Friday, September 17, 2010
Flashback Friday # 12 ~ Jim's early going to bed info
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All about our early bedtime arrangements is what Linda wants from us this week. Linda asked several questions. Click her icon, right, if you want to read others or participate in this.
First,
All about our early bedtime arrangements is what Linda wants from us this week. Linda asked several questions. Click her icon, right, if you want to read others or participate in this.
First,
a little teacher joke from my friend, bornagn901 (I never know whether that will be James or Gwen--the address belongs to James but they both use it when it comes pass-around-joke time):
TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
DONALD: H I J K L M N O.
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
Now, to what Linda asked us to answer:
What was bedtime like when you were growing up?
Dad usually went to bed early, around eight. I would follow at nine or a little later. Mom would got to bed around midnight. I cannot remember when my sister, Lois, would go to bed I suppose earlier than I would but possibly it was the same time.
Were your parents strict in enforcing bedtimes?
The only bedtime that I can remember was when I was eight or ten or older. I think I just went to bed when it was time, mostly around nine. We didn't have TV so there was not TV to want to watch earlier or later than that.
Were you a difficult one to get to bed?
I don't remember any hassles about going to bed at a certain time. Most always I was tired and ready.
Did your parents share stories about getting you to sleep when you were a baby?
I think Mom used to read to me before going to bed or else in bed. But I don't remember any of that, just that I had some favorite books which I wouldn't have been old enough to read by myself.
When did your parents turn bedtime over to you?
Maybe always I had control. Or else when I was young I would take a suggestion like, "It's your bedtime. But again I only remember setting my own time.
Were there any special rituals/routines a parent did - books, singing a special song, etc.?
The only ritual was that for the next morning I had clean clothes hanging where I had put my dirty ones. That was in a closet designated for me in the bathroom.
Nightlights, music, special doll/blanket or other things?
We had an outside yard light that shone in through my shadeless windows. And the kitchen had a window that light would shine through as Mom would still be up reading the paper, counting the church money, or cleaning the eggs that had been laid that day.
Did you have your own bed or did you share with a sibling?
My bed was also a front porch couch during the day. At night Mom or I would pull it open for a sleeper bed. Before my sister was old enough to have her bedroom I slept in the second upstairs bedroom. Our house had four rooms, a kitchen, a living room, and two bedrooms upstairs.
Grandpa and Dad remodeled the front porch by screening it and putting on sliding glass windows. There were storm windows for the winter. My porch sleeping room was not heated and we did not have air conditioning.
This is the house where I was born. Probably around the turn of the 20th century it was brand new. It had two bedrooms upstairs, a living room, and a country kitchen. Later two enclosed but not heated porches were added.
The porch on the right is where I had to sleep when my sister was old enough to have her own room. Cold mornings would find frost on my blankets where my breath would freeze. You can see it is fallen in now, first entered by the raccoons, then finished off by the tree.
Did you have nighttime fears and bad dreams? How did you handle them?
I did not have any night time fears. But I did not like to go out in the grove to the outhouse in the dark by myself. So I would get Lois to walk with me to the outside toilet.
Bad dreams,none.
Did you ever walk or talk in your sleep?
I did walk in my sleep. Dad or Mom would find me out in the ban or barnyard. Dad thought he fixed it by hooking the screen door to the outside. I don't ever remember trying to unhook it or of my parents finding me walking.
Dad's theory was that if I had to take the time to unhook the door it might be enough trouble to wake me up. As I said, I don't remember messing with the door.
Feel free to also share any routines you have done with your kids.
No routine except that we did enforce bedtimes for the kids.
I think it is a trait that runs in my genes of not wanting to wake up in the morning. I have slept through an alarm making me late for work.
When Dad would get up he would dress, then head for the barn and cow milking. On his way out he would wake me up so I could come help him. Several times I went back to sleep and either missed milking or would get a stern call from Dad who had walked back to the house to see where I was.
When Karen (daughter) had her own apartment at college I would daily give her a long distance call to wake her for classes.
This is the house where I was born. Probably around the turn of the 20th century it was brand new. It had two bedrooms upstairs, a living room, and a country kitchen. Later two enclosed but not heated porches were added.
The porch on the right is where I had to sleep when my sister was old enough to have her own room. Cold mornings would find frost on my blankets where my breath would freeze. You can see it is fallen in now, first entered by the raccoons, then finished off by the tree.
Did you have nighttime fears and bad dreams? How did you handle them?
I did not have any night time fears. But I did not like to go out in the grove to the outhouse in the dark by myself. So I would get Lois to walk with me to the outside toilet.
Bad dreams,none.
Did you ever walk or talk in your sleep?
I did walk in my sleep. Dad or Mom would find me out in the ban or barnyard. Dad thought he fixed it by hooking the screen door to the outside. I don't ever remember trying to unhook it or of my parents finding me walking.
Dad's theory was that if I had to take the time to unhook the door it might be enough trouble to wake me up. As I said, I don't remember messing with the door.
Feel free to also share any routines you have done with your kids.
No routine except that we did enforce bedtimes for the kids.
I think it is a trait that runs in my genes of not wanting to wake up in the morning. I have slept through an alarm making me late for work.
When Dad would get up he would dress, then head for the barn and cow milking. On his way out he would wake me up so I could come help him. Several times I went back to sleep and either missed milking or would get a stern call from Dad who had walked back to the house to see where I was.
