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Original poster

Rules you had in your childhood that now seem bizarre?

999 replies

Tattted · 05/02/2022 17:20

As a child/teen living with my parents we were actively discouraged from showering/bathing everyday. It was really frowned upon and seen as unnecessary and probably a bit extravagant. I know probably as a young child I didn’t need to but as I got older and even after I turned 18 and was still living at home they would have been a bit annoyed about it if I wanted to shower everyday . I should say where we live has no water charges so it wasn’t about that. Now as an adult and a mother myself it seems so strange. I realise it’s probably because my parents both came from large families that had very little money and, back then, no hot running water. Even know my parents bath weekly but sink wash every day.

OP posts:
WinterGold · 05/02/2022 22:10

Sorry, pressed to soon!

Never answer the door in your dressing gown!

AnnaSW1 · 05/02/2022 22:10

@RestingMurderousFace I think they just thought it was a nice warm drink. GrinI still always have one before bed now. It wasn't that long ago really. We're all in our 30s now. We're all pretty immune to caffeine now

AngelinaFibres · 05/02/2022 22:11

When I got to 14 I needed a bra.My mum took me to a shop to be properly fitted. My dad was really embarrassed and referred to my bra as 'ear muffs'. As in 'Oo Angelina got new ear muffs". Really odd. He was a flaming educational psychologist. Never met a man with so many hang ups that led to rules that governed all our lives.

D0lphine · 05/02/2022 22:12

@freshcarnation

Half a mars bar only. All other chocolate was fine to eat in any quantity but a mars bar was too rich. No drinks with the meal. A cup of tea after eating.
Why couldn't you have a drink with your meal?? How is food supposed to go down without a drink?
TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 05/02/2022 22:12

We were told we should never try and invade Russia in the winter-time, so we didn't.

And it was drummed into us if Hitler hadn't open a second front in Europe he would have won the War so we should count our lucky stars that he hadn't ... Confused

OmaSwims · 05/02/2022 22:12

No ITV, so we could watch Blue Peter but not Magpie.
No mopping up gravy with bread but if the bread fell in 'by accident' this was okay.
Roast potatoes were counted so you had to ask how many you could have.
Only three sheets of loo roll at a time!

liveforsummer · 05/02/2022 22:13

We were always told when we were out playing we couldn't come in and out of the house, once we came in that was it we weren't allowed back out again, to this day I've no idea why.

Because it's bloody Ann having dc running in and out slamming the door every 5 minutes. Annoys the neighbours too. I usually say it now in 2022 once it's happened once or twice

WinterGold · 05/02/2022 22:14

Just remembered!

Always dry yourself thoroughly otherwise you’ll get rheumatism! But for some reason, this rule didn’t apply if you were on the beach. There it was ok to sit and shiver in a wet costume.

JoandLily · 05/02/2022 22:16

I wasn't allowed to eat a banana 3 hours before bed as it wouldn't digest properly

BitcherOfBlakiven · 05/02/2022 22:18

Not being allowed to have a drink with our meals - I’m talking water here! I hated it.

BitterPeach · 05/02/2022 22:19

No feet on the sofa
Having a shower after 7.30pm resulted in a lot of complaining - not sure why.
We never had any condiments in the house so the only time I had ketchup or mayo etc was at a friends. To be fair my mum still gives me strange looks if I use ‘a lot’ now Confused
Rarely allowed to ask for something to watch on tv in the evening, we just watched whatever my parents wanted to watch which was usually soaps.
No drinks with meals in case it ‘filled me up’ and I didn’t eat the dinner.

D0lphine · 05/02/2022 22:20

@BitcherOfBlakiven

Not being allowed to have a drink with our meals - I’m talking water here! I hated it.
Can someone explain this???! It seems crazy!
Justmuddlingalong · 05/02/2022 22:21

DM always went on about never swallowing an apple pip, coz it would grow a tree in our belly. I have never worked out if she actually believed that, or if she didn't, why the rule?

Inspectorslack · 05/02/2022 22:22

We weren’t allowed a drink with dinner either. My parents never did it nor did my grandparents. Yea after though.

