20 Old-School Parenting Habits Some People Think We Should Bring Back ASAP

Is there a harder job in this world than being a parent? Frazzled moms and dads everywhere will tell you “no.” And these days, it seems like being a parent has gotten harder — why do many of us feel like we’re doing everything wrong, all the time? How did our parents do it? Well, they had a different approach — and this list of old-school parenting habits may just prove that they had the right idea.

20. Encourage children to play outside

“It used to be that kids went running off in their backyard or with friends and parents said, ‘Don’t come home until dinner,’” Dr. Tovah Klein told the Insider website in 2017. The writer of How Toddlers Thrive continued, “Nobody would do that today, but giving children freedom to play and be on their own seems very old-fashioned but is very good for kids.” In fact, it could even help sharpen their senses!

“Spending time outdoors fosters sensory and motor development, which actually lays the foundation for sensory organization,” Balanced and Barefoot writer Angela Lanscom informed Insider. “Being able to pay attention in school is reliant on that, being able to use the eyes to function and read. Being able to control their emotions also relies on being able to organize the senses.”

19. Make sure kids clean up after themselves

Growing up, we’re sure many of you remember the torment of hearing the following three words: “Clean your room.” This simple phrase caused so much angst and led to embarrassing levels of petulant arguing and complaining. Cleaning your room would eat up so much valuable Nintendo time, and it was boring, and why should you do it anyway? Mom will just do it in the end.

Well, at least that’s what we thought every time, despite the ratio of “mom stepping in” versus “mom saying ‘do it or there’ll be trouble’” being… not good. Anyway, now that we’re older we realize the value of getting kids to keep their own spaces tidy — it builds discipline, cultivates a sense of responsibility, and actually makes you feel better. So, it’s definitely something parents should still insist on today.