Can’t believe I forgot to give my kids the bumps

Bellavida99 · 2025-10-24T10:35:10+00:00

Kids are young adults. Randomly just remembered giving people the bumps on their birthdays and now I’m gutted we never did it with the kids. Has anyone had the bumps in the last 40 years?

verycloakanddaggers · 24/10/2025 16:49

Bellavida99 · 24/10/2025 16:26

You’re all right it was always school friends, parties and at brownies etc we did the bumps not parents. I’m still sad it’s not a thing anymore. I don’t recall any dangerous injuries but I do remember people letting go of the head end before the foot end when bumps had finished and always dropping people on their heads. Oh the good old days 🤣

Well yes exactly. This is why it went out of favour - most people prefer their children avoid getting dropped on the head!

JohnTheRevelator · 24/10/2025 16:37

I always thought the bumps was a school playground thing? I can remember,at the age of 10 (this was in 1973) hiding in the toilets on my birthday to avoid just this,as they were so rough!

Original poster

Bellavida99 · 24/10/2025 16:27

Lincslady53 · 24/10/2025 15:15

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That video is rubbish - they didn’t do one for luck at the end!

OP posts:

Original poster

Bellavida99 · 24/10/2025 16:26

You’re all right it was always school friends, parties and at brownies etc we did the bumps not parents. I’m still sad it’s not a thing anymore. I don’t recall any dangerous injuries but I do remember people letting go of the head end before the foot end when bumps had finished and always dropping people on their heads. Oh the good old days 🤣

OP posts:

Lincslady53 · 24/10/2025 15:15

W0tnow · 24/10/2025 13:41

I’ve no idea what you mean? Can someone explain?

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SpikeGilesSandwich · 24/10/2025 15:13

That’s one thing that really should not be brought back! I hated it and it was ridiculously dangerous, even at a time when most things were and it was ok.

notacooldad · 24/10/2025 15:12

As far as I'm aware, 'the bumps' hasn't been a thing for someone's birthday sicne the 1970s! Have you got platform shoes, and a stylophone too
I was in primary school in the 60s and 70s and it wasnt something we did.
( I had platforms and a stylophone though!)

notacooldad · 24/10/2025 15:10

@BoudiccaRuled
Our kids know all about the random details in our multicultural childhoods. We discuss everything under the sun. And they've watched Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and Creature Comforts.
Yes, same with my own kids.
I was talking about the teenagers that I work with.

CheeseWisely · 24/10/2025 15:08

Zov · 24/10/2025 14:24

As far as I'm aware, 'the bumps' hasn't been a thing for someone's birthday sicne the 1970s! Have you got platform shoes, and a stylophone too @Bellavida99 ??!!

It was definitely a thing at my primary school in the late 80s. Can’t say I miss it!

RedRec · 24/10/2025 15:00

Always painful, often ended in injuries. No wonder it died out.

BoredZelda · 24/10/2025 14:54

I hated this. It was very unpleasant.

LBFseBrom · 24/10/2025 14:49

I never had the bumps nor gave the bumps. That was usually only done at school from what I remember. My birthday came during the Christmas holidays so I never had them but I do remember some kids getting the bumps at school on their birthday, not often though.

BoudiccaRuled · 24/10/2025 14:45

notacooldad · 24/10/2025 14:14

My 14 year old asked what a cassette is the other day
If you think thats bad, one of the teenagers i work with didnt know what an ipod was. I thought it was a one off but age showed the group mine and none of them knew what it was either!

Our kids know all about the random details in our multicultural childhoods. We discuss everything under the sun. And they've watched Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and Creature Comforts.
Not discussing your past with kids leaves a hole in their history - adoption being an example of this to extremes.

welshweasel · 24/10/2025 14:33

We used to do it at boarding school, we used a duvet. I don’t recall any serious injuries!

ninjahamster · 24/10/2025 14:30

Was a big thing when I was growing up! Never did it with my own children (I’m 51).

verycloakanddaggers · 24/10/2025 14:26

Salvadoridory · 24/10/2025 14:22

Are some people really like this or is it satire? Jesus

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People at school used to get really hurt, that's why it stopped happening.

Didn't usually get done to girls, just boys in our school.

It was absolutely brutal!

Zov · 24/10/2025 14:24

As far as I'm aware, 'the bumps' hasn't been a thing for someone's birthday sicne the 1970s! Have you got platform shoes, and a stylophone too @Bellavida99 ??!!

ScrambledEggs12 · 24/10/2025 14:23

We did it in nursery school in the 1980s, you could choose bumps or claps though. As we were 3/4 they weren't violent bumps, it was a lot of fun!

Salvadoridory · 24/10/2025 14:22

verycloakanddaggers · 24/10/2025 13:40

Do you not remember it died out because it was known to result in lots of injuries as people were dropped or jolted?

This is one of those things that belongs in the same category as 'smoking in the house with your kids' 'letting your kids use an open chip pan' and 'not wearing a seatbelt'.

There are loads of weird posts this week with people romanticising the old days. Bumps were weird and belong in the past.

Are some people really like this or is it satire? Jesus

foxychox · 24/10/2025 14:22

I got the bumps at my 21st birthday 🙁

NewYorkSummer · 24/10/2025 14:21

mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork · 24/10/2025 13:50

@W0tnow We used to seize the birthday girl or boy by their arms and legs and throw them, prone, up and down (keeping hold of limbs) once for every year of their age then dump them on the ground at the finish.

I hated being given the bumps! Just hated it!

Original poster

Bellavida99 · 24/10/2025 14:21

Bonjovispyjamas · 24/10/2025 13:56

And one for luck 😁

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Yes I was going to say And one for luck!

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Sagaciously · 24/10/2025 14:20

I don’t think the bumps are still a thing with kids.

Okiedokie123 · 24/10/2025 14:20

Yabu
This is surely only ever something done at school anyway (because you need sufficient people to do it)
And not all that common anyway. Even in the 80s/90s
I don’t think I ever experienced it as a kid and rarely witnessed it.

RabbitsEatPancakes · 24/10/2025 14:19

I was given the bumps as a child by family but it'd when I was small and they were lots of adults to not drop me.

I love them, we should definitely try to restart them!

Edited to add i was a child in the 90s.