Hi there,

Have you watched Stranger Things yet? If you haven’t you must have heard your kids rambling about it. I know mine do. Fun fact: We watch it together. Yes, it may be slightly inappropriate for my 10-year-old, but whatever! 

But it's not just kids who love this show. Parents are equally obsessed. And it's not because of the Demogorgons or the Upside Down. It's the nostalgia.

Watching it made me realize something… We've lost a lot of what made childhood magical back then. Can we bring some of it back?

So today, I'm breaking down what Stranger Things gets right about childhood, and what we can actually learn from the 80s (without, you know, the bloody scary stuff).

 Why Parents Are Obsessed

If you grew up in the late 80s or 90s, Stranger Things hits different. The show doesn't just reference the 80s - it recreates it in painstaking detail.

What They Got Right:

The Setting: 

The show was actually filmed here in Atlanta, where I live. One of the houses they use in the show (Steve’s house) is three doors down from my uncle's house. His neighbourhood is old - he bought his house in the 70s - so that whole area still looks like the 80s. They shut down the street, lit it up at night to make it look like daytime, and recreated that era perfectly.

The Family Dynamics: 

Families ate breakfast together. Kids came home for dinner. There was a rhythm to family life that feels almost foreign now. Everyone rushes out the door in the morning with a granola bar. We don't sit down together anymore.

The Toys: 

Every toy in the show is from the 80s. Action figures, board games, bikes - all of it authentic. And if you grew up in that era, you remember those toys. You probably had them too.

The Music: 

The entire soundtrack is 1980s music. And it's not just background noise - it's integral to the story. Parents hear those songs and instantly get transported back.

The Clothes: 

The fashion is making a comeback now because it was trendy back then. High-waisted jeans, oversized jackets, bold patterns. It's all there.

Why Kids Are Obsessed

For kids, it's simpler. They love the adventure.

It's a group of kids fighting a common enemy. There's humor, there's suspense, there's friendship. And the kids in the show feel real - they're not perfect, they argue, they make mistakes, but they're loyal to each other.

It's also just a well-made show. The storytelling is tight, the characters are compelling, and even though it gets scary, kids who can handle it are totally drawn in.

Pro Tip: 

If your younger kids do watch it, don't let them watch it right before bed. They will have a hard time sleeping. Trust me on this.

What the 80s Got Right (That We've Completely Lost)

Watching Stranger Things is a reminder of what childhood used to look like. And honestly? Some of it we should bring back.

1. Kids Had Real Independence

Kids as young as 10 or 11 would just meet up, hop on their bikes, and ride around town without adult supervision. No one was tracking them on an app. No one was hovering. They just... went outside and played.

And that was normal.

Now? That's unthinkable. We don't let our kids bike around the neighborhood alone. We don't let them walk to school by themselves. We're terrified of what might happen.

2. Families Actually Ate Together

I've talked about this before in the newsletter, but eating together matters. It's one of the unspoken rules in our house - we eat dinner together, no screens, no distractions. We talk about our day and the usual stuff. 

Because that's when we connect, that's when we hear about everyone's day. That's when we actually talk.

3. Kids Played Outside (A Lot)

In Stranger Things, kids are constantly outside. Riding bikes, playing in the woods, exploring. They're not glued to screens. They're not scrolling TikTok. They're just... outside.

And yeah, part of that is because the show takes place before smartphones existed. But part of it is also cultural. Kids spent more time outside because that's where their friends were.

Now? Kids are inside on screens because that's where their friends are. They're texting, gaming, and FaceTiming. The social life has moved online.

4. Friendships Were Built in Person

The kids in Stranger Things have deep, loyal friendships. And those friendships were built through hours of in-person time. Riding bikes together. Playing Dungeons & Dragons. Hanging out in basements.

There was no texting. No Snapchat. No "streaks." If you wanted to see your friends, you had to see them (literally) 

5. There Was Less Pressure to Be Perfect

In the 80s, kids weren't posting their lives online. They weren't comparing themselves to influencers. They weren't worried about looking perfect in every photo.

They were just... kids. Awkward, messy, figuring-it-out kids. And honestly? That's what childhood should be.

What Does This All Mean

We can't go back to the 80s. And honestly, we wouldn't want to in every way. But we can take the good parts - the independence, the outdoor play, the family dinners, the unstructured time - and weave them back into our kids' lives.

Because childhood doesn't have to be this overscheduled, screen-dominated, anxiety-filled thing.

It can still have magic. It can still have adventure. It can still have freedom.

We just have to be intentional about creating it.

That's all for today's issue, parents! 💗

Inside the Laid-back Parent’s Internet History this week: 

🔖 READ: The Rise of Free-Range Parenting (And Why It Matters)

🔖 READ: I Finally Watched "Stranger Things" and I’m Obsessed 

🔖 READ: How to Give Your Kids More Independence (Safely)

🔖 READ:The Science of Why Family Meals Matter

Note for My Fellow -Back Parents 📧

Let them walk to a friend's house alone. Eat dinner together without screens. Go outside and just play.

Small shifts create big changes. And your kids will feel the difference.

See you next week,
Lakshmi 💛