It’s 5.30 on the Sunday nights of our childhoods. AIBU to ask you what you are doing?

[StudentProblems]

It is 5.30 on any Sunday night of your childhood. For me it’s approximately 1997. I am having my hair nit combed in the front room, having been told off for not eating all my roast pork. Dad is messing around with the fire because it won’t draw properly. It’s all a bit tense.

What are you doing?

Lovely thread by the way! 💕

The rhubarb crumble is in the oven and I'm sat at the kitchen table feeling very sorry for myself as I finish my homework. Heartbeat and Antiques roadshow are on the tv shortly and both give me the Smonday blues that the weekend is nearly over. Mum is finishing the drying up and putting it away and sibling is playing on a computer games console. Dad might be finishing a can of beer and his dinner is plated up in the oven. There's a lovely warm atmosphere and the windows are steamy in the kitchen from the washing up. The irnoning that Mum spent doing that morning is hung on my bedroom door as that's one of my jobs to put it away.

1950s I would be going to church evensong, then to my room to finish any homework . Then the once a week bath . Mum would make a cup,of ovaltine and a buscuit then tuck us up in bed. Such an idyllic childhood.

80’s childhood, up to starting secondary school.

It would be bath time. Mum would be ironing uniforms/clothes for school for the week so the smell of ironing steam and bath steam combined. After the bath we’d sit and watch TV with a cup of coffee (!) and some biscuits or toast. Things such as Last of Summer Wine would be on.

In winter my brother and I would huddle close to the gas heater in the living room. In summer there was a blackbird that always perched on the roof opposite and made me feel sad singing as it was still sunny and we had to go to bed (8ish).

I would always read in bed for at least an hour at that age.

In the 90’s I’d have been hitting my teens and I was probably doing last min homework and in my bedroom at 5.30.

Mid 70s. I'd have made a cake or biscuits. Fire lit. Sunday afternoon treat to be allowed food in the sitting room. Wooden trolley on wheels brought in with sardines on toast, cake etc. Watch the latest BBC drama then escape to record the Top 20 on my tape recorder. Then a mad scrabble to finish homework. Absolutely the best memories for me and my mum.

@csigeek

Probably 1991 Lying on my dads back as he lay on the floor, watching tv over his head. Probably just had or about to have a nibbly tea (sandwiches, crisps and pickles) before bath and bed. I miss my dad. I’m not crying you are.

I am definitely crying.

Mid 70’s, aged around 13-14 I’d be clearing away the tea things (always high tea on Sunday afternoon/evening) and getting ready to go to the local ice rink for the disco 7 - 10 pm (as long as homework was finished, of course). I didn’t really have a set bedtime, so as long as I was able to get myself up and ready for school in the morning, my parents didn’t mind...

Late 70s.
In a Hilman Imp driving back from Grandmas and hoping that we will stop at a Happy Eater on the motorway, so we can have sausages and chips for tea.

Having tea at my Nanny & Grandad’s. Little buffet type tea. Always at 5pm. I grew up living next door to my Grandparents and had a brilliant bond with them. My parents live 2.5 hours away so upsets me that they don’t get to spend as much time with my children.

Blimey you lot have got good memories I can only guess at mine but it would probably be sitting in my bedroom by myself while the parents argued downstairs as that's, what happened most of the time.

Early 70s. We’d be getting ready to eat tea in the lounge (reserved for use on Sundays or special occasions), bread, butter, cheese or jam, a chicory for dad, cucumber, tomatoes and celery. During tea we would watch The World About Us which has left me with an abiding loathing of nature programmes. Before bath and bed.