Rules you had in your childhood that now seem bizarre?

[Tattted]

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.

Yes, a pillowcase for Christmas presents.

Stockings were only in fairy tales.

@5128gap
If grandad spotted my culture club poster I wasn't to tell him Boy George was a man.

We were never allowed to eat a whole (individual-sized) packet of hula hoops in one sitting. My mother used to open the packet and decant it into two separate bundles made from cling film and secured with sellotape, causing significant amusement among my friends. We were given one of these bundles every day in our lunch box. I suggested just having a normal packet every other day so that the same number of hula hoops were consumed without the mad bundles, but nope 😆

@Inspectorslack

ThankyoumumforcookingthislovelydinnnerpleasemayIleavethetable

After every meal. Even breakfast which was always cereal we poured ourselves. And even if the dinner was stinking

I make my DC do this. Not after breakfast admittedly but after dinner. I didn't know that was an odd rule.

@wheresmyshoe

My grandmother wouldn't allow us to bring Barbie dolls into her house when we visited because she thought Barbie was "an American tart", Sindy dolls were fine.

This is definitely the best one on this thread!

Wearing a hat in the house! Played havoc with my French beret phase at 16!

My mother never let me stay out after dark, even after the age of 18 because it was "slutty behaviour"

Wineisrequired

"Always had to have my long hair tied back when eating meals at the table."

Yes, me too. I am 56 and I still feel bad if I leave a hairbrush in the living room or dinning room. My dad had a positive fear of loose strands of hair getting into food!

But he was not very strict about other things! I'm sorry things with your step-dad were tough.

AngelinaFibres
"... the memory of the first time I ever saw my parents eating outside, without a table. Presumably it was sort of okay because they were away from home so the chance of anyone seeing them doing this common thing was greatly reduced."

My mum was the same, on holiday was different! I remember her once saying, "I wouldn't eat a peach walking down the street at home, but it's OK on holiday!"

We were another no fluid with meals family. Realised once I’d left home that the near permanent indigestion and constipation was down to dehydration. There was nothing to drink apart from water. But you could only drink at the table (not with a meal).
Likewise my dm bought all my clothes till I was well into my teens and
Basically bought me and her the same. But she’s 5ft tall and had no boobs hips or bum, by the time I was 13 I was 5ft 8 and had double D’s. So looked great in fitted blouses!

No sanitary wear in the bathroom, no bin in the bathroom, not for embarrassment but for hygiene reasons. The poo participles somehow get through the bathroom cabinet, through the box and the plastic or the blood attracts blue bottles and you need the house fumigated.
I like to remind her of these things.

What did some of your mothers do about periods themselves? I'm relatively old for MNet (61) and my mum was very open about menstruation and pads/tampons.

DD was only ten and half but switched on and we went shopping for different types, bought a make-up bag for a few pads, spare knickers, wet wipes, etc, and shown how to wrap and put in the bathroom bin. I even went to see her head mistress as I was worried about facilities at primary. They had a pass code to whizz to the loo in lessons if necessary, and were allowed to use the teachers' loos which were more private when necessary. Then she had her ears pierced to celebrate the rite of passage and DH and DS were told to be mindful and sensitive as she was growing up.

I really feel for some of you. My mother is difficult npd, and I never much cared for step 2 or step 3 but some of these rules are just odd. My grandma was more open minded and she'd be 110 now.

What did some of your mothers do about periods themselves? I'm relatively old for MNet (61) and my mum was very open about menstruation and pads/tampons.

My mum would be 59 now and when she started her period she thought she was dying. Literally woke up in a pool of blood with stomach pain. Nobody told her anything bless her so when I was growing up it was a normal thing to know about. She made sure. I knew what to expect long before it happened.

Saying that my Nanna wasn’t told anything ‘private’ either. To the point that when she fell pregnant she asked my grandad how the baby comes out. He said ‘the same way it went in’

Do you know, when I was growing up (am 42 now), I used to think my mother was strict to the point of neurotic, but reading through this thread, I realise I had quite a free-wheeling childhood.

The only one that sticks out was not sitting or lying on bed in outdoor clothes, and that's quite sensible (I don't do it now, as an adult).

@Chichimcgee - wasn't she allowed magazines like Jackie either? I guess she may have been very young like dd.

Thankfully my grandma was from farming stock and knew a little more about the birds and bees I guess.

