Lovely things you remember your parents doing

[letsgomaths]

Let's have a thread about something nice, to cheer up a windy August Saturday. What nice things do you remember your parents (or other relatives) doing?

My mum has always been great with photo albums, complete with captions and dates, and has an impressive collection to show for it.

She also made lovely books about trips we went on, again with photos, and decorated with paint and felt tips. When she was away for a week taking her pupils on a school trip, she used to do a little book about it in advance for my dad to read to us.

My dad taught me a lot of practical things: riding a bike, playing chess, computing, putting together flat pack furniture, mostly with lots of patience.

When I was at college, and maybe secondary school actually, my mom used to bring my a cuppa and breakfast in bed every morning. It was utter bliss and so thoughtful. She's still as thoughtful today although of course I've long moved out and I endeavour to be thoughtful like her every day

Walking the dog in the warm rain with my mum one summer, I think I'd just finished my GCSEs, eating ice creams! Without my brother!
My dad always helped me tidy my room, when I was in an indignant huff that it wasn't a mess! It was. He always knew where everything was. Still does.

@T0getherindreams That's so thoughtful of your dad in the gazebo, just being there when you really needed him.

@WhoReallyCares and @areyoubeingserviced Thanks for that, I remember the balloon ride very fondly. They did it once again, and I still believed. Years later, I asked how they did it, and was amazed to learn that he only lifted the basket a foot above the ground, and that my mum moved all over the place, including lying on the ground while she commentated, so I would think I was high up and moving about. Also that when they put me in the basket, it wasn't where I thought it was - they'd spun me round and told me the basket was near the house, and got me to feel what I thought was the door. Being blindfolded, I couldn't see that they'd actually led me to the bottom of the garden, where the "flight" finished. They had me well and truly fooled! But in the nicest possible way.

I'm going do a similar trick for my nieces, when they're old enough to know about Apparating in Harry Potter.

What a lovely thread. I can't even start with my parents. They had nothing, both worked hard in low paying jobs and looked after their own parents. Yet my life was filled with love and laughter. I may not have been abroad or had fancy clothes but I probably had one of the happiest childhoods to be had. Mum cooked and baked and taught me all she knows from her own mum. Dad taught me all about plants and animals and how to grow things in the garden. We had camping holidays with hundreds of cousins (mum one of 12 so there were list) and picnics in the forest. As I got older they had more money but everything still seemed magical as we set off in a camper van which instilled my love of travel - I don't think there is a stone unturned in the UK!

They still are wonderful, despite being in their 80s, and still do everything to make me and DS smile every day. On cold days at work I come home to a stew that mum has put in the slow cooker for our tea. Dad will still mow my lawn. They will see things when our and about and buy them for us. Just simple things that make me smile and know they love both me and DS.
Dad has been more than a grandad to DS - he is DS's absolute hero and had 'legend' status with DS's mates. My mum is a second mum to her nieces and nephews who no longer have their own.
I have been so so lucky ❤️

My Dad would tuck me into bed so tightly I could barely move. I loved it. It felt so safe and warm.

When I had period cramps my Mom would make me a " hot gin," which was boiling water, sugar, and a splash of gin. She told me her Mom made it for her. I felt very special. I don't remember if it worked.

My Mom took us on nature walks which primarily consisted of finding rocks, worms, and flowers.

I loved watching Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights with my Dad. Rooting for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sadly, hockey is now too violent for me and I don't watch it.

Love this thread.

When we were in the car, particularly going through somewhere like woods, my dad would give us a safari style commentary asking us to look at the rhinos, giraffes etc out of the windows. He would sometimes also announce car journeys in the style of an airline pilot.

My mum used to write cute personalised poems in birthday cards and in cards for occasions like exams starting to encourage us. I don't think I Still have any but I wish I did.

So so so many.
I'm so very lucky.
But pp talking about Xmas yes! Dm made house sparkle, grotto, smells oranges, spices, the fire and df was incredible cook.
I remember the stance he took before carving.

Love this thread! Hope to be half the parent some of these mums and dads are!

