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 🙈

Having to eat a sit down meal at 6pm every single day.

not hungry? Still had to sit there. Had homework/ seeing friends/ doing a hobby? Still had to be there. If you weren’t there you were left a cold boiled egg and a soggy piece of toast to have. You couldn’t just get a nice sandwich or tin of soup. Oh no. The cold egg of shame was your fate.

Now the meals are so much more relaxed- timings, content. Each person can balance priorities in the evening. If you’re not hungry you simply don’t eat. No pressure either way. If you don’t want anything g big you can have a sandwich or a tin of soup and some fruit. It’s very chilled because it’s just tea after all!

Yes this! I was only allowed to make calls after 6pm too.

Going for a day trip at the weekend....well going anywhere really. TBF to them though my dad often worked away all week (HGV driver), and sometimes wouldn't get home until mid-morning on a Saturday. He was often up at stupid o'clock on a Monday morning (2/3/4 am), to go to work so really needed his rest.

Having a nice long soak in the bath. We didn't have a bathroom so it was strictly Sunday night bath time.

Having a lie in, we had to be up at 6am beds made, chores etc etc Monday till Sunday. A lie in on an off day was not even heard of.

Wine. It was very much a special occasion thing for my parents. Me, I’ll happily crack a bottle open on a random Tuesday, just because the mood takes me.

Going out as a family, we used to nag and nag to go out somewhere and occasionally my parents would cave in and we'd head to the local forest to walk the dog.

Only place we ever went was to my grandparents and that was every fortnight on a Saturday afternoon, the only time we didn't go was on our annual holiday to Cornwall but we'd have to call in on our way home.

Blankets on the sofa were only for when you were really poorly. We have them for everyday use.

Leaving food, you had to sit there till it was gone and I was stubborn, sometimes I was still sat there at bed time, made me have a real love/hate relationship with food

Not to go swimming in the lake after eating, even if it was just half a cinnamon bun and some juice. You’d drown straight away.

Sweeties, chocolate, pudding etc were only rarely encountered and choosing something from the treats tin (one tin, not very full of off-brand penguins) was a whole production.

On the other hand unlike OP we baked all the time. But I suspect without sugar!

Great thread OP.

I frequently bake but not with the family and it's making me think that I should involve DC too.

Avacados!

Music playing. At all. Except for an hour or so on Sunday mornings.
Using the washing machine.
Visitors.
Talking - especially at meal times.
Hoovering on Sundays.
Taking the car to the garage for an MOT. Or repairs or whatever. It was a fucking massive deal and planned with military precision.

Wearing anything you wanted to take on holiday within a fortnight of departure. Never mind that that was just about everything you owned!

1970s...Lucozade, and only then if I'd been poorly.

@bonzaitree , ' the cold egg of shame' made me 😂.

Mine was putting up the Christmas tree / decorations. My dm allocated a full day and the 4 of us had to clean the house from top to bottom. We usually listened to carols or Bing Crosby and ate mince pies, so it wasn't completely awful. Just a huge song n dance. I clean the living room before putting the tree up, but I'm more likely to clean the house after Christmas.

And foreign holidays. Booked at least 12 months before. So exciting as we pored over the travel brochures, but I prefer my method of booking on a Saturday, then flying a few days later !

Eating out.
Rubbish, chocolate cereal 🤦🏼‍♀️.
fizzy drinks.

Takeaway. We had fish & chips max twice a year and that was it. I had my first Chinese when I was 18 with friends.

Also Mcdonalds- only had it if I went there for a friend's party on the Ronald's train.

My DCs minds are blown when I tell them this!

Mass!! It was just this big thing every week. Baths, ironed clothes and so on!!!

Eating out- can count on one hand the amount of times we ate out. Would only be for a very special occasion.

Blankets- not allowed, even when ill as made the house look untidy.

Having a wash after 8 o clock. Not allowed incase it annoyed my father.

Never baked cakes because of the effort and mess.

Can count on one hand the amount of days out we had. Very rare and few and far between.

Never went abroad. Very rare we went on holiday even in the UK.

Not a big deal as such as things were accepted that that is how things were.

Washing laundry. Huge tub and tongs, spin dryer. Hard hot work. Went on all day.

Carpets. As there were not any.

Heating. No central heating.

Buying something new apart from food. It didn't happen often.

Car. Landline Phone. Freezer. Music Centre. When we got these it was a big deal.

Indoor toilet, central heating, car, BBC2 and indeed the other thousand or so channels, colour TV, I remember the first electric kettle we had - my mum's Christmas present off my brother (we ooohed and ahhhed at that) I'm only in my mid-fifties, this probably makes my sound like I was born pre-war. Some of these were acquired in the '80s.
My parents both worked but there wasn't much money. I'm a single mum but am far better off than they were, and all three of us have a car.

Being warm. Didn't happen.

Being clean. Didn't happen.

Being cuddled and told 'I love you'. Never, ever happened.

Not being hit.

Oh and pizza. Delia made one on multi coloured swap shop and my mum decided to try making one of those new fangled gimmicks.

Going to the beach; it involved a huge effort. Packing the car, sandwiches and snacks for the day, tons of “stuff” (deckchairs, inflatable’s, flask of tea) - it was a whole day affair.

In reality the beach was 20 mins from home and now I go there for a walk and fresh air regularly.