There was a time when food didn’t have labels, parenting advice came mostly from vibes, and no one was worried about what anything meant.
It was the 80s.
We didn’t know better. We were fine with that.
1. Snacks were considered food
Twinkies. Ding Dongs. HoHos. Those orange peanut butter crackers that tasted like salt and ambition.
If it was shelf-stable and came individually wrapped, it was lunch.
No one asked questions.
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2. Drinks came in colors with no known origin
Kool-Aid glowed.
Soda was a casual afternoon choice.
Milk came in cartons and somehow tasted better at school.
Water was there.
No one was excited about it.
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3. “Go outside” was a complete plan
You went out in the morning.
You came back when the streetlights turned on or when someone yelled your name loud enough.
No phones. No check-ins.
Just bikes, scraped knees, and a loose understanding of time.
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4. Car safety was more of a suggestion
You stood up in the back seat.
You leaned over the front.
You rode home with groceries on your lap and confidence in your heart.
Seatbelts existed. They just weren’t… central.
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5. Cartoons were absolute chaos
No lessons.
No sensitivity checks.
Just anvils, explosions, and the belief that characters could survive anything.
Which, honestly, set expectations.
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6. Big hair and rock ballads were taken very seriously
Hair was tall.
Sleeves were rolled.
Every song was about love, loss, or leaving town dramatically.
We didn’t question it.
We just felt it — deeply — usually while staring out a car window.
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7. Pain was part of the experience
Metal slides in July.
Bikes with no helmets.
Yard games that definitely shouldn’t have existed.
If you were bleeding, someone handed you a towel and told you to walk it off.
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8. We trusted that adults knew what they were doing
They didn’t.
But they held coffee with authority and watched the news every night, and that felt official.
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We didn’t count calories.
We didn’t optimize childhood.
We didn’t know Twinkies were bad for us.
And somehow, we remember it fondly.
Just a few things that stuck.
Save what works. Skip what doesn’t.
Some snacks were worth it.