Important Things Your Parents Taught You

[Weedygarden]

I know that I learned things as a child that others didn't. My guess is that most of you are probably in line with my lessons.

1. If it is not yours, don't take it. I learned this. At least one of my siblings did not.

2. No matter how bad it is, tell the truth. This is also something my daughter learned. Once in a while she would say to me, "Mom, I have something to tell you, and you are probably going to be mad at me." When it was prefaced like that, I was never mad, maybe more like disappointed. I so wanted her to be able to tell me about mistakes she had made, that they were not met with punishment. I knew she already got it.

3. Don't look in other people's windows. I was taught that was "bad manners." I have many opportunities to look in other people's windows, I just avert my eyes or turn my head.

4. Respect other people's privacy. I did not learn this by being taught it directly. I learned this by having people go through my stuff frequently--my purse, my drawers (NO one ever cleaned my room, except me). I am a huge respecter of other's privacy. This is something that I need when I am in and out of other people's houses when I dog, cat, and home sit for my clients. No one likes to have people snoop on them. When I was teaching, one of my colleagues called it Snoopervision.

5. Don't brag about what you have or what you did. Don't be a show off. My maternal grandfather found this to be very important. His father was a millionaire back in the day when people had little, the early 1900s. He played the stock market and did very well, until Black Friday. My grandfather was born in 1892, so he grew up with wealth, but was a very humble man, who lived on the ranch without ever having running water and years without electricity. He also struggled to feed his family in the 1930's.

 

[phideaux]

Respect your elders.

Also respect people in general.

Mr and Mrs,
Yes sir, no sir..... yes mam , no mam, was proper response to grown ups.

Never butt in when someone is talking..

I could go on forever, but was taught not to talk too much.


Jim

 

[NannyPatty]

All of the above. I my part of the country "Mr or Mrs" was accompanied with a person's first name if and only if they were friends of the family. Otherwise, it was "Mr or Mrs "

Strong work ethic and always on time.

I worked diligently to install these in my children who in turn are teaching their own children.

 

[Sentry18]

My parents were sticklers for parental obedience, courtesy to all, above average manners, integrity and a strong work ethic. So basically equal parts respect and self respect. They also taught us fairness, justice, equality and to be unwavering in our beliefs & prepared to defend them. The best thing however that they did was model those same expectations instead of just imparting them on us with words.

 

[Sunshine]

My dad always told me that boredom was a weakness of the mind. I always think about that when I feel bored. It's my own fault, I don't ever have to be bored if I don't want to be .

 

[NannyPatty]

My dad always told me that boredom was a weakness of the mind. I always think about that when I feel bored. It's my own fault, I don't ever have to be bored if I don't want to be .

I never said "I'm bored" or I got put to work!

 

[Sunshine]

I never said "I'm bored" or I got put to work!

My dad would make us do musical scales, or write a story or read. Or write an argument and debate him on a topic. I should mention both of my parents are educator's.

 

[NannyPatty]

I wish my folks were but they barely had any formal education. I would be a much better musician if I had been made to practice.

 

[Grimm]

My dad would make us do musical scales, or write a story or read. Or write an argument and debate him on a topic. I should mention both of my parents are educator's.

Same here. My dad would make me do math games that I hated and my mom would have me do chores. I found ways to keep from being 'bored' after that.

 

[Amish Heart]

Serve the men. The men eat first.

 

[Grimm]

Not so much a behavior as a skill.

How to properly shine and polish leather shoes. It was a chore I could do to earn extra pocket money growing up. My dad wore dress shoes to work everyday so he had a lot of them. His shoes closet rivals most women's I know.

I had to teach K and his dad was military!

 

[Bacpacker]

I have a lot of the same lessons as others, mind your manners, respect your elders, yes Mam, yes Sir, Strong work ethic.
Some hand on teachings include gardening, how to troubleshoot and repair mechanical equipment ( made a career out of that one), bow to build and repair. Working on a farm growing up I was exposed to a lot of different stuff and it still amazes me how much carry over there has been in other aspects of my life.

2 regrets in that vein, Should have learned welding from one of my grandpa's, and should have worked with an uncle working draft animals farming.

 

[Sentry18]

Serve the men. The men eat first.

My mom's oldest sister lived in this big beautiful old but very well maintained home. The kitchen was right off the formal dining room and had a small "eating station" sort of set up built into the counter. I never saw her eat at the table. She would call the men to the table, then the adult female guests would sit down, and the children were all sent to sit at a smaller table. She would serve the meal along with her daughters (her sons were all seated). She would eat in the kitchen with her girls as soon as the table was cleared. It seemed very unusual to me, but my Mom said her sister was very traditional and that's the way she ran her house & home.

 

[gumpy]

Serve the men. The men eat first.

Nope. That's not right!

 

[gumpy]

I learned that the toilet paper unrolled over the top.

