You had to be how old before you could…?

I had to be 19 before I could get my CDL, and it was still 25 before I did get it.

@SQUEEKY2 What is a CDL?

I had to be 13 before I was allowed to make decisions about my hair (length, style, color). I was supposed to be 15 before I could have a BB gun, but my grandfather gave me one anyway when I turned 12.

@Pied_Pfeffer Commercial driver’s license.

I don’t think I had age-based restrictions, that I remember. They were more based on merit and rational reasons, like having to convince my mom I understood knife safety and took it seriously and promised to always cut away from myself, not toward myself, before she’d let me have a pocket knife (I think I was about 4 or 5… not sure).

I had to be 19 before I got my CDL (California Drivers License). Or, more precisely, my brother had to be 18. I am a year older, and my parents were doing everything to delay his getting his license. Holding me back was an argument that he needed to wait.
It didn’t work. My brother forged my parents signature on the application.

Six to ride my bike around the block.

Twelve to receive a monthly sum rather than weekly pocket money.

Thirteen to own a dog. Originally, it was always “When you’re nine and we have a house with a backyard”, but we still lived in a fairly small apartment when I turned nine. I cried for most of that birthday. The new goal became thirteen, I got a lovely puppy, and that birthday contained no crying whatsoever.

I had to be 16 before I could get my CADL, and I got it when I was 17.

I had to be 21 before I could vote. That was in 1968, in the CA presidential primary.

@Pied_Pfeffer

I think CDL=Canadian Driver’s License.

@Brian1946 Je Suis answered it above correctly, I believe.

I had to be twelve before I could decide what length I wanted my hair and fourteen before I could get my ears pierced.

Edit: Canadian I’m sure Jessie’s Man is correct. ;p

My family doesn’t do age-based rewards. It’s more about consistent trustworthy behavior and good decisions. Same as @Zaku.

First thing I thought of was when I had my ears pierced before I even read your example. I had to be 8 years old to get mine pierced. I’m shocked you had to wait until 16. Were you one of the last of your friends, or was that common where you grew up?

I can’t think of anything else age related imposed by my parents. When I started cutting and dying my hair my mom never said anything. My mom wanted me to wait longer to start shaving my legs but I wasn’t in trouble when I did it. When I wanted to wear a little bit of a heel she let me.

Edit: if everything had been by age I would have likely been behind all of my friends for most everything, because I was the youngest in my grade. Although, there were plenty of times I was allowed to do things before my friends. I think my mom had the attitude of pick your battles. Plus, my parents were just very liberal in how they parented. They expected us to self govern I guess.

I thought CDL meant Commercial Driver’s License?

16 before I could drive or go out with a boy in his car. My dad told me he wanted me to be able to throw the boy out of the car and drive myself home.

@Dutchess_III I love that! I wasn’t allowed to leave the house without money so I could get myself home or make a call to my parents. I was allowed to wear heels, but not very high, because I had to be able to run.

I don’t remember having anything like that in my family. My younger sister and brothers might have, but I was not one to push the limits, so my parents really didn’t have to do much to keep me in line. At least, not until I went to college in the mid-sixties…but that’s another story altogether.

At 18 I pierced my own ears, secretly, after everyone was in bed, and didn’t ask first. There was no rule in place because such a thing had never even occurred to my parents. They would have said no, though, probably no matter how old I was.

In bringing up my own kids, it was more behavioral than arbitrary:

• (once they were in school) You can stay up as late as you want, just so long as you can get up in time for school.
• You can’t say that word until you understand what it means and also what effect it has when people hear you say it.
• You can have a raise in allowance when you write down how much you want and why you think you should get it.

This pertained mainly to privileges. Some other things were more restrictive, some less so.

I don’t know about “had to be”, but…

I was 10 when I got a house key and was left alone after school until my folks came home.

I was 12 when I got my first summer job, bundling flowers at my uncle’s shop.

I was 15 when I started working year ‘round.

I was also 15 when I went on my first date. It was terrible.

I want to add that I didn’t think my mother’s permissions for what I could do at 12 and 14 were unfair. She gave me a wide scope for decision making in most things and the ages for hair length and ear piercings seemed fair.

With my sons, I don’t remember having many age restrictions but we did try to teach them financial values. They had a limit on what could be spent on a pair of sneakers and when they were sophomores or there abouts and wanted certain specific clothes, I gave them a budget on what they could spend each season on clothes and then they could make their own choices.

Sorry about your date @cookieman. Care to tell us about it?

No dating until 16. I kept the same rule for my kids. They didn’t mind….it’s like a relief for teens who aren’t really ready. Their SOs just camped out at my house on weekends. Just fine with us.

I didn’t have any rules about having to be a certain age for anything. I didn’t want my ears pierced and didn’t get them until I was around 18 but my mom would have let me if I wanted it. My hair, I don’t remember there being any rules about the length or style when I was a teen.

I didn’t have any urge to get a driver’s license until my best friend got her permit, when I was 18, so that’s when I became interested in pursuing it. I didn’t have a boyfriend until around 10th grade. My mom was pretty easy going but I wasn’t one that was pushing any issues either.

A CDL is a Commercial Driver’s License, @filmfann and @Brian1946 not a Californira or Canadian Driver’s License. It enables drivers to drive trucks and other large vehicles, and it requires special training.

I don’t remember any arbitrary age restrictions and I wasn’t one for pushing boundaries anyway. I didn’t wear long trousers until I started secondary school but everyone else did the same. I had a job from the age of 14 and could spend the money as I liked but I saved most of it. I had no interest in cars but was encouraged to pass my driving test when I reached 17.

I think when siblings are close in age sometimes age is used as away to make things fair by some parents. Each child having to wait until age 14 to go to the mall alone with friends for instance. I guess the mall is from my generation, I don’t know if kids do that now. Most of the time I think younger children get to do things at younger ages than their siblings.

If the kids are many years apart all the old rules with the first child might be loosened up.

My parents didn’t use age restriction (or the letting go of those), rather permission was given based on there being a feeling/recognition of responsibility.
Needless to say I got my first bicycle when I turned 23.

I cant recall an age restrictions for me. Both the sisters had them. For certain things.