When Karen (daughter) had her own apartment at college I would daily give her a long distance call to wake her for classes.
Labels: Flashback Friday, Jim's Life, Routine
Comments:
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Hi Jim, I remember waking up with frost on the inside of the windows, we had no heating in and if the bedrooms. It makes you wonder how we ever survived when you look at todays kids. After dinner my mum used to put the one clock we had forward by one hour when we learnt to tell the time but she never told us so we always though we were staying up later than what we really were.
I used to LOVE sleeping out in the VERY COLD weather...as long as I had PLENTY of blankets...LOTS of 'em!
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!
My grandparents' house had two sleeping porches. But they were a little more temperature-controlled than yours was. Frost on the blankets?! Brrrr!
Hey Jim! Thanks for emailing me the info on FF. You have a better memory for details than I do, but I'm getting better with practice. I wasn't sure I would recall much about bedtimes, but as I've been thinking on it some is coming back. Gotta head in to work now, so it'll have to wait.
We only slept out once or twice. We always stayed up late talking so we weren't allowed to do so often.
Enjoyed your memories! I love the pic of the old house. I love old buildings and barns, always have to get pics of them. Thanks for sharing!
until next time... nel
until next time... nel
I remember waking up and having the basin of water frozen solid that sat on a table by the window :) Much preferred the warmer months!
I enjoyed your bedtime memories, Jim. I'd never heard of sleeping porches before.
I do remember sleeping without heat though! Thank goodness for lots of quilts:)
I loved the picture of your old house. I love old houses, although it makes me sad when they get old and abandoned.
I do remember sleeping without heat though! Thank goodness for lots of quilts:)
I loved the picture of your old house. I love old houses, although it makes me sad when they get old and abandoned.
Before my sister came along to share a room with, I had to sleep all alone. And for some reason I always ended up with the room that led to the attic. Very scary.
During school we all had to be in bed by 7. Geez, now I don't get to bed till 1-2 am.
During school we all had to be in bed by 7. Geez, now I don't get to bed till 1-2 am.
I can't imagine sleeping in an unheated porch. I sleep in a heated house under an electric blanket for most of the winter! I guess if I had to I'd just learn to toughen up, right?
Your sofa to bed conversion reminds me of how my mom grew up. Until the ninth child was born and Grandpa added on a house, their home had just four rooms (a living room, a closet-sized kitchen, a bathroom, and an upstairs used as a bedroom). Grandma and Grandpa had a curtain around their wrought iron bed upstairs, but the eight girls slept on mattresses on the floor. Charles, the only boy at that time, slept in the living room (although I'm not sure whether he used the couch or if he had a bed set up there.)
Your sofa to bed conversion reminds me of how my mom grew up. Until the ninth child was born and Grandpa added on a house, their home had just four rooms (a living room, a closet-sized kitchen, a bathroom, and an upstairs used as a bedroom). Grandma and Grandpa had a curtain around their wrought iron bed upstairs, but the eight girls slept on mattresses on the floor. Charles, the only boy at that time, slept in the living room (although I'm not sure whether he used the couch or if he had a bed set up there.)
Very interesting Jim. You came from sparse lodgings but did fine as we can see.Calling your daughter was sweet of you, but didn't they have alarm clocks invented by then? One of my siblings had to have two clocks, one by the bed and another all the way across the room so he'd have to get UP and out to turn it off and not fall back to sleep.
I was a night person even as a youngster and many a night lay there hearing the adults, until it was finally quiet enough to go to sleep. I remember being grateful when we were allowed an hour's reading time before bed. That helped make the transition easier. I had to share a bedroom, but not a bed, for a long time, but being different sexes, there came a time when it was necessary for our own rooms! What a treat! Then you get married and back to sharing again... Oh and I slept walked and talked, too. Enough to scare my parents into installing an extra lock on the apt. front door.
I was a night person even as a youngster and many a night lay there hearing the adults, until it was finally quiet enough to go to sleep. I remember being grateful when we were allowed an hour's reading time before bed. That helped make the transition easier. I had to share a bedroom, but not a bed, for a long time, but being different sexes, there came a time when it was necessary for our own rooms! What a treat! Then you get married and back to sharing again... Oh and I slept walked and talked, too. Enough to scare my parents into installing an extra lock on the apt. front door.
Oh, we had sleep routines for our children, but so different than how I grew up. We read to them and played soothing classical music; that way we could leave the room and they fell asleep on their own as babies (usually.) When older, they read to themselves and still enjoyed music to fall asleep, too. Now, I think the music is used to drown out college noise!
Hi Jim ~~ Very interesting bedtime stories of earlier years. There was no TV and limited radio on a Battery but Mum read to us when we went to bed, so no problems there.
Thank you for your comments - I had
been thinking of selling my house and going into a smaller unit in a
retirement village, then when you need more care, you go to low care hostel,and high care when that becomes necessary. So I asked for the assessment and was glad no sign of Alzheimers and was advised to stay here for the time being.
It is surprising that these things are not available in U.S.
Our floods are all gone and hope yours are also. Take care, my friend, Regards, Merle.
Thank you for your comments - I had
been thinking of selling my house and going into a smaller unit in a
retirement village, then when you need more care, you go to low care hostel,and high care when that becomes necessary. So I asked for the assessment and was glad no sign of Alzheimers and was advised to stay here for the time being.
It is surprising that these things are not available in U.S.
Our floods are all gone and hope yours are also. Take care, my friend, Regards, Merle.
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