16 Old-Fashioned Solutions For Problems With The World Today

These days, lots of folks hardly know their neighbors at all, and don't make much of an effort.

Time was, you moved into a new neighborhood, and someone would be at your door before the day was out, bringing by a casserole or a cake to welcome you to the neighborhood.

As time went on, they might have an emergency key to your house, watch your pets while you were away, and stop by regularly for a chat and a cup of coffee!

Don't get us wrong, there's definitely something to be said for boxed cake mix when you're running low on time.

Still, almost everything can be bought pre-prepared these days at the grocery store, and solid cooking skills are going extinct as a result.

There's nothing quite like rolling out handmade dough, chopping fresh veggies by hand, and stirring sweet jam on the stovetop.

Plus, we'd probably be a lot healthier if we made everything we eat by hand!

"Kids these days" might be a bit of a cliche, but it's a cliche for a reason.

Young people just don't know how to show respect to their elders, even though older people laid the groundwork for everything they have.

We were raised to always greet older folks politely, to hold doors and offer seats, and to listen respectfully when they spoke.

We're not saying we should let kids just run absolutely wild, but don't you miss jumping in puddles and skinning your knees?

Between technology and standardized testing, childhood is getting shorter and shorter all the time, and it doesn't help that lots of parents are afraid to let their little ones out of their sight.

Kids should have as many opportunities as possible to climb trees, dig in the dirt, and generally get into scraps. It's the best way to learn!

It's hard to turn on the TV anymore; there's so much trash playing 24 hours a day.

We're not above a little bit of light entertainment, but back in the "olden days" they knew how to put together a quality program that fostered family time.

Even better, radio and TV shows always came on at the same time and were done when their time was up; nobody had invented "binge-watching" yet.

Growing up, there was absolutely nothing better than showing up on school picture day wearing something that your mom had run up herself on her old Singer, especially if she was a good seamstress.

When you wore a handmade frock or snuggled up under a crochet afghan, you knew that it had been made with love and affection in every stitch.

Nowadays, people buy low-quality "fast fashion" and go through clothes like it's nothing! They don't know what they're missing.

When we were growing up, people knew how to take their time and really enjoy a moment.

Instead of rushing off to separate corners of the house as soon as possible, families spent their spare time in each other's company.

People knew the value of just sitting quietly on the porch with a loved one, without any agenda or big plan for the evening.

Used to be, in high school, everyone picked up practical skills like cooking or woodworking or auto repair.

You didn't have to be a technical whiz to tinker with your car engine or replace a part and get it running good as new again!

Not to mention, having all of these handy skills definitely saved lots of money that might have been spent at the tailor or the mechanic.

Every kid I know complains about school day in and day out, but they should really take a moment to thank their lucky stars.

Now, just about every child has access to education, but they don't always appreciate how amazing it is.

There was a time when lots of kids were too poor or too isolated to go to school.

If they did go, it might mean a long commute, and parents scrimping and saving to make it work.

Thanks to social media, it seems like just about everyone is obsessed with airing "dirty laundry."

Sure, we miss hanging clean laundry out on the line, but you kept your dirty laundry, aka your private life, well, private.

Health troubles and heartbreak were for trusted friends and family only, not for the whole wide internet to ogle at.

People in the past knew how to save a penny, and they were better for it.

Sure, spending beyond your means is as old as money itself, but people were a lot more careful with their own resources.

Adults lived modestly and didn't waste a scrap, and kids knew that if they wanted a special treat, be it a bike or a candy bar, they had to save up and buy it themselves.

It feels like family dinner is a lost art these days, with people either eating separately or being distracted the whole time by the TV or a smartphone.

We remember eating dinner as a family every single night, and having an enjoyable, well-balanced meal full of great food and great conversation.

It's a busy world, but don't we owe it to ourselves to carve out a nice old-fashioned family dinner at least once a week?

How many times lately have you seen a young person totally ignore someone who might need a hand?

This never would have happened back in our day, when kids were taught to reach out and be good citizens whenever possible.

Whether that means helping a young mom load her stroller into the car or walking an older person across the street, these values ought to be timeless.

"Romance" is such a loaded word in this age of dating apps and casual flings.

People don't know the power of taking things slowly and conducting a courtship thoughtfully the way they used to.

Young men and women used to really date before they took any other steps, and their relationships were happier and more fulfilled as a result.

Customer service is a lost art. If you've ever been rushed out of a high-turnover restaurant to seat a new table, you know what I'm talking about.

And it's not just restaurants—it used to be that everyone in customer service, from your grocery clerk to your bellhop, was friendly, reliable, and helpful.

People still offer the adage "the customer is always right," but it's been a long time since we lived it.

Here's the biggest problem with the world today: Nobody is out on the back porch, listening to Grandma tell a story and helping her shell peas for supper.

It might seem like such an insignificant thing, but it's easy to underestimate the power of really paying attention to tradition and to the wisdom of those who came before you.

We all ought to take this opportunity to slow down, take a seat, and give Grandma the floor—she knows what she's talking about.

If you agree that people these days could learn a few lessons from the past, make sure to SHARE with friends and family!