No Leash, No Limits

Remember skipping school as a Gen Xer? Back when freedom was just a forged note and a fake phone call away. We didn’t have digital leashes, like apps that sent attendance alerts straight to our parents. No, we had to be creative. Practicing our parents’ signatures during class wasn’t just a boredom buster, it was an art form. By 15, I could sign my mom’s name better than she could.

Caller ID? It was nonexistent. My neighbour and I were next-level when it came to calling in sick for each other—scripts, disguised voices, we were fully committed. Or maybe committable is more likely? Sometimes it went hilariously wrong—like the time a transport truck roared by mid-call, blowing our “parental” cover.

Once excused, the possibilities were endless: sneaking into R-rated movies, aimlessly driving around, or just watching TV while eating a McCain Deep and Delicious cake straight from the tray. Then there was my ultimate misstep: skipping school to go crop touring. Nothing says “heat score” to the cops like five teenagers speeding down dirt roads, when they should be in biology class.

Now, I can’t even slam my kid with a well-placed “When I was your age.” It doesn’t apply. They live in a completely different universe: Gen X Freedom vs. Gen Z Surveillance. We had guts and ingenuity; today’s kids have digital attendance systems, social media snitches, and GPS trackers. We had notes, not notifications. Today, the moment your kid goes off-grid, a SWAT team of texts from mom isn’t far behind.

And honestly? I’m glad it’s harder for them to skip school. That’s when bad things can happen—trouble with the law, fights, or worse. Knowing it’s not easy for my kid to cut class gives me peace of mind… even if it robs them of the thrill of rebellion, and a tonne of memories. We were the masters of the last analog era. No TikTok, just courage, creativity, and a knack for convincing authority figures we were “sick”. And let’s be real—our kids will never know what they missed. Literally.

 

Janet Smith is a proud mom of one daughter and a marketing professional who is grateful for her rural roots in the London area. Follow Janet’s funny and honest journey at IG & TT | @re.marketable.janet or FB | @janetsiddallsmith