Childhood

There was never such a thing as a dysfunctional child,
They've only come about since do-gooders have run wild.
Mums told us "in our lives we'd eat a peck of dirt,
You can't go through life with a little hurt".

We ate whatever was served for us at our school dinner.
No beef burger, no pizza, but then we were so very much thinner.
One cutting board lasted us for life,
Cut us everything with just one knife.

Our mum washed veg and meat in the sink.
At school we wrote our essay with pen and ink.
Never had a fridge much less a bloody freezer.
For all we knew E.coli was the name of some poor geezer.

We were not allowed to play at the local park.
It was, play in the street till it got too dark,
Attended all gym classes no one made a fuss;
Just put on our plimsolls, they were good enough for us.

No fancy trainers, all air-cushioned with reflectors.
No mobile phones with built in lie detectors.
TV wasn't invented yet, nor that other lot.
Listened to the radio that was all we got.

Discipline, the belt, strap, or the slipper;
Not up to your bedroom you naughty little nipper.
What kind of punishment, and why's all the fuss?
The kids got more stuff up there than they got in Toys 'r Us!

And when you had a little hurt, a kiss, a wipe, ruffle your hair;
Told "you're all right, now get back in there!"
After that treatment you soon felt better,
No days off school with 'excuse me' letter.

Things for us they were a little bit rougher,
But when I think we grew up the tougher.
We know they weren't the 'good old days',
But we were better off in many ways.