat method, it’s actually really good and lets you basically reinvent the food, with various things to simmer in and spices it can actually be quite fun, and rescue the occasional bad meal.


90 posted on 03/15/2025 1:50:02 PM PDT by discostu (like a dog being shown a card trick)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

“ There is some cross over of course but most people seem to think everyone born before 1990 was a Boomer.

They were not.”

Boomers are by definition the children of WWII fighters

The tail end is debatably 1959. Period.


91 posted on 03/15/2025 1:50:29 PM PDT by stanne (Because they were mesmerized by Obama, the man for whom this was named, whose name they left out of )
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To: ansel12
Microwave ovens became available to the general public in 1967 ( yes, I looked it up ), but at that time, I didn't know ANYONE who had one. They became more plentiful decades later, so no,the vast majority of BOOMERS would NOT be using them as you claim.

Were some BOOMERS "latchkey kids"? Yes, but not many. It was a very different time and one that was very "child centered", as had been several previous generations.

92 posted on 03/15/2025 1:52:29 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: stanne

Are you female? A lot of boomers wanted to eat between school lunch at 11:30 and mom getting home about 6:00 or 6:30.


93 posted on 03/15/2025 1:54:43 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: DallasBiff

Late boomer (early 60’s). Mom was stay at home until Iwas about 11-12 when she decided to do her own thing. It became my favorite tome of day, coming home to an empty house, having friends over, snacking, watching tv.

Mom and dad came home about 6. Loved that 3 hours of freedom.


94 posted on 03/15/2025 1:57:20 PM PDT by LeoTDB69
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To: Thud

That is a sad thing. Mine stayed married the whole time. After I graduated from high school my mother killed herself.


95 posted on 03/15/2025 1:57:24 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: nopardons

“””” so no,the vast majority of BOOMERS would NOT be using them as you claim.””””

LOL, I didn’t say that and read the thread about the microwave usage.
As far as “boomers”, I’m not even sure why the writer chose to use the word boomers.


96 posted on 03/15/2025 2:01:15 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: madison10
I was born in the early 50’s, so was a Boomer who came of age in the 60’s.

We lived in shall-town America where my dad ran a small jewelry store while mom stayed home and raised five kids.

Our house wasn’t Ozzie Nelson or Ward Cleaver-level but it was nice enough, but there were three meals a day, and later in my childhood we were able to afford two cars and an occasional family vacation.

My point is that there was a time in America when one income could support a family quite nicely, while one parent (usually the mom) was able to provide a safe haven for the children and a set of rules and morals to live by.

It really wasn’t that long ago.

Too bad it’s only a memory.

97 posted on 03/15/2025 2:03:49 PM PDT by daler
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To: higgmeister

Right.

A mustang was something like $2700 and the radarange was $400.

An internet calculator says thats about $4500 today.

Imagine someone trying to sell someone a machine to warm a cup of coffee for $4500 today.

You would really need to question that persons fiscal responsibility. Certainly not anything a blue collar had at home.


98 posted on 03/15/2025 2:04:50 PM PDT by gnarledmaw (If you dont like my sense of humor, please let me know so I can laugh at you too.)
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To: stanne

The boomer generation is that born from 1946 to 1964.


99 posted on 03/15/2025 2:05:09 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: ansel12

Yes. All those things. In retrospect it was a fun childhood. The only thing I regret is that I never took up karate or became a black belt. That would have helped out.


100 posted on 03/15/2025 2:08:37 PM PDT by DeplorablePaul
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