To ask about stuff from your childhood that is strange in retrospect?

[TheCatOfAthenry]

My late grandfather used to poke us in the head with a pocket knife and say "bees bees bees". He used also give us coffee and home-brewed beer in our bottles from the age of about 10 months.

Unrelated, he used also come out with statements like "a minute is a very long time" and "nobody can hear you scream if you're lost in a chasm."

When we were ill, the crystals came out. They hoped to undo my scoliosis before the orthopaedic surgeon saw me. Had abscesses treated with funny poultices and homeopathic sweeties. One particular cure involved massaging your own nose and coccyx simultaneously. (For one condition, the school got involved to ensure I got real medical care.)

We had the archangel Michael's sword carved on our front door. We were taught that if we told a ghost to go away three times, they would. I have yet to utilise this information. And we went to Catholic mass for good measure.

Spent many a night in public houses - Dad's a musician. Was reared in a cloud of tobacco smoke. Holidayed in caravans and essentially ran wild on a halting site every summer.

Mainly nice memories. Lots of lovely people around us. I grew up into a very skeptical medical doctor, but I still enjoy all sorts of people. Get out the guitar from time to time, but only enjoy crystals as decoration these days.

Would love to hear others' retrospectively strange experiences.

I worked in a nursery and then an after school club. The children were very capable in the nursery - 3 years old up. All out of nappies, and accidents were not common. You only ever had to help with a difficult button or zip. It surprises me now when comparing to kids today

This is a whole thread in itself ... is there one anywhere? I've been working in primary schools for some time now and I swear there are some parents who don't bother trying to get their child out of nappies until the month before they join Reception.

Not sure when that was but I was having regular accidents in reception and Year 1. 1986/1987/1988

Clothes got mended and extended! Hems let down or extra fabric sewn on the bottom of trousers or skirts. The worst one was my mother cutting the toes off my school shoes when I'd out grown them and then and making me wear them in the holidays

Been told to go play outside and never having sun cream on. I still remember the extremely painful burns on my back where I had blisters when playing in paddling pool when small. I don't remember having had sun cream put on at all despite being very fair skinned and would easily burn, it wasn't summer unless I had skin peeling, now I slather on the stuff on to myself and kids and hope there is no long term consequences. Also been told not to answer door and hide in back of house at some points due to debt collectors. Nothing else particularly abnormal.

Yeah I never had new clothes either now I think about it.

I remember going to my primary school in what would have been year 6, wearing one of my mother's t shirts.

I used to wait until I went to stay with my nan in the summer holidays and get her to buy me clothes from proper kids' shops.

It didn't seem weird at the time, but I do remember never having anything to bloody wear unless I'd been gifted it at Christmas or birthdays. And then it would always be horrendous.

Why didn't my mum buy me clothes? I'm always buying the DCs clothes - they grow like rhubarb.

It's things like this that make me wish she was alive to ask her!

Yes to the clothes thing - what were we expected to wear, I don't understand! I possibly do the opposite with my children now, they have loads.

In primary school you'd get sent to the office for a 'special nose bandage' if you had a nosebleed. I remember walking past the seats outside the office and seeing kids with the little white strings hanging out their nostrils.

The office ladies were sticking tampons up our noses.

In nursery at playtime we'd get locked out with no adult supervision. I'd guess this was about 1980.

There was nothing except 'doing as we were told' to stop any of us going round the side of the building out to the front and then nothing but a low wooden fence with a gate held shut with a hook to stop us escaping altogether.

Security in schools is a completely different universe now.

Sitting in the front seat of my parents car between the legs of my grandad. There were no seat belts and my mum, nanna and baby sister cramped in the back. If that wasn't bad enough my mum, dad and grandad all puffing away on cigarettes whilst in the car and not opening the windows.

I also remember my dad taking the belt to me and leaving huge bruises on my leg when I was 5. It was only when my own son was 5 that I looked at him one day and could not comprehend how anyone could do that to a tiny child but it seemed to be acceptable in those days.

