My Upcoming Class Reunion Reminds Me of Things That Were Normal in the 80’s That Aren’t Normal Today

I remember my heart being broken when I didn't get a Valentine from my grade-school crush. Some schools have decided that hurt feelings should be a thing of the past by either banning Valentine's Day entirely or enforcing the "everyone gets a Valentine so there are no hurt feelings" policy. How do you expect kids to learn about broken hearts?! I guess something like that would probably never even happen today.

One of the responsibilities of being chosen as the 'Teacher's Helper' for the day, was clapping the erasers before going home at the end of the day. I remember standing under the awning of the elementary school building in a cloud of chalk dust, clapping the erasers together or against the brick wall, leaving white-powdery rectangles as a calling card. But today, chalkboards are few and far between, thanks to Smartboards and whiteboards.

What is the perfect gift for Mom on Mother's Day? How about Dad on Father's Day? Yes! A homemade ashtray from art class! Today, smoking is frowned upon and usually banned around any school.

There probably isn't a child of the 80's that hasn't heard the phrase, "Go stand in the corner!" This form of classroom punishment for misbehaving isn't as humiliating as wearing a 'dunce cap', but now standing the corner is widely considered to be a cruel and even corporal punishment.

I couldn't tell you the number of times I was terrified to enter gym class because of the fear that Mr. Jones would ask, "Who wants to play Dodgeball today?" The thought of being the sacrificial lamb while getting pelted with large rubber balls was never my favorite activity. Today, kids (like me) don't have to face that fear because the game of Dodgeball is being banned in the schools for being too violent and cruel.

In the 80's, this game was usually associated with kids that had no friends OR bullies! How many times did you see the lonely kid attempting to play tetherball, only to have the school bully come up, snag the ball and spike it over and over the other kid's head. Either way, the game of tetherball was added to the list of games that pose a "significant risk of injury" and taken away.

I remember the time when the school playground was a hot spot for kids either playing 'Cowboys and Indians', 'Cops and Robbers' or 'Army'. Nope, none of that can happen today, at least while the teacher is watching. Today these playground games promote "violence" and even pretending your hand is a gun can be grounds for suspensions thanks to zero tolerance weapons and violence policies. Oh, and who didn't have a giant "last day of school water fight"? I know we did, but today, even bringing a water gun to school is considered a big "no-no"!

One of the highlights of my year was being able to bring cupcakes THAT MY MOM MADE to share with the kids in my class. But with the number of allergies and the fact that childhood obesity continues to rise, homemade cupcakes are not allowed. Many schools have decided that all birthday treats are not allowed, while other schools only allow non-allergenic or healthy snacks.

I was never the athletic one in my small class. So when it came to picking teams in gym class, this popularity contest was never in my favor. The practice of picking teams still gives many adults nightmares! Is it any wonder why most schools no longer let kids pick their own teams?

The 80's were a time when school supplies could usually be - toxic! It wasn't always the "bad" kids sniffing the glue and markers, even the "good" kids had to try it at least once! But it's only a rumor that sniffing markers and glue led to the infamous smelling of the freshly rolled papers from the mimeograph machine!