Things you assumed were normal

[meredithgrey1]

DH bought some weetabix to have for breakfast a few days ago and I was amazed to see him preparing it by just pouring cold milk on and then eating it like that! I can't eat weetabix now but when I was little my mum would pour the milk on, then microwave it, then mash the biscuits in to create something similar to porridge. I assumed at the time that this was the only way to eat weetabix but my husband was appalled at the very idea and after a quick google it does seem like I'm very much in the minority. So it got me thinking, what are some things that you thought were normal, but then you realised that you/your family were the only one(s) doing it like that?

I didn’t see any problem in having eggs for breakfast, then I moved to Spain and everyone told me that was a “disgusting thing to have so early in the morning”

It was drummed into to me as a child ( and I believed well into adulthood) that

It was cruelty to puppies not to gently warm their food to blood temperature with a thermometer! My Dad even reminds me in adulthood when I get a new puppy.
Dogs had to have a human duvet with their own duvet cover and the day of the week human beds are stripped is the day the dog’s duvet cover is washed, but must be washed on a separate cycle and away from any other washing, on a 60 degree cycle.

Not doing either of these things would mean the RSPCA would call and the dog would be removed!

Imagine my shock as a late teen when I visited someone’s house to find their dog slept outside! Have to say though, both my dogs have queen size duck down duvets and their own duvet covers in their baskets.

I didn’t realise that people used teapots to make tea- I thought everyone put the teabag in the mug then added the boiled water, removed the teabag, then added milk.

I used to leave the tap running while I was brushing my teeth- thought this was normal.

I assumed every woman had labia minora that stick out.

I thought that words in foreign languages all had direct translations and the same number of syllables as English- just different sounds/ spellings.

I assumed no one gets grey hair until they are 40 ish - didn’t realise so many young women hide grey with dye.

DH brushes his teeth with hot water. He thinks it's strange to brush with cold

My DH insists that pizza is only served with coleslaw and potato salad. I grew up with pizza and garlic bread/wedges. We compromise by having both (the coleslaw and potato salad is usually untouched after the pizza and wedges are gone!)

Putting vinegar on a roast dinner. Assumed everyone did it until at 14 my friend came for dinner and was horrified! I visited Toby Carvery once and asked for some vinegar for my roast. The waitress had no idea what I was on about.

Weetabix I eat with cold milk, DH prefers his cooked to mush in hot milk. He will try nuking mine unless I get there first!

My dad and sister both like to have sugar and vinegar on Yorkshire pudding or pancakes. Me and my mum are normal

However, both my sister and I like corned beef & lemon curd sandwiches . Have never thought that to be normal though

My oh brushes his teeth by squirting the toothpaste into his mouth rather than putting a pea sized amount on the toothbrush. I just dont get it!
He also brushes them in the shower.

Off the back of this thread I have just had proper cheese on toast.
Thick brown bread ( tescos seeded batch )
Strong Cheddar grated and mixed with a egg black pepper and finely slices green bit of two spring onions .
Toast one side of the bread , flip it , put a thin layer of cheese mix on grill it for a bit then put the rest of the cheese mix on .
This ensures the egg is cooked properly and in hot all the way through.

I batch cook quite a lot and put stuff in the microwave while its cooling down ( tiny kitchen so no spare work top ) then put it in the fridge once its cool.
i have never forgotten stuff in there for several days blurgh
It setts me up for the day when I have it for breakfast

umm that last line refers to cheese on toast not left over food
setts ? sets

A friend washers her bra daily, whereas I might wear it a few days, or swap and put the same one back on a few days later (obviously unless doing fitness/hot day etc).

She just assumed everyone washes bras daily like underwear and socks, whereas I assumed people get a few days wear from a bra if not sweaty? No idea what the common census on this is though or who is 'normal'?

“I assumed no one gets grey hair until they are 40 ish - didn’t realise so many young women hide grey with dye.” I wish! I started going grey at 26!!

“DH brushes his teeth with hot water. He thinks it's strange to brush with cold” does he get stomach issues? I was always told hot water wasn’t drinkable because it’s sitting stagnating while it’s heated.

