What was a HUGE deal in your house growing up that is normal for you now?

[Bakingmamma]

Various things in my house.

A big one was baking. Although we
usually had the things in the house, wanting to bake was such a big deal and we could only do it on special occasions. Possibly did it once or twice a year.

I’m not talking about big extravagant bakes either! I’m talking about 12 bog standard cupcakes with some basic icing on!

It was only when I reached adulthood that I realized I could cook some basic cupcakes in 20 minutes and it wasn’t a big deal at all.

It takes longer to do a load of washing!

What was a huge deal in your house that you’ve now normalized for your own children? I can’t be the only one 🙈

salmon
smoked salmon is still for christmas tbh

Who believes this nonsense. Honestly 🙄

Fizzy drinks were for Christmas and Birthdays only. Church was compulsory plus Girls' Brigade and Bible Study class. Very strict parents meant we couldn't make friends unless they were churchgoers or in Girls' Brigade too. Bath once a week, hair wash once a week. We weren't allowed fireworks on Guy Fawkes because apparently next door's cousin's auntie's neighbours house got burned down by one... 🙄

Dinner on the table for 6pm, sit there until it's eaten.

I did the exact opposite with my dc. I failed to see why life had to be so regimented!

Getting a telephone installed, mother guarded it with her life, couldn’t use it before 6 pm as the call were cheaper then..or something, she had a ‘telephone voice’ which was the same voice she used when speaking to the doctor. Gawd know what she’d make of me using my mobile to take photos with and to use it to do online shopping.

Yes and Mum would read out the whole phone number on answering.

"Anytown 5643748"

Orange squash and chocolate biscuits. One of the things dh and I had in common when we first met (and talked for hours and hours) was that we both came from skint families with 4 kids where such things were a rare treat - usually restricted to birthday parties.

Suitcases on holiday.

My family of origin have this belief that suitcases are for impractical, pampered wimps and only a good rucksac gives you freedom and autonomy.

I get such a kick out of loading suitcases into the car (instead of battling on public transport) paying to keep the car at the airport and either getting a meet and greet taxi or hire car at the other end. Suitcases are even better in tents - you can open it up and appraise everything at once instead of unpacking and repacking the bloody things. Bliss.

I miss Blockbuster.

Most of it was poverty related. My kids & I are also genuinely poor. But they're isn't a special chair we're not allowed to use, we can all share the cheddar, muesli & other basic foods, we can all walk in front going down the street. In my childhood that was the prerogative of the Man of the House.

@PhillySub my hands peel from washing them all the time. severe dermatitis and have been told by my doctor not to wash or shower every day if I can. I have to be careful washing my hands aftrr toilets and slather them in cream. you do not need unless you are working in a hot sweaty environment or exercising alot to wash your hair every day. washing hair every day encourages you oils to produce even more.

washing hair every day encourages you oils to produce even more

My hair didn't get that memo. I don't wash it every day now but when I was working I did and I had no problem with oily hair.

Fruit
Takeaways
Eating out
Hand washing

Fizzy drinks. My Mum would only buy them at Christmas and even then it was really cheap rubbish ones like cherryade and limeade. I drink them a lot now, far more than I should and I drink actual brands.

Certain fruit like grapes and berries. Actually don’t think my Mum ever bought berries, I buy them all of the time now.

I can relate to lots of this. Soft play wasn't really a thing when I was a kid but there was a place called Jungle Jim's that I really wanted to go to. My cousin eventually had a party there so I got to go at last!
I take my kids out loads in summer holidays to different parks, beaches, doesn't have to be anything fancy but we're always doing something. My mum spent the 6 weeks holidays ironing bedsheets in the garden while we played!! We were fine but I can't help thinking she missed out.
The aversion to getting taxis, both sides of the family are like this if a journey is going to be £20 they'll avoid at all costs. And they freak out about "keeping the taxi waiting" not sure why.

I can have a huge piece of Vienneta ice cream all to myself!

Shop bought birthday cake 🎂

@katienana And they freak out about "keeping the taxi waiting" not sure why.

A few family members went out for dinner for my elderly mum's birthday. We were sitting in her hugely overheated house waiting for the taxi, and she had her coat and shoes on ready to go. She complained that I wasn't ready as I didn't have mine on, but as I pointed out, I could get both coat and shoes on before she could make it to the front door!

Shop bought cakes full stop.
Very occasionally half a donut, (as there were 5 of us, not sure who got the last 1/2) and if we absolutely had to stop and have something to eat on a long journey, one Chelsea bun between us, so 1/5 each.

Fizzy pop - my parents would only buy it for special occasions, like birthdays & Christmas.

Grapes - my dad would put them in a fruit salad with tip top cream as a treat.

Neapolitan ice cream - My mum would very occasionally buy it instead of vanilla. We used to get pretty excited about it😂

Eating out at a pub - we would usually go in the summer holidays, it was a big day out for us and we loved it. We’d find a picnic table outside, dad would have half a pint of shandy, mum would have half a Guinness, we’d play on the grass in the sun whilst waiting for our food. Big chunky pub chips and gammon with egg was my favourite, washed down with ‘real’ coke from the glass bottles. Ahhhhhh.

"Keeping the taxi waiting" is probably because taxis didn't wait for you! If you didn't come out when they honked, they'd wait a minute then leave so they'd wouldn't be late for their booked customers.

Yes it was more expensive. Dgm had one of those globe money boxes to put money in for the telephone bill as people used cash a lot more

I still remember DB2, back in the 1980s, being banished to the phone box over the road to talk to his GF when DPs got fed up with him hogging the home phone in the evening.

These days of course they’d be on Snapchat or similar.

Eating out: my parents never did it

Having confectionary: just no. Mum detested sweets/chocolate

My dad cooking local cuisine 99.9% of the time: I sometimes cook the food I used to have in my home now but it’s quite rare. It’s nice to have different types of food.

Getting a colour TV
Getting a landline telephone (remember mum taking me and my brother to the phone box on the corner sometimes)
Eating out - carvery was a huge treat for birthdays
Having a nice party outfit for 'best'
Getting a takeaway- possibly once or twice a year
Central heating being fitted (but not having it on too much because of the expense)

I should caveat these by saying I had a very happy childhood and I'm not ancient!

Oh and we didn't get a video player for ages when they came out. But one of my mum's friends did and we got to borrow it whenever she was on holiday. Me and my brother were in 7th heaven going to the tiny local video shop (complete with brtamax room)