9 Things People Raised In The 60s & 70s Would Be Embarrassed Not To Know How To Do
Elzbieta Sekowska | ShutterstockThere's something special about the resilience of people raised in the 60s and 70s, even if it did stem from a very independent upbringing. They were often left alone and taught to fend for themselves, which also meant they learned the hard way about a lot of practical things.
Whether it was chores or socializing with others, there are certain things people who grew up in this time would be embarrassed not to know how to do, but that young people today are sometimes still uncertain about.
60s and 70s kids would be embarrassed not to know how to do these things
1. Clean and launder clothes
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Forced to do chores from a young age without a lot of parental oversight, Gen X and boomer kids learned to do laundry on their own. They were ironing button-down shirts and separating darks from lights before they even became teenagers.
Even getting stains out is something this generation would be embarrassed not to know as grown adults, and yet, many young people still struggle with it without the same childhood lessons and experiences.
2. Mental math
Whether it's counting out change when paying with cash or doing basic addition in their heads at work, mental math is a skill that older generations were forced to learn. Many even still take pride in not having to pick up a calculator at all.
For young people, that's an entirely different story. With the convenience of their phones and calculators, many have become dependent on other things to work through basic problems, instead of practicing doing it internally in their heads.
It's a skill that feels innate to older generations, but to young people, it's dwindling quickly.
3. Cook from scratch
Many kids in the 60s and 70s learned to cook by doing. They took care of themselves at home and figured it out when they didn't have a parent to teach lessons. They made their own lunches and even contributed to family dinners when they were the only ones home.
Compared to young people today who are largely struggling with basic cooking skills from just watching their parents growing up, older generations have the skill perfected. In fact, if they were left without food delivery and frozen options, they'd probably be embarrassed to not know how to cook for themselves.
4. Get around without GPS
Many young people today are directionally challenged without their phone in the car. It started as a convenience, but now, so many people are dependent on technology and a charged phone to get to where they need to go.
Before cell phones, and in many cases before physical GPS systems, people who grew up in the 60s and 70s had no choice but to learn directions. They were either reading paper maps or memorizing how to get places. They had no other choice.
5. Small talk
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Part of Gen X's best traits stem from their independence as children, especially socially. They were raised to be self-reliant, speaking with people without a parental buffer and managing discomfort in new situations. As adults, small talk is an obligation, but also something they could probably do with little to no effort if they needed to.
Compared to young people suffering from social anxiety at the hands of technology, they boast a special skill that's dwindling quickly. Now, on a daily basis, they're equally shocked and embarrassed for others who don't have their innate social skills and awareness.
6. Drive a stick shift
Automatic cars are pretty much the norm for the vast majority today, especially younger generations. However, in the 60s and 70s, plenty of kids, sometimes even before getting a driver's license, were thrown into a stick shift vehicle to learn with their parents.
It was a skill they never second-guessed having, even with automatic cars today. It's likely something they'd be embarrassed not to know if they were ever in a situation where they had to drive one.
7. Parallel park
Most drivers struggle with parallel parking, but there's a generational difference. It's a part of life that older generations couldn't escape from. They had to drive and commute, and park their car in difficult spaces.
Today, plenty of young people are opting out of getting their driver's licenses entirely. They don't even want to be driving a car, let alone trying to park it on a busy street. For Gen Xers and boomers, it might be a skill they do regularly, but in the current world, it's also a badge of honor.
8. Write a check
Most older generations spent most of their young lives writing checks or, at the very least, watching their parents pay bills and balance their checkbook. It was a natural part of life, and an obligation of sorts. But kids today with Apple wallets or convenient alternatives don't even have to think about it.
Yes, they might have to Google how to address a check for taxes or a random bill, but even then, they're not stuck with just one option. Many young people aren't even looking at their bank accounts regularly. However, Gen Xers and boomers would probably be embarrassed to admit they don't know how to write a check, even if they'd prefer any other option.
9. Address a letter
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While print media and handwritten notes are certainly coming back into style as Gen Z shifts toward a more analog lifestyle, many still don't know how to address envelopes. Even going to the post office feels like a once-in-a-blue-moon activity, with the convenience of online communication constantly in their back pocket.
But it was a weekly, if not daily, part of life for kids who grew up in the 60s and 70s. Whether it was writing letters to family members or working an administrative job, there was no getting around physical mail.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
