Things your parents taught you (that aren't common)

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  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    My dad is short, and I grew to be shorter than average (but taller than him). He always said, "When the shooting starts, you won't have as far to duck."

    Back then, he was joking... today in America, it's actually serious.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
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    How to transport a doobie in an envelope without crushing it.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    How to interview for a job
  • dammitjanet0161
    dammitjanet0161 Posts: 319 Member
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    Not odd things my mum taught me: how to sew (her job was as a sewing machinist so it probably would have been odd for me not to learn from her), to knit, to cook (particularly pastry, which many cooks struggle with but for me it's not a big deal).

    More unusual things she taught me: to wallpaper, to wire a plug, to swim (unusual as she couldn't swim herself), to darn socks (who actually darns these days?!).
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    Not odd things my mum taught me: how to sew (her job was as a sewing machinist so it probably would have been odd for me not to learn from her), to knit, to cook (particularly pastry, which many cooks struggle with but for me it's not a big deal).

    More unusual things she taught me: to wallpaper, to wire a plug, to swim (unusual as she couldn't swim herself), to darn socks (who actually darns these days?!).

    That reminds me... my dad showed me how to take a cord from an appliance that no longer worked and re-purpose it as a small extension cord.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    My mom taught me to sew and cross-stitch. She is very crafty with needlework and would have taught me to knit and crochet too but I'm not coordinated enough.

    My dad taught me to say thank you when someone gives you a compliment (rather than saying "oh, no I'm not" or something similar) and to ALWAYS say ma'am and sir. I'm a teacher now and it drives me up a wall when I call a student's name and he or she says, "Yeah?" or "What?" in response. I always make them try again, with "Yes ma'am" this time. (And just for the record, I do say "ma'am" and "sir" to my students, when they turn in homework, raise their hands, etc. Just because they're younger doesn't mean I shouldn't show them the same respect I want them to show me.) I live in Alabama, so that probably has something to do with it. We southerners are big on the ma'ams and sirs. :)

    Oh yeah...I definitely think location is a huge determining factor with ma'am and sir.
  • jogamaster
    jogamaster Posts: 5 Member
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    My dad taught me how to drive a minibike, hunt, fix plumbing, fix cars, paint cars, make amateur fireworks (big mistake there) cook. However, the weirdest thing he taught me was to never trust someone with two first names i.e. Marty Martin or so forth. Never understood that one!
  • jacques57
    jacques57 Posts: 2,129 Member
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    My parents taught me that it is tradition to stand when you hear Handel's Halleluiah Chorus in a Messiah concert.
  • pixelatedsun
    pixelatedsun Posts: 165 Member
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    Tacky is defined as "a black-velvet painting of Elvis."
  • JenAndSome
    JenAndSome Posts: 1,893 Member
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    I was raised by my grandparents. My grandfather taught me many things, how to fix holes in the wall, hang and finish drywall, level a barn (that was a scary one for a 12 year old girl), how to use pretty much any hand tool, dig a ditch, and most common household repairs. Most importantly he taught me to be a hard worker.

    My grandmother taught me to not take any crap from anyone, but to always try to be respectful and to always forgive but never forget.
  • April_KT
    April_KT Posts: 332 Member
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    How to take Ramen noodles and make a gourmet type meal.
    How to shoot guns
    Self defense training from my dad in case i was attacked.
    And most importantly how to be a respectful nice lady unlike alot of women now days!

    ETA: ALways use ma'am and sir when talking to strangers or your elders :flowerforyou:
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    how to pull a proper pint of guinness

    My father taught me many of those things, including how to pour a glass of beer with just the right amount of head. But he had an old, wooden sailboat so I learned a great deal about how to strip, sand, paint, and varnish ... repeatedly ... every spring.

    We never had the money to pay for services so we hardly ever saw a repairman or handyman in the house or under our cars. We learned it all, irrespective of gender. I remember my mother agreeing that I could hem my brother's pants in return for his rotating my tires ONLY if we could assure her that we both would be capable of doing it ourselves.

    When I got my first apartment, my father gave me a pair of vice grip pliers because EVERYONE needs a pair of vice grip pliers!
  • FabulousFantasticFifty
    FabulousFantasticFifty Posts: 195,832 Member
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    How not to Parent :tongue:
  • 1HappyRedhead
    1HappyRedhead Posts: 413 Member
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    Lots of things, but I guess the least common would be "frog gigging". Yep... I'm from the South, lol. :wink:
  • Kimdbro
    Kimdbro Posts: 922 Member
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    how to pull a proper pint of guinness

    Awesome Parent rating X 1 Million!! :heart:
  • knitapeace
    knitapeace Posts: 1,013 Member
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    Wow, I feel a little neglected now. I guess the best thing my mom taught me was how to fold a fitted sheet so it comes out square and flat.
  • Kaelakcr
    Kaelakcr Posts: 505 Member
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    My mom taught me how to make cocktails when I wasn't of the legal age yet. Because of her relaxed attitude, I never drank outside of their house until college. I could have a drink whenever I asked for one, so it wasn't a big deal.

    They also taught me to appreciate wine, and how to act in foreign countries to not look like an *kitten* tourist.

    Momma also taught me that you should not wait until marriage to have sex!

    Mom and gram taught me how to cook some amazing desserts, and how to make Ramen an actual meal, with vegetables and everything.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
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    How to pour a beer without a head

    How to change oil in my car

    How to find a stud in the wall

    These are just a few of the miriad I've been taught.
  • spade117
    spade117 Posts: 2,466 Member
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    Momma also taught me that you should not wait until marriage to have sex!

    Are you married?
  • s_pekz
    s_pekz Posts: 340 Member
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    My mom taught me that if someone doesnt like you thats their loss and not yours

    My dad taught me to always ask for the supervisor if you want something done. including when you are bullied at school.

    Both my parents are physicians and they taught me the reality of health: if advil, bandaids, a shower, sleep or ducttape cant fix it you have a legitimate problem.

    I'm pretty sure my dad would have been happy to show me how to grow certain illicit substances but I was never interested.

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