What nonsensical rules did your elders used to insist you follow?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

My mum used to make us rub margarine into bruises, apparently it would ‘Make the bruising come out’. This went on until we were teens and decided we didn’t want greasy patches on our arms or legs etc.

And if you were taking something back to the shop for a refund, you had to take it in that shops own carrier bag, so if you were taking something back to Tesco, you had to take it in a Tesco bag. It was rude to take it in another shops bag.

That bag one is silly but also really sweet!

My Nana used to think TCP was magic and no matter what you did TCP would fix it… Scrape your knee - apply TCP. Sore throat - gargle with TCP. Accidentally get decapitated - pour a gallon of TCP down your neck hole. To be fair, it worked for some stuff, but it was the way that she used it for every ailment under the sun!

That said - she got it right too, clove tea for a headache and spiders webs for cuts instead of gooey, sweaty fabric plasters.

The only one I remember is having to pull the curtains to before we turned on any lights. I think this was left over from their growing up during the War and blackout, but it made it bloody difficult to read a book on a grey and miserable day because we weren't allowed to draw the curtains before it got dark. So no curtains drawn, no lights and squinting to do anything indoors.

Oh dear, I think your Mum was confused. Margarine is good for rubbing on road tar, which I used to get covered in. It lifts off the tar stains, but doesn't help bruises!

We weren't allowed to put a milk bottle on the table - it had to be poured into a jug first. I still don't understand why

My mother, now departed, told me not to wash my hair if I was menstruating. Because her mother told her the same. My nan also used to say that you should put butter on a burn! And if you had a bite, put a bread poultice on it to ‘draw it out’. If you had a temperature, you wrapped up warm and sweated it out…thank goodness I ignored all of this.