Did they get a night off

[Blueblueyellow]

I'm 32 my eldest sibling is 40,in all those 40 years my parents never had a night out. My OH can't belive this. We were poor and to me this is normal. Aibu or did your parents have a "night off".

I think that is very unusual. Most parents go out sometimes - either together or separately.

@CMOTDibbler - what is goat club, please?

Oh, and of course they went to Labour Party meetings regularly, there seemed to be a lot of them too. And some meetings were at our house.

In my case it wasn't money issues that kept my parents at home. They just were of that mindset where once you have children then you stay home, although they were not generally very sociable types anyway, they liked peace and quiet. But they never had visitors either really. The occasional relative, but no friends.

Mine went out maybe a few times a year, and there were a couple of teenage girls on our road who would babysit. When I was older I had more regular babysitting work from couples who went out at least once a week, the flash buggers.

Mine used to go out on a Friday evening, usually to the cinema (I think!).

DMs friend used to babysit me and DB. As soon as they'd left the house we used to get the hamster out of its cage and scare her out into the garden with it. We let her back in just before bedtime. She was too enbarrassed to tell them.

God, we were horrible!

I remember my dad playing snooker as a child and coming back from the pub with Guinea pigs and a hot wheels track (separate occasions), having a baby sitter so they could go out, my mum going out with friends etc. Once we were older I'd look after my brother so they could go out

My parents went out a lot. Away on army social weekends (dad was in the RCT), they did volunteering, Mum was a member of young women’s groups and church organisations, plus she was on PTAs, etc, dad was in the army so away a lot. We spent a lot of time looked after by our gran, which was fabulous.

When I was wee I was so jealous of people who had babysitters. It seemed so exciting.

DM was a single parent so she got 1 Sat night each month, but had a great circle of friends amongst the school/village parents so they ran a babysitting circle' where all the kids would take it in turns to have sleepovers - seemed to work really well for us & didn't cost anyone any £

But why for 40 years? That couldn't have been because they had children because you don't need a babysitter for adult children?

The thought of a 55 year old babysitter turning up for a 40 year old has tickled me for some reason

I don’t remember my parents ever going out or doing anything without us until I was about 20, I think it was more to do with not being very sociable than lack of money though. So when my friends got to the age of having kids and I saw them leaving their kids with grandparents to go on weekends away or to parties I was shocked, I didn’t realise that was a thing people did!

my dm and df went to a coupe of evening classes when i was around 8 asnd got a local sitter for us gladys nice old lady

wasnt long after that maybe once a month

DP's went out separately to church meetings or whist drives. Never had a babysitter and not due to money
Occasionally we would drive past pubs and I'd complain that they never let me sit on the steps with Vimto and crisps like other children

@CMOTDibbler goat club?

I don't remember them going out as a couple just the 2 of them much in the evenings when we were kids, but they would go for dinner and drinks with couple friends maybe once a month or so. We'd have a family friend's daughter babysitting and get a Blockbuster video and pizza or McDonalds so quite enjoyed it

My parents were always out somewhere
Usually related to the social side of their chosen religion
We spent a lot of time with grandparents, babysitters or got dragged along
Not happy memories
Did not do anything similar with own DC

I’m 26 and my parents haven’t had a night out in that long!

Very occasionally one of them would go out (usually mum to an office do)
Dad would take us to pick her up and we would be home by 10pm latest! It was unusual - we were also not well off (owned home in nice area but very little to live on) so they always said that drinking/smoking or going out was not a priority and that if they were going to splurge on a night out it would include me and my sibling as we deserved the treat too (cinema /bowling night...etc)

I consider myself very lucky to have grown up with such lovely caring parents

Like a poster above my dp only ever went to dads Xmas do. I'd stop at my big sisters house, then later at my cousins or friends.IT was a different country though and socialising tended to be at friends and family, so I went along too. I used to love watching mum get dressed up. She rarely wore makeup in the day, but would on the nights out and would look so glamorous. Dad would wear a suit and look so handsome. They were so lovely and such great parents.

They were out all the time. Just never together.
He was down the Legion, she was up the bingo.
Us 5 kids were indoors listening to records.
Something must have worked as they were married for 50 years till one died.

my parents did go out as a couple, but they were part of a babysitting circle in the block of flats. So even if it was just taking sarnies to the park on a summer night, or going to the pub, they would do that.

the babysitting circle in the block was a great thing for them but they have since said that they wonder if that kind of thing happens now, or if people are not that trusting of neighbours etc But taking it in turns in a large block of flats was a boon for all the tenants with children.

My mum was single parent for many years and even she had nights out sometimes. When she remarried her and dad occasionally went out as a couple but more often either my dm or dsd would go out with their mates and the other would stay in and look after me and my sister. I wasn’t every weekend but it happened at least 3 or 4 times a year.

My mum used to go out with a single friend once every few months - she would always get rolling drunk and the next day they would have a huge row. Other than that, they would regularly go out together for bar suppers, dad would go to the football or squash, then a couple of pints (not really a drinker), and my mum also went to things with school mums. Often they were events like flower arranging demos, with drinks and nibbles.

We stayed with grandparents when they were out together, then when I was about 11, my mum’s friend’s son who was at uni used to come round and sit with us. He was my first proper crush, and we are still good friends now.

Rarely, my mum's parents died when I was 5 and then 7. My Dad only had his mum as his dad died when he was young. She didn't like babysitting & used to kick up a huge fuss.
Our neighbours elder daughter babysat a few times, but they had to pay her so it was hardly worth going out as they never had much money in the first place.
They're certainly making up for it now!

My parents used to take us to the local pub every weekend in the summer...all the kids playing building dens in the beer garden we used to love it then when I was around 13 I was left 'in charge' of my 11 year old sister.
Times have probably changed it would be frowned upon going out drinking leaving the kids at home

Mine often did, they went out round to friend's houses and had dinner parties at their house when I was in bed. They were part of a regular dinner and cheese and wine evening circuit.