I had a wonderful childhood. So many great things. I have a flower name and my mum used to ice pictures of that flower onto my birthday cakes. When my first boyfriend dumped me she was so lovely to me and bought me a beautiful cream jacket - we didn’t have much money - I was 18 and I took it to uni with me. Told me I was a good mum when I had just had my first baby and was totally shell-shocked. My dad used to let me read my A level essays to him and help me with them. They put so much effort into following the tiny details of my life which were so important to me - ups and downs with friends and teachers etc - they looked after me when things went wrong, cheered for me when things went right, were always on my side but told me when I was being a twat! Wonderful grandparents to my kids. So much more. I am so lucky ❤️❤️

That's sweet sitting. It's a big old ugly world we live in, if us parents can spoil our dc and dote on them so much the better. 😍

My dad died not long ago and this is making me teary.
He taught me to ride a bike, swim and drive. Was so proud when I passed my test first time.
When I had a sore throat he would make me a plate of sugar noodles. Basically knobs of butter coated in sugar, sounds disgusting now but I loved it.
He made loads of hutches and cages for my menagerie of rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs.
He and my mum would put a sheet over a broom over 2 chairs and then get behind it to put on a puppet show for me and my friends.
My mum tried to teach me to knit and sew, I was hopeless but she was always really patient.
Even when I was seriously ill not long ago and living in another country they dropped everything to be with me.
Lovely memories.

My dad used to hold me by my ankles and swing me slowly from side to side, saying tick tock. He tried to do it again when I was much older, and almost as tall as him, but it didn't really work!

When I was learning to drive, both my parents took me out for private practice; someone asked my mum if she was an instructor, because she looked kind. My parents said that it felt really odd doing this in the same streets they used to push me along in a pushchair.

My mum tried very hard to teach me to swim, but I never managed it as a child. I only cracked it in my twenties!

Halloween. We weren’t allowed to go Trick or Treating but she always did a special spooky dinner with a menu such a witches broth and eyeball soup. We weren’t allowed in the dining room so she could decorate it. We loved it.

How lovely this thread is.
I was a very much wanted and much loved child but I’m really searching my memory banks for the things they did that were extra special.
I think I’ve forgotten such a lot.
My dad did make me a hollowed out turnip lamp and put a little battery in it.
When we went decimal he saved lots of old pennies and one Christmas he painted a board like you got at the fairground and my children had to roll these pennies down and if they landed fully on a square ..they were paid the right amount in old pennies

He made me a wire buzzer..you have to go around a wire creation with a round wire in a stick
If the two wires connect it buzzes and you have to start again
My children played with that one.

He made me a boagey from old pram wheels. The first time I wore the new Scottish kilt he made me i ran a wheel over it and tore a hole in it..but he fixed it
He was always doing something

Whenever I got told off or stormed off to my room in a strop during my teenage years, my Dad would alway come and find me with a cup of tea about 10 minutes later. We'd talk about what happened and then he'd leave my door open as he left, making it easier for me to rejoin everyone in the lounge or kitchen.

Miss him ❤️

My mum was in hospital for a week when she had my brother. Even though we visited, she sent me a postcard every single day.

My mum dancing round the front room with me is a big memory. My dad playing guitar and singing me songs he had written, or sometimes other peoples songs but hed change a name in it to my name

This is such a nice comforting thread OP....
My amazingly kind and gentle Dad childhood memories are of him coming home from work on Friday evenings and running to him as he came in the door looking for our weekly goodies! On Fridays he would always bring each of us a bag of cheese and onion crisps plus a 4 finger Kit Kat! This was the highlight of our week in the 80's and we would be looking out the window waiting enthusiastically for his car. Another memory is of him always helping us with things such as raising the saddles on our bicycles, showing us how to sow vegetables and giving us good advice, miss him so much 😢
Our fabulous Mum thankfully is still with us and going strong. Some childhood memories are of her warming our uniforms on the radiator before school, it was bliss putting warm clothes on! Also when we would come home from teenage discos in the winter she would always have a hot water bottle waiting in our beds! Mum is a great baker and when coming home from school we knew when it was baking day as we could smell the apple pies and particularly Christmas cakes before we opened the front door! So many great memories of my parents so that's just a few of them 😘

My mother made me a PE kit bag with Dougal on it when I was 6. And a peep show box out of a shoe box for Christmas. She sometimes made my toast look like a house or my dinner look like a train with mashed potato steam.
For my 50th birthday she organised a surprise trip to Monkey World and on a steam train.
My Dad used to play horses with us and make up stories featuring “nudies” and poo in sandwiches.

And one year they left a Father Christmas footprint by the window on Christmas Eve.