My mom would never let us swallow water from the taps in the bathroom. She said it wasn't drinking water as it wasn't clean. It only occurred to be a couple of years ago that all the water comes from the same place.

Re Weetabix -
I can remember visiting a pen pal when I was around 10. They always put out a choice of breakfast cereals to have. One morning I decided to have Weetabix.
They then kept asking me if I was feeling all right, followed by total shock that I was adding milk and sugar.
According to them you only eat Weetabix if you're feeling constipated and it must be eaten dry with margarine and marmalade.

I used to like omelettes with jam for my tea. And my DB2 thought cheddar with marmalade (the proper stuff, made with bitter Seville oranges) was the business). On the other side of this debate, my so called best friend at 14 couldn't understand why I couldn't get my head round baked beans on toast or chip butties (OK, that might have been after I tried to get her to try salt herring and Polish bigos...)

My mom would never let us swallow water from the taps in the bathroom. She said it wasn't drinking water as it wasn't clean. It only occurred to be a couple of years ago that all the water comes from the same place.

My DH also says this, and he claims the water comes from two different tanks, and the tank for the tap in the bathroom is open, so theoretically a dead pigeon could be in it. (!) I cannot be bothered to verify this for myself, it's easier just not to drink the bathroom tap water (although I do sometimes). I was fine drinking it before I married him but now he has put me off!

Don't know about Weetabix, but plain digestives definitely taste best with a thick coating of butter.

And granola type cereal should always be eaten on the sly, straight out of the packet (student memories).

Wrt water from upstairs taps.
Houses with older plumbing would often have a cold tank in the roof to increase the water pressure in upstairs taps. This meant the water was sat stagnant for a while and could potentially harbor stuff you don't want to drink. I believe it's also the reason bathroom sinks have a separate cold and hot tap rather than a mixer.
We got rid of our cold tank a few years ago when we changed to a modern condensing boiler. Now it's safe to drink from the bathroom tap!

Don't know about Weetabix, but plain digestives definitely taste best with a thick coating of butter.

Or Seriously Spreadable cheese. Butter and a good sharp cheddar is lovely as well.

YY Cigar is right, but this is unlikely in a modern house. If you have a combi boiler then this doesn't apply any more. It was only ever hot water as well, a cold tank to feed the immersion heater or something like that. Cold water should have been OK to drink unless your house was plumbed badly.

I remember a particularly horrible case in the news a few years ago where something went wrong and the heated water was fed back into the plastic tank which melted and the weight of the water came through the ceiling and onto a baby sleeping in a cot directly below, the baby was badly burned and didn't survive. It was a council house and the outdated nature of the water system was cited as part of what could have prevented the whole thing.

Rice boiled in stock. My mum always boiled rice in chicken stock to give it some favour. If we had it with chilli or curry we had rice like this. The first time I tried plain boiled rice at school I was shocked at how tasteless and awful it was. I though that was how everyone made rice. I still male mine in stock, it’s a skill to make sure you have just enough stock to be absorbed and make the rice soft.

My mom would never let us swallow water from the taps in the bathroom. She said it wasn't drinking water as it wasn't clean. It only occurred to be a couple of years ago that all the water comes from the same place.

Any water that comes from a tank, as opposed to directly from the mains, shouldn't be used as drinking water because of the chance of nasty bugs or other pollutants e.g. dead things floating around. Most modern houses have all the taps fed directly from the main inlet into the house, but many older houses & older public buildings still have tanks for cold as well as hot water.

Am I the only one who used to like Horlicks tablets? I never quite worked out what the point of them was though, nor why it was only chemists that sold them.

Also, lollipops at the dentist and Lucozade as a health drink?

Weetabix should be cold and crunchy on a hot day or warm and mushy on a cold winter's morning/night obviously.
My favourite breakfast as a child was ripped up white bread with plenty of sugar and milky percolated coffee poured on it. the thought of eating that shit (sorry mum) now makes me (not envy)