 

[Amish Heart]

Well, depending on the group size, the men may eat separately. Just depends. The women let the men serve first if it's buffet style. What the men don't know, when we host, is that there's very excellent chocolate in the kitchen for the ladies while we're waiting. We are busy devouring dessert first. My mom had been out of the community for a way long time. The last few times we were hosting meals, she would ask me how we were eating. Meaning...men first? Men and women separate? Really, if it's a group of 15 adults or less, we let the kids get their plates first and then off they run to eat where they want, outside in good weather. Then I always serve my husband, as he's on a walker and can't carry and walk. The hostess eats last. Always. But not the chocolate.

 

[ReadyMom]

I'm English. Came to the USA at the tender age of 3 1/2. My parents both were kids during WWII. Dad lived in a country town, in the middle of the country, so he wasn't as affected by the war, as other areas. They were once bombed 'accidentally' and the town took in a lot of displaced kids from a near-by war ravaged area in England for a couple of years.

My mom lived on the coast. So, they had more raids where they had to run to the underground shelter that my Grandfather built for his wife & 9 kids! He dug it out himself. They would watch the planes fly over head, on their way to bomb London. Grandad dug many people out of the ruble.

So, my parents learned to use & reuse what they had, during rationing. We just cleaned out my now-86 y/o Dad's 'workshop'. He saved EVERYTHING. I grew up NOT throwing out anything that can be reused. Keeping things 'just in case'. If a part broke, you can fix it with something you have around the house. I also married a person with OCD. I've had to find a balance with my saving for reuse, lol. Prepping comes easily, when you grow up hearing the stories of WWII firsthand & have English parents, lol!

 

[Weedygarden]

Serve the men. The men eat first.

Yes, especially if they have been out in the fields, putting up hay, harvesting grain or working cattle. My grandmother was an excellent cook and she would make up a great noon time meal, called dinner in their world, and the men would come in and eat first. Some people take food to the field, but my grandparents didn't. The men could come in, clean up, sit and have a nice meal. They usually had Native Americans from the neighboring reservation for their field help.

 

[Weedygarden]

Serve the men. The men eat first.

The thing about this is that men had their jobs, and cooking, cleaning, raising children and serving was the job that women had. I never heard anyone complain.

 

[Weedygarden]

Well, depending on the group size, the men may eat separately. Just depends. The women let the men serve first if it's buffet style. What the men don't know, when we host, is that there's very excellent chocolate in the kitchen for the ladies while we're waiting. We are busy devouring dessert first. My mom had been out of the community for a way long time. The last few times we were hosting meals, she would ask me how we were eating. Meaning...men first? Men and women separate? Really, if it's a group of 15 adults or less, we let the kids get their plates first and then off they run to eat where they want, outside in good weather. Then I always serve my husband, as he's on a walker and can't carry and walk. The hostess eats last. Always. But not the chocolate.

I don't care where I am at, in a group situation, I always want to be last. I don't know why. I don't usually even get in line until it is almost gone. Maybe it has to do with growing up that way.

 

[Weedygarden]

I never said "I'm bored" or I got put to work!

I never had much chance to get bored. I was pretty much the do it all for my family. I didn't have time to get bored. But I also never get bored. I like to research and learn about knew things. I also like to make and create things. One of my favorite things to research is my family history. My least favorite thing is cleaning, so I have to work at that by setting goals.

 

[Sentry18]

I learned that the toilet paper unrolled over the top.

Now that's not right.

 

[Resto]

When I was very young, my Mother said "It Takes All Kinds Of People To Make The World Go Around" That stuck with me all my life.

 

[UncleJoe]

I'm English. Came to the USA at the tender age of 3 1/2. My parents both were kids during WWII.

I did not know that. If you ever mentioned it elsewhere I missed.

You might have had a hard time getting rid of me the day I was there if I had known this.

 

[The Innkeeper]

Serve the men. The men eat first.

except here at our B&B, the slaves eat last. Guests first.

 

[phideaux]

I was taught to never wear a hat , never sing, never whistle at the dinner table...

I kinda understand never fart at dinner table...
Got my :switch:for that one , more than once....


Jim

 

[Grimm]

Elbows off the table.

 

[The Innkeeper]

I learned that the fancy foreign word my father used to say when food was too hot, did not mean “hot” and I got my mouth washed out with soap when I said it

 

[gumpy]

I learned that the fancy foreign word my father used to say when food was too hot, did not mean “hot” and I got my mouth washed out with soap when I said it

When one of my Uncle's would catch a small bass he would say "another bass....!" I was about 8 so I thought that word meant a small bass. I caught one fishing with my dad and said "another little bass...., and he exploded and took my head off. When I told him why I said it he went over where my Uncle was fishing and had a good laugh. Funny the stuff you remember about growing up when you're older. The part that hurt was the two of them laughing bout it.

 

[The Innkeeper]

When one of my Uncle's would catch a small bass he would say "another bass....!" I was about 8 so I thought that word meant a small bass. I caught one fishing with my dad and said "another little bass...., and he exploded and took my head off. When I told him why I said it he went over where my Uncle was fishing and had a good laugh. Funny the stuff you remember about growing up when you're older. The part that hurt was the two of them laughing bout it.

I think we might be brothers