we had phones, just not cell phones. i didn't eat cereal, and i still don't. (however, as a young adult i did read boxes of celestial seasonings tea.) come to think of it, we didn't sit down together and have breakfast. my mom did chase me around the house as i fled for school, a slice of white bread in one hand and a tube of lipstick in the other, begging me to eat the bread and apply the lipstick, or at least that is what i THINK she intended. i read books in my room, not at table; when other kids were being sent to their rooms as punishment, ny punishment was that i was not allowed to go to mine, and had to sit in the living room with my parents while they watched whatever crap it was they were watching on tv. but then, my family WAS strange....

g

WHAT, you were ALLOWED to read at the Meal table?
IF I even dared to do so I'd cop a wallop across the back my head from my 'mother' that would be almost enough to knock the fillings out of my teeth.
Jeez Louise, I got stuck with Porridge that looked like plaster fit only for using on walls, tasted something like plaster as well and was barely edible to say the least.

I remember reading the cereal boxes when we were kids we would read the English first and then turn it around and read the French version also ,was fun did pick up quite a few words,can read a little French but not speak it all started with cereal boxes and i did a lot better with French in high school than i did English ,did not hurt our French teacher was a really beautiful lady,that is why i think why we all paid so much attention lol

Yes, we read cereal boxes.....but then ate that crap anyway...

Sometimes there were offers of free stuff on the back of the cereal box.

Riding a bike without protective gear. Climbing trees. Many other stuff!!!

Comic books and the Sunday paper Funnies!!!

I don't remember most of my childhood.

Reading: I don't remember reading cereal boxes...BUT sure to remember WOLFING DOWN that cereal so that I can go to School or go out to play(weekends).
Phone: But as the oldest of 4 brothers, there was Only that ole fashioned Wall Phone:
When it rang, ALL Four of Us instantly RAN the phone as we ALL screamed
"I GO IT!!!!"

Loved reading books and my parents encouraged me , mostly science fiction

As a kid and fast reader, I thought the milk carton label said "Damn Fresh."

"That's terrible to swear on a milk carton," I thought sleepily.

Turns out it said "Dawn Fresh."

What did you read on the toilet?

I remember that. I also remember some cereal boxes had records pressed on the cardboard as a promotion, which you could cut out and play on a record player.

I remember a promotional stunt where if you got enough coupons you would win a Batman Utility belt.
I became a genuine pest in a family that only ate corn flakes if it ate cereal at all demanding the cartoonish kids cereal. They bought one box to shut me up, and it was covered in Batman utility belt information. They never bought another box of it.
A few weeks after the deadline for the coupons I met a kid that got the belt.
It was an utter piece of crap.

When we were kids we played an anagram game at breakfast: how many words could we get out of the name of the cereal we were eating. As a result, we would always try new cereals, and look for ones with long names, just to keep the game more interesting!