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".

no, my mum brought us up alone after dad died when we were little. she hasn't been on a night out or on holiday since the early 1970s. She did say she owuld not leave us with any babysitter ever but would have been nice if relatives would have offered just once to take us but they never did. If she went out then we all went out as a family never her alone.

I wish I could pay for her dream holiday and my own place to give her the best holiday of all.

This really doesn’t make sense. I understand not having recreation time when you need a babysitter, but have they really not eaten outside of the home, seen a movie, gone for a twilight walk to look at Christmas lights, or had a picnic in 40 years?

Mine never went out but that's because they're boring shits who are incapable of socialising with normal human beings (they're NC after years is narcissism and abuse so probably not the best example)

My mum was part of a babysitting circle. You used to have ‘the folder’ for a couple of weeks at a time, and the other mums would phone you to arrange a babysitter. You’d get points for sitting for others and then redeem your points tohave a sitter for your children. You had to leave a sandwich and other snacks and drinks for your babysitter.

My parents used to host a lot of dinner parties and would then be invited back to their friends for others to host the dinner party. We weren’t well off and the meals weren’t posh, but I guess it was cheaper to do that than go to a restaurant.

I don’t remember them going to the cinema or the theatre or anything like that, but I do remember them going to a music concert once but I don’t think they ever went to the pub or out eating or drinking, they probably couldn’t afford it tbh.
I often think about this. What my generation takes for granted and expects to be able to do, my parents generation just didn’t even think about. We probably have a main meal out once every 2months as a family and have a takeaway on average every three weeks. Dh and I go out with friends probably every other month for a meal and drinks in a bar. We go to the cinema or theatre probably once every six weeks. My parents would go from one year to the next without a takeaway!

When i was small my grandparents would occasionally babysit while mum and dad went out- but only on special occasions-not every weekend by a long way,

When I was bit older (maybe 12+) my parents would sometimes pop out to the cricket club on a Saturday or Sunday night for an hour or two, but they were always back by about 10pm and would bring me crisps for supper!

Our parents went out once or twice a week for dinner, I thought that was normal, still do, my DH do out a few times a night for drinks and dinner

*Goat club
*
Next time someone mentions their hobby without elaborating incase it's outting I'm just going to assume it's this.

I've just remembered that my Mum was part of her works dart team. She was the best player and won cups.

We had a professional dart board on our dining/kitchen wall.

My parents went out every Saturday from when I could remember... teenage babysitters were the norm until we got to around 10.. (twins.). I can remember ringing the local club one night as we were terrified of a giant spider to ask if my dad would be home soon

My mum was part of a babysitting circle.

Yes, my parents had this too. I remember a little dish of plastic tokens (each one representing a unit of time) that they would earn/use to 'pay' for babysitting, and a big list of names and phone numbers.

They went out (mostly to friends) about once a month. They did once take a week holiday alone and my gran looked after us.

Anyone else thinking about "The Men Who Stare At Goats"?

indecisivepigeonOK. I worded the op wrong but I think ppl got the drift also just hit a funny bone there.

And yes please more about Goat Club... can we talk about goat club?

My mum was a single parent. No nights off.

Mine rarely went out together because they have separate social lives so we were only left with sitters or relatives very occasionally. I remember they went on holiday without us twice.

My PILs went out most Saturdays and left DH/SIL with grandparents. Very fond memories for them of that time with their GPs.

My parents rarely went out as we didn't have money - i'm not sure why this seems so strange to a PP.

There were 7 of us and it wasn't so much babysitting costs I don't think as we would just b leave if the need arose - usually because they were working rather than going out. My Dad did mostly night shift or sometimes mixed shifts and my mum worked days but would do the odd evening in a bar or dishes in the local pub/ restaurant for extra cash.

Any spare money for trips out was spent taking us all out on the bus to the beach or park. When my older brothers and sisters were working there was a bit extra and there would be an occasional trip to the local pub but this was usually instigated by one of the older kids and they would be dragged out. before my Dad died (at age 67), we paid for them to go on the odd weekend coach trip or meal out but the liked when we took them out rather than just going the two of them tbh. I remember when I was about 19 taking them to Pizzaland for a meal and my Dad thought it was amazing. That is actually making me tear up. They had a really hard life.

My parents could afford a night out, but I only remember one occasion when they did (in around 15 years). They did go on holiday once too.

My parents went out, but I am not sure how often.

We had a local girl, probably about 14, babysit us - one night in particular they didn't come home until 3am. It was so late that the babysitter's Dad was there, and his gave them an earful for being so late! He had arrived at 11pm, and sent her home.
We never had that babysitter back again!

My dad went to the pub one night a week, my mum occasionally went out but not often. They only went out together on NYE and I stayed over at my grandmother’s. Once I got to about 11 we all went out every Saturday night with my aunt, uncle and cousin to a social club. I loved those Saturday nights.

Mine were out at night at least once a week, they were all nighters too. Baby sitters? Yes, me, from the age of 7 onwards. I also looked after my younger sister all day long during the school holidays and before and after school, while my Mum worked, for years, again from the age of 7 onwards. They still don’t see a problem with it but I used to be terrified at night time alone in the house.

Just read the whole thread scrolling to see if there's an answer to what goat club is!
I NEED TO KNOW!!!!!!

What on earth is a goat club???

What on earth is a goat club???

If you have to ask ......

My parents had (and still have) a very active social life, they were always out. We'd have a cousin babysit (huge family so a lot to choose from), I would be dropped off at Blockbuster Video while my dad picked up the cousin so I could choose the weekend movies and he'd pick me up on the return
They would also take my cousin and her friend on holiday with us to babysit while we were away.

They had social things that they'd take us too as well; they were in a bowling league every Sunday so we'd go and play some games, and we'd go out for meals often or to friends houses for parties and BBQs. They had a much better social life than I do since having a child!