The freedom !
Playing out and going to neighbours houses aged 7/8
Mega solo bike rides as a teen
The sexual harassment and bullying when a young teen

The office ladies were sticking tampons up our noses

We always spent boxing day at my grandparents oast house in Kent and the whole extended family would play a game of miniature crazy golf set up around the house. I was quite surprised to hear normal other people didn't play crazy golf in their houses on boxing day.

Also when I left primary school the headmistress and form teacher would have the top class round to their houses for posh farewell dinners. We were given alcohol, probably no more than a glass of wine but I can remember wobbling down the driveway when my parents came to collect me. No one batted an eyelid but it works be shocking now.

I was (I'm told) left outside the supermarket in my pram. All the babies were. There was a man employed to rock the prams. Mind boggling now!

Me and my pals used to eat dog biscuits (Bonio). Through choice, we had plenty of normal food available, we just went through a phase of loving them. I don't think they have anything harmful in it but at this stage I don't dare check!

Bees bees bees! 😂 That is so wonderfully weird and quirky! I'm going to do it to DS tomorrow (maybe without the knife!!)

Mum made a cheesecake from a packet when they first came out but as it had the name ' cheese' he insisted it was for the main meal and had it served up with chips and salad. Also we wasn't allowed to speak when the news,football results or wrestling was on the tv.

I like "bees bees bees" too.

I possibly do the opposite with my children now, they have loads

I find i overcompensate for things i lacked too. Massive tower of loo roll in the bathroom and tons of STs for teenage dd. Always make sure she has what she needs.

OP your childhood sounds like it'd make an amusing book

The lack of a bin in the bathroom. When I was on my period I had to wrap my sanitary towel in loo roll, hide it in my pocket, or up my sleeve if no pockets, sidle nonchalantly into the kitchen and surreptitiously hide it in the kitchen bin.

There were 4 teenage girls in the house. WTF?! A bin in the bathroom would have removed so much anxiety from my life!

Ophelia, you misunderstood my post I was talking about letting my teens out when they were kids!

Monday was laundry day. I had a terrible time as a sweaty teenager st school. PE was a Monday so I couldn't have washed PE kit. I only had one set. I remember getting into trouble at school if I left it home for washing and being bullied for being unwashed and smelly if I took it into school.
My mum had a few serious parenting shortcomings. No one could possibly be hungry if she wasn't and I swear she used to think eating lunch was a sign of weakness. I had to go years and years not being able to have any lunch. I'd get dizzy and sick during the afternoon.
Of course I have overcompensated throughout my adult life.
She never got out of bed in the morning. From reception I was expected to get myself breakfasted, dressed and walk to school. She never worked. She was quite house proud but she also spent a large chunk of every day drinking coffee in various friends houses.

My NDN had baby No 3 all under 5 and she couldn't cope so I practically raised baby aged 13, skipping school sometimes.
At secondary school a patient from the mental hospital nearby used to come and flash at us girls daily. I don't think that the police were ever called.
Hiding from the rent man.

Some of these comments show astonishing ignorance of how little spare money most people had 30-40 years ago, and how expensive clothes were. There was no primark or cheap far eastern imports. Most people would only have one winter coat and very few pairs of shoes. It wasn't neglect or abuse. This is why older people can get cross when current definitions of poverty seem like huge riches compared with what they had as children.

Asking what's for tea and being told 'shit with sugar on' 😂

I can't think of anything to rival these! Feeling very grateful for my boring home life.

However one of my teachers in Y2 used to let pupils brush her hair or rub her feet during playtime. Nothing dodgy as such but would clearly be a massive safeguarding red flag thesedays and I'm only in my late twenties!

There used to be a cane in the Head's office at school. It was an accepted deterrent back then and I don't actually recall it ever being used. But the thought of it being a possible punishment at my DDs' school is horrible.

I was also smacked by my teachers as a young child. But I would be absolutely livid if a teacher smacked one of my DDs.