Things you assumed were normal

Ooh crushed medicine and jam. I forgot about that one

Our Christmas stockings were actual stockings. My mum's old, tan, nylon stockings. Or sometimes a pair of tights cut in half when she stopped wearing stockings. I thought this was perfectly normal and widespread - after all they are called stockings. Then in turned out not everyone used proper stockings. Then it turned out absolutely nobody else used proper stockings (except my cousins). Some use long socks. Never found anyone else who used American tan tights. I still feel it is the only correct thing to do though. The excitement of half-seeing your presents (unwrapped of course) through the stretched nylon . I don't wear tan stockings so my kids get their presents in sexy black hold ups. They will probably be posting on a thread like this in 20 years.

I never thought it strange that my parents took all pets (cat, Guinea pigs- cage and run, hamster in cage) caravanning with us. As an adult looking back I am baffled at this behaviour.

My husband's family took their budgie in it's cage with them on the annual caravanning holiday. I was surprised when he told me this. Our budgie stayed at home with care provided while we were away.

Oooh just thought of another one - I didn't drink tea or coffee when I was young, kids didn't in the 60s, (I drank Ribena with milk, as per my other post) but I used to get malted milk biscuits and dip them in my dads coffee. Not enough to get a flavour but to make them all mice and soggy... until one broke in the cup and boy did he curse! That was when I was taught to 'tap test' a biscuit before dunking - and still do without thinking. (God this is so outing if my sister reads MN)

weetabix = hot & mushed with lots of sugar is fantastic

We always had weetabix with hot milk too (although I heat the milk in the microwave and then put it on the weetabix - except the time when my twins were about 1 and I was so sleep deprived I put the dry weetabix in the microwave and set it on fire).

Then when I was about 8 we went to stay with some cousins I barely knew - they had cold milk on weetabix but hot milk on Rice Krispies and cornflakes. My head almost exploded.

My mum used to hoover our heads when we were little as a joke (with the tube, not the sweeper) - it really used to make us laugh. I assumed all families did the same until for some reason it came up in conversation years later with work colleagues and I was greeted with a sea of baffled expressions.
I should add that this was in the 1950s, obviously if you tried to do the same nowadays with a Dyson your entire head would be sucked into the vacuum cleaner and social services would have to be involved.

Yorkshire Puddings with a fried egg sitting in the middle

clangus00 - I used to eat raw rhubarb dipped in sugar whist sitting in a tree house with my "boyfriend". You're not male with initials AS are you?

I thought everyone eats the whole apple including the core like I do

Are you crazy? Apple seeds have cyanide! (or a substance that changes to cyanide)

And so do bitter almonds.

Yorkshire pudding with golden syrup or cooked with plums or rhubarb.

Fleetheart - me too with the Bovril! Never realised it could be drunk until I saw the adverts! Then made the colossal mistake of trying it with milk - never again! Nice on toast with grated cheese on top though...

itsgoodtobehome - I always put crosses on the base of Brussels sprouts. We steam them for 10 mins, and if the crosses aren't done then they don't cook as well and the centre stays hard (DH forgot one Christmas)

GoodnightJude - no, it's tenterhooks:
"What does the expression on tenterhooks mean?
By the mid-18th century, the phrase on tenterhooks came to mean being in a state of tension, uneasiness, anxiety, or suspense, i.e. figuratively stretched like the cloth on the tenter."

I also hate hot mushy Weetabix, although I can't eat it now anyway because wheat intolerant - ice cold milk and eat it before it got mushy and disgusting.

I expect this one is pretty normal - we used to have various Ambrosia tinned milk puddings (rice, macaroni, semolina etc.) with a big dollop of jam in the middle - black or red jam only. And then stir it in.

I used to experiment with sandwiches at school - I loved jam and chocolate spread, also apple and cheese. My favourite was cheese and mincemeat though! (Mince pie mincemeat, not actual meat)

Re. salt on fruit. My dad always puts salt on pineapple.

I tried it once and it was ok, but haven't bothered again.

@Allergictoironing

Wow! They say you learn something new every day! I don’t know why I’m so shocked/excited about this revelation....I never even say ‘tenterhooks’

@MintyMabel that’s so funny about the salt on the lid!

Cold custard with hot puddings. It’s much nicer than hot custard because of the temperature contrast. Apparently I’m the only one who does this, though....

Er, far from alone. It's the actual law I believe.

Cold custard (or ice cream) with hot puddings; hot custard with cold puddings.

sticks of garden rhubarb

When I was very small, we grew rhubarb. My mum put the fear of god into me about the leaves (poisonous, but only if you sit and eat a barrowload on purpose), to the extent I would give them a physical wide berth as if they were acid-tipped stinging nettles. I still find myself looking askance at them...

Joining Team ColdCustard! It's such a treat, I'd happily just eat it alone with a spoon..

Not wearing underwear at night.
Having a window open at night - whatever the weather.
Reading music.
Putting your Christmas tree up on Christmas Eve.
Jam omelettes!!
Having medicine crushed onto a spoon with a dollop of jam.

GoodnightJude1 It IS "tenterhooks" (google it), not tenderhooks. Sharp hooks used to attach cloth to a stretching frame, but as that word has gone out of common usage people think of something similar that sounds "right".

Yes to cheese on toast. My Mum's side of our family are Welsh, and I couldnt believe that to some people, it consisted of just cheese put on toast then grilled. Nooo, that's not how you make it!

When DC1 was small, I once arranged to meet another mum and her child in the local park to feed the ducks. She was horrified that I was throwing the bread on the edge of the lake (and allowing my child to do the same). Her mum had always told her that the idea was to throw it as far in to the water as possible to keep the birds at a distance.

@saraclara @nornironrock

We are Team Cold Custard !

I didn’t see cutlery until I was about eight, I didn’t use it until I went to a friends house when I was in year 6, I still rarely use cutlery and when I do I eat like an animal.

A strange one that my MIL does. She makes a lovely golden syrup sponge, but you don’t get any custard to go with it. She just warms an extra small jug of golden syrup to put over it. Come to think of it, she never serves custard with anything. Apple crumble, bread and butter pudding etc....they are all served with double cream. That’s a bit weird to me. I like custard.