I have no idea, I think she was about 10+ I assume the women were raised to be super private about things but the fear stayed with my mum so she was really open with me about it. I think she still had some residual everything has to be private issues though as when I started developing she bought me a bra. 34c. For whatever reason that was the size regardless of what size I actually was. When it was looking tatty a new 34c bra would appear in the drawer. Got measured when I moved out the house. 32g, my poor squished boobs.
Years later, when she was in her early 50s I managed to persuade her to get measured. Turns out she spent her whole life in 34cs as well, she was a 32dd.

That's really sad. I think we all wore the wrong size back then though. I'm more shocked if you only had one.

I'm trying to think of odd rules and can't really remember any.

I'm 42. I'm not sure where to start?!

Only 2 biscuits in 1 day
ITV is common
Used sanitary towels must be put straight in the outside bin. Doesn't matter if it is 3am, raining and / or you're poleaxed by period pain
Only when a layer of chocolates or biscuits are finished, can you move onto the next layer
New clothes and shoes need to be saved for best
Staying at the table until EVERYTHING is eaten
Doesn't matter if you're feeling ill, go to school and you will feel better! This backfired when l threw up profusely at primary school and had been collected again less than an hour into the day. My parents hated us being ill, despite the fact we were very healthy children and it didn't happen often
The immersion heater was rarely put on. If it was ever accidentally left on, my dad would go literally berserk
Asking to be able to "get down from the table"
Phone calls after 6pm
No sweets or chocolate. Crisps strictly rationed ("crisps ruin your teeth")
No eating in the lounge or upstairs. My brother and l had to eat stood up in the kitchen for years. When we were a little older we graduated to eating at the dining table
Only use the phone after 6pm
My grandma never had black clothes even as an adult. Her father told her "there would be plenty of time for that". Sadly there was
Not using bum, bottom or behind to grandma
School shirts to be worn for 2 days. Skirts or trousers for at least 3 but ideally 5

The best rule l have read here so far is the Milton one

Blimey I think I had it quite easy compared to some of you! I do remember, like many of you, Sunday being bath day though. Also Church on a Sunday or Saturday night (hated that), having to wait until after 6 to make a phone, and even then there was a lot of huffing, tutting and pointed stares if you stayed on the phone more than a few minutes. Oh a weird rule I just remembered is that normal bedtime was 9pm all through junior school ( quite late really now I think about it), but every Wednesday and Sunday were ‘early night’ days where we were sent to bed at 8 0’clock to read until 9. As for drinks we were given a mug of tea with our dinner every night, which I did not enjoy at all but drank anyway just because it was there.

"A whistling woman or a crowing hen are neither good to god nor men" or so my dad would have me believe

@Mossstitch

Did anyone else have the 'not allowed to wash hair when on a period' or just my weird mother (along with a lot of other weird stuff😕)?!! As a greasy haired teenager this blew my mind and eventually ignored her!

My mum worked with someone, this would have been in the 1960s, who for some reason HAD to have a bath on her period but it was OK because she wore her wellies in the bath.

I think it comes from the days of a tin bath in the kitchen and a whole family using the same water, you wouldn't want to get in if there was blood.

I was subjected to many rules, some applied to the family but some just me.

We were not allowed to use the word, "protestant".

No underwear in bed unless on period.

When you are in hospital you must wear a nighty and not pajamas.

I went to three different primary schools, at the third I wasn't allowed to walk home with the other children, I had to walk a different way in case my dad was passing and he could pick me up in the car.

I worked it out on google maps, it was 2 miles.

The school was trying to teach us music with recorders, it was optional. I think it might have been after school. I wasn't allowed to practice at home, but I wasn't allowed to not go to the class.

I'm another, "you can have a Sindy but not a Barbie" and also we could only watch BBC children's programmes.

@CMOTDibbler

Oh, and no ITV under any circumstances

Ah, yes... "You can't watch ITV, it has adverts" (shock, horror)!

@BakedTattie

We were absolutely FORBIDDEN to touch the windows in our car when I was young. We weren’t allowed to eat in the car either. No way.

My dad now takes my children to mcdonalds drive through, they all come home happily eating their meals in the car. My kids are also allowed to breathe on the car windows and ‘draw’ with their finger in the condensation.

Talk about favouritism

Howling