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[Mominohio]

I grew up in Ohio in the 1960's and 70's and we had no air conditioning in our home or our cars or our schools. We made it through, although often not comfortably!

We lived in an all brick house, and when bricks heat up in the sun all day, it takes them all night to cool down, and many nights, we could really drift off to sleep comfortably just as day was breaking. In school, the teacher might have one box fan and the windows open and between the heat making you sleepy, and the noise of the fan, it was hard to stay awake. Our hair was always a mess, riding with the windows all down in the car, to keep some air (regardless of how hot it was) moving. 

Our saving grace in those days was a day at the movie theater, or going to the mall or grocery store, where it felt like January and so refreshing! Playing outside with the hose and a sprinkler, going to the local swimming pool, riding bikes in your swimsuit during a rain all were ways we were able to cope.

We now have the luxury of air conditioning in our car, but only have had that since the late 90's, and still no central air in our house (just a window unit that honestly doesn't even cool the family room well in which it is installed. 

Most years we still get on. This year has been hotter more and longer than normal, and I'm over it and looking for some relief, especially from the humidity. 

[MrsSB]

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@Travone wrote:

I still don't have A/C.

Me either. Didn't have it as a young kid in So Cal or later in Napa Valley.  Just fans. Later as an adult with our own home, we put in a window unit in the living room but sure as heck didn't cool the whole house. We had hot days then, but not as many or as HOT as now.

Now in Hawaii, we depend on our trade winds, known here as natural A/C, which is turned on much of the time.  When they die sometimes in summer, we do suffer for a while.

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[SurferWife]

I always had A/C growing up.

[AuntG]

The windows of our small farmhouse were kept open and a fan sat in front of a side door. It was hot, but we managed. No one for miles around had air conditioning. 

[panda1234]

@qualitygal  Great question. No A/C in our 90 plus year old house. I remember nights when my parents would wake us up and drive up to my Aunt's house to sleep. She lived out in the country on a hill so it was always cooler at her house. What a hardship having no A/C.

[CJC]

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@SoCal Bred wrote:

Back in the day if you never had it, you'd never miss it. Growing up we did all right with what we had and accepted it.  We are spoiled today!   

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Yep. Grew up in an area of upscale but very large older homes where central air would not be an option. Hubby and I built first home in 1970. No a/c installed in any of the 100 homes by the builder. We added it to our home about 6 years later. A garage door opener was not standard on the new builds either, and we had a very heavy solid wood double garage door that's still looking great 50 years later....not a vinyl junk garage door like builders use today. My 1966 Pontiac LeMans was top of line model without a/c, but somehow I survived. 

[daisyk]

I'll be 60 next week. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed your hot summers as kids, but I was MISERABLE. I remember complaining all the time that it was too hot to sleep. I'm sure I was a delight for my mother. When I was 15 we finally got a window unit. I think my mom was going through menopause at the time and she was no longer as tolerant of the heat. I didn't have central air until I was 42. What a blessing! I never handled the heat well-

[Goodie2shoes]

Remember the box Fans ? we had those in several rooms

[Pixie12]

We had no AC and I can remember my mother lying on the wood floor in the hallway for relief. My sister and I thought she was over reacting. My poor Mom! We had to pray the rosary in school outside throughout the month of May. Children would be sweating and be on the verge of collapse. Classrooms were sweltering. At church we couldn't make paper fans because we had to make a "sacrifice". My dad would turn the TV to face outside so we could watch it while sitting on the lawn.

[jubilant]

We also had fans for night time. I don't remember the heat bothering me that much as a kid unless I had a sunburn.   Many times when playing out on a hot summer day we would throw the hose over a ladder and turn it on sprinkle and run under it.  A lot of times we just sat on a porch drinking home made lemonade, iced tea, or kool aid popsicles