Strange rules your parents had when you were growing up

[Grummgug]

1. At every dinner, dad would fill a tall glass with milk to the rim and I had to drink it all.
2. Dad "had the floor" at dinner time. He talked for the duration of the meal and most of us mostly didn't say much. If anyone else started to talk a lot, he'd say "Quiet! I'm talking!" He'd either complain about bills, or co-workers, or something bad that happened during the day.
3. The cat's litter pan HAD to be in the basement. But the cat did not have to be. Sometimes at nite, the basement door would be closed because no-one remembered to leave it open. The next morning, the cat might have taken a poo in the corner of the living room.
4. I had NO chores. Ever. I had no curfew. Ever. I could go out and do whatever I wanted. I would attempt to do some chores and that would just make my dad mad. He had to do it. He was a handyman and very skilled at fixing things, but never taught me a single thing. I always wondered if it was because I was a straight A student and considered the smartest kid in my class, so I was rewarded with no chores and no curfew.

[Luko]

Wasn't allowed to bring white friends home from school.

...seriously.

[Lessthanzer0]

One of my exgirlfriends had to vacuum in perfectly straight lines or her stepdad would make her redo it.

[Deleted]

Regular attending to church or get trouble.

[Anyael]

I was forbidden from speaking in public....

[Kaykay]

i could stay up aslong as i wanted, even during the week. But for some inexplicable reason they insisted on turning off the router at 22.00 every night regardless of weekend or whatever. And they would go loco if i tried to turn it back on xD

[Deleted]

I was forbidden from speaking in public....

What the fuck? For how long?

[Deleted]

Can't complain, my parents were and are great and I adore them. I consider myself very lucky in this regard.

[Blueobelisk]

Omg you triggered memories of my broken household. Why would you do that.

Lol jk but seriously, I didn't really have rules growing up. Get good grades, use common sense. There were no explicit rules.

[Reg]

My parents had a terrible rule. If I existed, I got hit.

[Deleted]

My parents had a terrible rule. If I existed, I got hit.

Well, how dare you?

[Super Kami Dende]

My parents had a terrible rule. If I existed, I got hit.

They must have gone to the same parenting classes as my father

[KievanAquinus]

1. Before I brought a new friend over, my parents would always quiz me about them, if they were new in school, if I ever saw their parents, if they were foreign, etc. Sometimes I would hear them on the phone with people making inquiries. Usually it wasn't a problem, but I remember there was this one Russian kid who was just simply not allowed over to my house.

2. My parents were salespeople, and frequently they traveled outside the country a lot. Once I was 15, they would just leave me home alone. There were the usual rules, but there were two that were really weird. One involved packages. My parents frequently received packages at the house, samples and stuff related to their job, but I was not allowed to open any of them when they were gone. I never broke this rule, because my parents (especially Dad) kinda freaked me out how much they stressed I couldn't do it.

The second weird rule involved a phone number. We had a time every day when they would check in. And, if they didn't call, I was supposed to call a specific number. One day, I called the number just to see who it was. A voice in a British accent said "Your parents aren't dead, don't tie up the line". I never called it again and never mentioned it to my parents.

3. I was never, ever allowed in my Dad's workshop in the unfinished part of the basement. I say my Dad's workshop, but really, Mom was in their as much as he was. But yeah, never even saw inside of it.

4. I wasn't allowed to play DOOM, specifically.

5. I had my own car when I was in high school, but I sometimes drove my Mom's car. The top of the gearshift could slide open, and inside was this red button, and I wasn't allowed to press red button. I never did.

Other than that, pretty normal stuff.

[Reg]

They must have gone to the same parenting classes as my father

Let's compare scars! lol

[Deleted]

Parents restricting fast/junk food and offering it as a rare reward or treat.

Not a psychologist, but I feel like this hardwired into my brain that fast food is some sort of prized good, making it difficult to resist now I'm an adult and its everywhere at the push of a button. I have a strict diet and gym regieme so it hasn't affected me really, but still.

Not 'strange' rule, but I personally view it as a bad rule.

[Sam the Wiser]

1. Before I brought a new friend over, my parents would always quiz me about them, if they were new in school, if I ever saw their parents, if they were foreign, etc. Sometimes I would hear them on the phone with people making inquiries. Usually it wasn't a problem, but I remember there was this one Russian kid who was just simply not allowed over to my house.

2. My parents were salespeople, and frequently they traveled outside the country a lot. Once I was 15, they would just leave me home alone. There were the usual rules, but there were two that were really weird. One involved packages. My parents frequently received packages at the house, samples and stuff related to their job, but I was not allowed to open any of them when they were gone. I never broke this rule, because my parents (especially Dad) kinda freaked me out how much they stressed I couldn't do it.

The second weird rule involved a phone number. We had a time every day when they would check in. And, if they didn't call, I was supposed to call a specific number. One day, I called the number just to see who it was. A voice in a British accent said "Your parents aren't dead, don't tie up the line". I never called it again and never mentioned it to my parents.

3. I was never, ever allowed in my Dad's workshop in the unfinished part of the basement. I say my Dad's workshop, but really, Mom was in their as much as he was. But yeah, never even saw inside of it.

4. I wasn't allowed to play DOOM, specifically.

5. I had my own car when I was in high school, but I sometimes drove my Mom's car. The top of the gearshift could slide open, and inside was this red button, and I wasn't allowed to press red button. I never did.

Other than that, pretty normal stuff.

Yeah who are your parents? Mr and Mrs Smith?

[Captain N]

If it was raining I couldn't leave the house and none of my friends were allowed over.

[Deleted]

Parents restricting fast/junk food and offering it as a rare reward or treat.

Not a psychologist, but I feel like this hardwired into my brain that fast food is some sort of prized good, making it difficult to resist now I'm an adult and its everywhere at the push of a button. I have a strict diet and gym regieme so it hasn't affected me really, but still.

Not 'strange' rule, but I personally view it as a bad rule.

Like they say, moderation with everything, I had friends growing up that weren't allowed chocolate unless it was a special occasion, but whenever they would come to my house they would make the most of our more lax rules and chow down on everything we threw at them. It definitely has some negative effect when it's done to extremes.

[KievanAquinus]

Yeah who are your parents? Mr and Mrs Smith?

Smith? No? Our our surname is Jones.

[Celista]

My parents were had locks on all the cupboards in the house. Specifically, the food cupboards. We weren't allowed to access them for any reason.

When I was 11, my hairbrush broke. But I wasn't allowed to use my mother's, and she wouldn't buy me a new one.

For several reasons I'm not really sure how I survived my childhood.