What 'old lady' things you will refuse to do

[Auburngal]

Following this thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5253796-your-old-lady-habitstastes?page=28&reply=141706023 it was things like doing puzzle books, wearing big knickers etc.

What 'old lady' things would you refuse to do now and in the future?

Mine include wearing beige and brown. It does not look good on me. My skin tones and personality love bold bright colours.

Wearing skirts. TBF I cannot remember the last time I wore a skirt - perhaps to a wedding nor my 74 year old DM.

Have the same foods each day of the week. I know/knew of old people where they ate the same foods each day of the week. Pork chops on Monday, pie on Tuesday etc. Had upset customers asking me if we had any pork chops in as "always have them on Mondays". Plus if their birthdays/anniversary fell on a certain day of the week, their meal plans don't change!

When there is the word snow mentioned in the weather forecast, clear the shelves of tinned soup. Don't get this at all as there are better warming things than sodding soup.

Freezing milk 🤦🏼‍♀️

Agree ! Can you imagine the backlash if a thread was started taking the piss and disrespecting the millennial generation!! Thankfully despite my children being that generation they are decent human beings who would be embarrassed for many posters on this thread ,people do genuinely need to grow up and educate themselves 🙄

I also have a shopping trolly. Not a tartan one, it's a bright coloured, abstract patterned one. It means I can walk to and from the supermarkets. Plenty of younger people use shopping trollies now.

It’s not 1978 🤣

See my above comment,the ignorance is breathtaking! My Mother who would be in her 90 s if still alive would give this sneery bunch a run for their money !

I used to freeze milk because we did a big shop for the entire week. But milk keeps far longer in the fridge than it used to keep, years ago, due to improved processing techniques.

I definitely don't want to be one of those old people who talks about their health all the time - that terrifies me.

Judging by this thread I'm already an old lady,

I'm imagining a thread in 20-30 years time called "what old lady things do you do that you once swore you wouldnt" and half the posters on this thread come back to eat their words.

I'm hoping I don't say to my children "I can't see you next Wednesday as I have a doctor's appointment at 10am, let's make it Thursday". I see that a lot in elderly relatives and it worries me.

I don't know what's old lady about having to keep a doctor's appointment!

People wait weeks/months for medical appointments, unfortunately, regardless of age.

I personally find it’s younger people who are preoccupied with their health .

I won't wear beige, fawn or brown. I can't wear it now because, from a distance, I look naked!

I'm also not going to regale people with tales of other people that they don't know.

@RosesAndHellebores
I have just bought three pairs of runners and two pairs sandals in Hotter sale .......I'm off now to book a room in my nursing home

I was only thinking recently about this. All the young people I know dress in a very similar way using a limited colour palette of 'warm sludge' or black sportswear. Older people are generally much more colourful, possibly as a tribute to their youth in the 70s and 80s

I'm having a really bad day on MN. Everything I say is causing offence. I'm sorry!!!! I love padded laptrays, countryfile, heartbeat, high backed padded armchairs!!!!

I think the poster means that the person won't do anything else that day because they have an appointment, even though they have the rest of the day free.

Cut my hair.

It’s naturally curly and needs the weight of the length to tame the curl. I will have a bun until I die.

😂

You'll do the same things, wear the same things as you do now.

Just more comfortable or modified versions of it, because you'll likely have aches and pains that you didn't have when you were young. And you won't give as much of a shit about it all, because you'll have realised that it doesn't really matter that much.

And some younger people will mock you for it, just because you're not young any more.

Are you going to use the thong to keep your diaper in place. Incontinence is real.

Short hair. I look horrible with it. I'll never go shorter than shoulder length again, whatever age I live to.

Agree and the amount of ignorance on here about Talc is actually hilarious,can honestly say that I have never used talc on a patient for at least 20+ years ,whatever their age 🤷‍♀️

I'm in my 40s but I do:

Wear a rain bonnet rainmate thing for my curly wild hair. I look like I'm in a mashup of Jane Austen and The Handmaids Tale but if it keeps the frizzy off I'm happy. My air can't be brushed so if rain destroys my style I have to wash it again.

Wear granny knickers and comfortable shoes . I've been fat since my teens and very fat since my 20s. I dress for comfort knickers and shoe wise.

like Werthers, Mintoes, Murray mints.

I've even been known to read Women's Weekly fiction special and The Peoples Friend.

I've been known to go on coach tour holidays.

I do use a shopping trolley but I'm disabled, for me it's a disability aid . I don't carry things.

I won't judge others for how they choose to look.

I had DD1 at 21, 13 years ago and I've worn big pants ever since, I will never go back!

A lot of the things listed here I'd associate not with old people but with children or with people with various atypical physical, mental, or emotional conditions or needs. Some conditions and situations are really common with aging, so I hope that someone who genuinely needs, say, an adjustment in their diet or a hearing aid or to reduce spending due to being on a fixed income isn't shamed out of it!!

Surprisingly many of the things listed here are currently or recently (within the past 3 years) trending - animal print everything, colored/patterned tights, eyeglass chains, chocolate brown, shopping trollies, frozen milk, crochet, cardigans. Given the uncertainly of the global economy and rapider-than-normal rise in COL in the past few years, plus the always-substantial influence of the USA on style trends (where the economy is really uncertain, with huge tariffs threatened for as early as next week), I expect we're going to see a lot more micro-trends driven from thrifting, recycling, foraging, DIY, etc.

I don't see the American tan stockings making a comeback, though - no one ever had skin that color, even in the heyday of "tanning"!

I actually think that elderly people like to have a purpose everyday so Weds would be the Drs appointment and maybe a wander round the local shops or whatever and Thursday would be seeing you so they've filled 2 days. Otherwise they've done everything on Weds and nothing to look forward to on Thursday.

More annoying is when they refuse to change the day they do something when they could do it any other day. For example getting last minute tickets to the theatre on Thursday but they won't come because that's the day they do their Tesco big shop despite being able to do it in the morning (theatre in the afternoon) or any other day that week.