Never fizzy drinks and hardly ever squash - but that is because we were poor I think more than anything.

Inspectorslack · 05/02/2022 22:22

*tea

godmum56 · 05/02/2022 22:22

@BitterPeach

No feet on the sofa Having a shower after 7.30pm resulted in a lot of complaining - not sure why. We never had any condiments in the house so the only time I had ketchup or mayo etc was at a friends. To be fair my mum still gives me strange looks if I use ‘a lot’ now Confused Rarely allowed to ask for something to watch on tv in the evening, we just watched whatever my parents wanted to watch which was usually soaps. No drinks with meals in case it ‘filled me up’ and I didn’t eat the dinner.
I get no shoes on the sofa because even indoor slippers get dirty soles
Tiredan · 05/02/2022 22:22

What was the problem with ITV? I remember people coming to our house to secretly watch things on 3 because they weren't allowed to watch it at home. Tiswas was brilliant, Bob Carolgees and Spit the Dog and DM reminiscing about that time she met Chris Tarrant every flipping time he appeared on screen Grin

I wasn't allowed to whistle, though. I have absolutely no idea why as my parents were pretty cool about everything else.

Katya213 · 05/02/2022 22:23

Under no circumstances were we allowed tampons, pads only! Ankle socks and Clark’s shoes up until the age of 15 (my sisters and I were the laughing stocks of the school but my mum was living in her own 1940/50 world.)

If you said “for gods sake”, “crying out loud” etc , you were marched straight to the bathroom for soap in the mouth time!

Mossstitch · 05/02/2022 22:23

@GrannytoaUnicorn No not to wash at all even with a jug, she didn't think you should bath either🤷

boringcreation · 05/02/2022 22:23

@mizzo

If we were having soup we weren't allowed a drink, "the soup is the drink mizzo" Hmm Even now my Mum bristles if I take her out for lunch and order soup and a drink, which I do frequently to make up for all the times I thought I'd die of thirst because the soup is bloody well not the drink!

I wasn't allowed to shave my legs until my Mum deemed me old enough, I'm early 40's and she still hasn't officially told me I can! I've been happily shaving since 11.

We had the delay between opening presents at Christmas too although I loved it as a child and have repeated for my children.
Not a rule as such parents never got up on Christmas morning to see us opening Father Christmas presents. I find that bizarre as a parent.

'The soup is the drink'

OH MY GOD I thought it was just my DF that did this!!!!

Chichimcgee · 05/02/2022 22:24

Only three sheets of loo roll at a time!

My great granny used to allow us 1 sheet for a wee and 2 for a poo. I don’t know whether it was due to rationing and the war etc but it was the cheapest thinnest loo roll as well

godmum56 · 05/02/2022 22:24

@Tiredan

What was the problem with ITV? I remember people coming to our house to secretly watch things on 3 because they weren't allowed to watch it at home. Tiswas was brilliant, Bob Carolgees and Spit the Dog and DM reminiscing about that time she met Chris Tarrant every flipping time he appeared on screen Grin

I wasn't allowed to whistle, though. I have absolutely no idea why as my parents were pretty cool about everything else.

It was thought unlady like for a girl to be able to whistle. there used to be a saying "I knew a girl who could whistle and she whistled her chances right out the door" ....but that was old fashioned back in the 60's
godmum56 · 05/02/2022 22:24

@Chichimcgee

Only three sheets of loo roll at a time!

My great granny used to allow us 1 sheet for a wee and 2 for a poo. I don’t know whether it was due to rationing and the war etc but it was the cheapest thinnest loo roll as well

soft loo roll did used to be expensive.
Inspectorslack · 05/02/2022 22:25

We used to have an outside loo in the yard and it had Izal loo roll in it and only Izal. Never any soft loo roll.

LouLou789 · 05/02/2022 22:27

I am in my 6Os and my sister and I had a (shared) bath every night, the rest of my school class of 30 were all shocked at this excessive hygiene.

Not allowed to play with other children in the street, however, in case they were “common”. And if on a picnic, do not take a single bite until the strike of midday.

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