From the age of 6, they took care of themselves From an early age, children learned independence. At 6-7 years old, when a child had already started school, they could come home from school, heat up their lunch (or just eat it cold). Some could even cook the simplest dishes — scrambled eggs or porridge. Parents could leave money for the child to buy bread or milk while they were away. Now everything is different. Children do not move around the neighborhood on their own at this age — it can be dangerous. They also cannot take care of themselves at that level. Soviet kids might consider today’s children helpless in some household matters. Helped with household chores Parents had a hard time. They could spend days at work. Children were required to help — particularly around the house. Girls were taught from an early age to sew on buttons, wash clothes, and mend torn clothing. Sweeping the floors was a sacred duty for every child back then. Boys, on the other hand, were taught to do manly work from childhood. For example, to fix an iron or a table lamp, or to adjust an antenna. With ordinary wire, they could build just about anything. For modern children, all this sounds strange. Getting a child to pick up their toys in the room is already a real miracle. Collected things Back then, this really mattered. Children collected everything — stamps, candy wrappers, badges, calendars, coins. Everyone aimed to add to their collection and rejoiced at each new item in it. Now, many children spend most of their time with gadgets, switching from smartphones to game consoles. If something is collected — for example, dolls or tanks — it is more for gaming purposes rather than collecting. Were not afraid of pain Children constantly scraped their elbows and knees outside. But they did not treat it as a tragedy. They would apply a burdock or plantain leaf and run off again. The fun continued, as no one wanted to be “sent home.” Now, if a child falls, it becomes a whole story. Screams throughout the yard and parents who do not know how to calm the crying child. Searched for information in libraries Today, there is a lot of information, and obtaining it is not that difficult. Just go online, and everything can be found. Important information does not need to be rewritten — just print it out and go. In the times of the USSR, everything was more complicated but more interesting. Children went to libraries, took books on loan, or sat in reading rooms and wrote down all the necessary information. To make a quality school report, it sometimes took sifting through about 10 books, but so much new information was learned and well retained in the mind. And what else? * Played dangerous games. Back then, boys ran around with pocket knives, carving bows and arrows, or sharpening pencils. Children played in garages and sometimes carried slingshots with them. * Knew how to communicate. At that time, live communication was a priority. Children played outside and knew how to make friends without social networks. There were simply no smartphones, tablets, or game consoles like today. * Took care of their belongings. In the USSR, children did not have as many toys as modern kids do. Therefore, they took care of everything and treated their belongings with care. * Labor lessons — as a foundation for life. Girls were taught to cook, sew, and knit. Boys were taught to make stools and birdhouses. * Did homework by themselves. Parents had no time to help their children with this. Children were more attentive. Did not write down the homework? Go to a classmate and find out. And no chats on social networks where parents learn everything for you.