Stupid rules from your childhood

[Knifer]

This evening I have been reminded that my parents and theirs had a weird rule that children were not allowed to sit on the sofa. We had to sit on the floor unless we were invited to sit up on the furniture.

I also remember if we had family over for dinner, children had to sit at a different table, and if there was ever a buffet, children were last to eat.

I have never enforced any of this with my children.

What stupid rules were there when you were a kid?

@whiteroseredrose
Oh you have just given me a much needed big laugh..

Not mine but a friend's parents didn't like children (theirs or anyone sleeping over) going downstairs in the night. The only bathroom was downstairs though. There was a bucket at the end of the parents bed that everyone peed in. It was vile. The one and only time I stayed over and I found this out I walked myself home at 2 am to pee and didn't go back. My parents were very confused to find me home the next morning. (I only lived about 5 doors down). This was late 90s. There was no house alarm, they just didn't trust their teenage kids to go back to bed. Super weird.

@KarenLovesRosario. Likewise. Happy to oblige!

I remember many of these (inc maximum number of sheets of loo paper).
But I have to say that "No eating in the street" is fine, and I wish people stuck to that now because it is revolting.
Ditto "No TV at mealtimes", which is also a good rule to have.

What makes eating in the street "revolting"

The only food you should walk along eating is ice cream (and sucking a sweet) - everything else you should sit down for - fine to eat fish and chips on the beach/boardwalk but not walking along having food drop out your mouths on the ground

No TV except The really Wild Show and Blue Peter.

Had to eat everything on the plate, my dad used to cook mince meat dinners twice a week and he'd make me sit there for hours till I forced myself to eat it and every single time I ate it I was violently sick afterwards as I'm actually allergic to it!

It took them twelve years to figure out I couldn't eat it and stop forcing me to eat it.

Some of these aren’t rules, they’re abuse

Not your own teenagers but having your teenagers' friends coming to sit on your bed and chat, that's actually way weirder than your parents' original rule, do you realise?

Until I read these posts I likened my parents to concentration camp guards but now realise they weren't too bad. We were just expected to behave respectfully in public , don't interrupt adults when talking. Quite strict bedtimes etc.
Oh, and as a teenager, no hanging around with catholic boys (which I disobeyed 🤣)

Never ever being allowed to lock the bathroom door for any reason right into adulthood. I recently asked my mum why and she explained that my brother once took a bad asthma attack in the bath with the door locked and the fire service and paramedics had to kick the door down to get to him. I used to think my mum was batshit crazy but it turns out she was traumatised. (My brother was ok). She still doesn’t let any children lock the door incase for any reason she needs to get to them. She often asks us too not to lock the door ‘just incase’. Bless her.

I also had the clearing the plate one enforced by my dad. Long since divorced and I remember the relief I felt when my mum told me if I was done to leave it.

@Lesperance
No it's not, what a vile thing to say to someone.
Not sure what you're insinuating to the poster.
Nice cheerful post then you had to be mean.
Well done. Carry on popping people's balloons.

Some of these rules are just abuse surely 😞

After years of complete freedom, at about 13/14 my parents decided I had to be inside before dark. Which meant 11 pm in the summer but 4:30/5 in winter. It made no fucking sense, just like my mum's objection when I explained that going out at 3/4 pm means only 2 hours max. Apparently I should go out at 10 am, because only nannies and some other job I can't remember arranged outings at 3/4 pm.

Your DC friends come sit on your bed and chat with you? Yeah that's a bit strange sorry!

Love when people change their name on the same post...

Oh you have brought back a forgotten memory!
Circa 1980 I remember colour piped jeans being in fashion! I had a red stitched pair and used to iron them proudly 😂 We called them 'Busman's jeans.'

Yes, the clearing your plate rule - such a stupid thing to insist on. My parents were of the wartime generation so no food thrown away and all food on the plate eaten. A whole generation with issues around food that they've carefully passed on to their own children.

@Mummyoflittledragon I really related to what you said about the lack of trust. Even now dm expects the worst of me, expects me to do the wrong thing. I think it's a form of control. I made a decision very early on to respect and trust my dc. Yes, they've messed up occasionally but the sky hasn't fallen in and they seem to be decent human beings despite not having had my firm, controlling hand micromanaging their every move 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm a completely different person 😂😳

I wasn't allowed to watch the film Cocktail. It came on once when I was 22 - I was still living at home - and I was sent out of the room

However, they let me watch the Shining at the age of 8

Wasn't allowed to do any form of exercise as a hobby because my mum said I was too fat and wouldn't manage it. Oh the irony.

Wasn't allowed to go to orchestra as it was too far to drive me (it was two miles. Walkable but I played the cello. Cases weren't really designed for that then!). They maintained this argument. It was my prime motivation for learning to drive.

Wasn't allowed to do any form of exercise as a hobby because my mum said I was too fat and wouldn't manage it. Oh the irony.

Same here . Wasn't allowed a bike or roller skates. I had one session at a martial arts class , but forgot to do one piece of homework that day so I wasn't allowed back as I obviously couldn't manage both. I was 8.

Only allowed to eat in the kitchen, dining room or outside because of ants, cockroaches and rodents. Actually pretty sensible there were never trails of toast crumbs on the floor or in the beds.

Waste paper baskets only for paper, actually sensible, I often find random apple cores and orange peel in ours now.

Never push up jumper sleeves as they will become stretched and saggy.

So much of this would be considered emotional abuse now!

We had:
Staying at the table for hours to finish dinner
Bread and butter served with dinner but when I tried to swap butter for honey due to following a low fat diet I wasn't allowed.
Disapproval of watching channels with ads.

Yep! No eating in the street .Also no washing hair on period ,no going out with wet hair(still do this!) and no Bubble gum!