Moments that make you realise you’ve grown ho

[Soubriquet]

When Ariel says “but daddy I love him!” And you find yourself agreeing with King Tritan

You’re 16 Ariel and you don’t even know him!

Putting the Baywatch opening credits on to prove to the dc that it is the ultimate in cheesy theme songs and finding myself thinking that David Hasselhoff actually looks far more shaggable than David Charvet; I remember watching it as a youngster and thinking he was repulsively old and wondering why anyone would want to see Mitch running around half dressed when there was Matt to drool over. I GET IT NOW.

Oh, and buying wireless phone chargers for the first time and spending too many evenings this week with DH going "wow this is like magic, we are living in the future, kids, look at this it is incredible".

I was treating a lady on a home visit , another HCP came in to do a fingerprick test and administer insulin.
I was chatting to him as he was doing so, he asked me how long I'd been in my line of work.

"Since 1988" I said .
""Oh I was born in '88 " he said then his face was as he did the maths .

I mentioned in passing to our teens that when I was at secondary school we had to write with a fountain pen. They were baffled. They had no concept of what a fountain pen was. DS tentatively wondered if it was 'like something Henry V111 would have written with'

When people you went to school with start getting wrinkles.

When you find yourself empathising with the ‘mean’ (i.e. perfectly reasonable parents in every single tv show/film).

When you start agreeing with all the things you once resented your parents making you do.

My DD did “The 1980s” as a subject in history in Y6. (Strike #1)

I was laughing with her v nice class teacher at parents evening that “that’s not really history, ho ho” and he said he couldn’t remember it as he was only born at the tail end of it (strike #2), but that has parents had said it was a really interesting decade. (#3. Oooof!)

I can empathise TawnyPippit. My DD asked me for help with her A level history homework a few years ago. I expressed surprise. I'm quite interested in history but am a scientist by trade and didn't think I would have the skills to help with A level questions. But never fear, it wasn't my analytical skills she was after, she was using me as a "primary source" given that having grown up in a mining town in the 80s I can remember quite a lot about Thatcherism and the Miners Strike. My cries of "that's not history" fell on deaf ears.

I feel old now. I taught the mum of one of my new year 7 that will be starting in September. When I first started teaching I used to be able to say "I'm not old enough to be your mum", now I'm old enough to have taught their mum 😢 Admittedly, she was very young when she had this child, but it still makes me old 😢

Our neighbours had a party last night and were very noisy til the early hours of the morning. I definitely felt like a grown up as my 2 thoughts were "they aren't social distancing, and there are far too many people there!" And "bloody hell it's a school night, they should be in bed". Not once did I think it looked like fun, or that I wished I was joining in. (I also wondered if they'd be bringing their litter home with them, as they were on the community football field)

When my teen kids sing wham songs and act like they've invented it and I harp on about how I had the fantastic album in the bloody 80s and I used to fancy george Michael
I also go on and on about leaving the lights on.
And i have said "you treat this house like a bloody hotel" (but I resist the urge to mention check out is before 11)

@letsgomaths no the 2005 movie by Disney

When you watch Swallows and Amazons or The Railway Children (the proper 70s version’s not any newfangled nonsense) and empathise way more with the adults than the children.
Especially The Railway Children. Imagine being that mum and having to take those children out of their home and upsticks miles away from everything familiar because your husband has been wrongfully imprisoned. Hard. Work.

versions not version’s, thanks autocorrect.

I’ve just had another one. I’ve been sent one of those little catalogues for old people full of accessible gardening equipment, phones with big buttons and special comfy slippers.

Flipping through it for a laugh, I found little silicone pods that you crack an egg into and boil for the perfect boiled egg. I crowed, ‘you wouldn’t have to peel it once it’s cooked, that’s brilliant!’ to DH.

30 has well and truly hit me

In a conversation at work referring to the “Great Storm of 1987”, being met by blank looks and realising many of my colleagues hadn’t even been born then. I suddenly felt like a very old person talking about the 1930s or something!

Also, realising that I’m older than every single cat and dog in the entire world. (I’m 40).

talking about pre mobile days to my dd, how your parents had no idea where you were and if there were any problems you could reverse the charges from a call box, however these would have to be major problems. you sorted out your own issues on the whole.
parents knew so much less about what was going on in your life.

@amusedbush
Them silicone cups are for poaching eggs in and they are great.
I am old aren't I

Me and Db meeting up with friends
us meet us at x pub
them where is that ?
us where Woolies was
them what is Woolies
us it was a bit like Wilkos
Meets them start explaining you could buy records and tapes in here had to explain what they were.
me goes to the bar for a pint
bar staff £3.50 please
me ( to myself ) how much ! makes mental note that I can no longer have a good night out on £20 and need to go the the hole in the wall . ,, wonders if I am the only one that still calls them that .

Sits Down with db and friends feeling like I have aged 20 yrs in 10 mins.

Oh god reverse calling!

Who remembers saying “mum pick me up at train station” as quickly as possible before it cut you off?

Oh, and buying wireless phone chargers for the first time and spending too many evenings this week with DH going "wow this is like magic, we are living in the future, kids, look at this it is incredible".
My DM is like that when she's using facetime/whatsapp video...."It's just like star trek"

Using the phrase "don't hit your brother" I still felt like a youngster with one little DC, but now there's 2 of them

@TwoZeroTwoZero

You make me feel old 4 channels, try 2

@TwoZeroTwoZero Wed 24-Jun-20 21:17:15
Telling my children, who were complaining about not being able to download some kids' programme, that when I was their age we didn't have the option to download anything; we only had a couple of hours' cartoons a day at most and only 4 channels to choose from so they should count themselves lucky.

2 channels, black and white, and Watch with Mother at lunchtime plus 5 to 6 in the evening was the only children's TV. (No TV Saturday morning - or any morning come to that)

4 channels, try 2

Oh yes , in the mid 70s we had BBC1 and ITV .
I was at my friends who had BBC2 because they could watch Play-Away .
Then we got an extra ariel on the roof and could recieve it

I tell my DC there was nothing like On -Demand or +1

If you wanted to watch a programme you had to be in front of the TV.
Then VHS came along and if you could get a recording or hope someone else had taped it you could borrow the tape (and make sure you don't tape over it)

DD was in hysterics thinking I was fibbing about the Sony Walkman (though I had the Boots own brand) they ate your batteries , you could get a little twisty thing to rewind the tapes (or use a pencil) and if there was a loose bit of tape they disembowelled your cassettes .

@70
VHS eh ? You were posh , we had a betamax about the size of a family suitcase.
And you could not record one change and watch another.
I remember my DD setting it up to record Tomorrow's World ( remember that show ?) And us all sitting around like numpties waiting for the program to end so we could rewind the tape and watch it.

Also putting something in front of the LED display / clock at night or when we went out so no one could see the light from it and burgla us.

@spinthebottle

ClashCityRocker Adidas poppers are back in!!

When you were too old for the fashion the first time round that the kids are now wearing as ‘retro’.

Also putting something in front of the LED display

yes a little piece of cardboard with sticky tape that could be lifted back or flipped forward .

A couple of my friends had VHS players , my Aunt (who always bought new tech) and one of the popular kids in school....but then his parents would have to put up with his mates rolling up with a tape from the local rental shop.
We didn't get one for many years later
Remember when you had to pay £5-£10 for membership.
Then pay for the tape rental (and argue who was going to take it back on time)
And going into the shop to see rows of the boxes for the Must See Film...only to find the ShopVHS Case wasn't behind it which meant it was out for viewing .

I am even now in awe of NetFlicks