What were you not allowed to do as a child because it 'wasn't nice'?

Ah yes - 'people are looking' - attracting attention - the worst thing ever. Must have clean knicks and hanky at all times! And as for mentioning anything about things that happen below the belt - ooh no. Earrings, rollers in hair, anklets - V common. Bathing, swimming, hair washing, running, p e - not for young ladies... So many unspoken and unexplained rules. Very glad society is more open now.

Not allowed to stay up late . Watch unsuitable tv. And was to,d off constantly for wearing makeup.

Wasn’t allowed to call my parents friends by their Christian names, wasn’t allowed to get down from table until everyone had finished eating, wasn’t allowed a tv in my bedroom, nor have my ears pierced until 16. Nor have a boyfriend in my bedroom, nor shoes with ankle straps

I can remember having a pair of red sling back shoes when I was an early teen. Dad didnt approve, they were tarty, but I didnt really know what he meant. Clearly I looked very sexy in them and my grey school socks.....

Great picture in my mind now Riggie

What on earth was it about red shoes that got our parents all steamed up Riggie? I wasn't allowed to have red shoes either because "prossies" wear them. I'm glad it wasn't just me that had red shoe deprivation!

Not allowed to talk at the dinner table apart from 'please pass the salt'.

Not to eat chewing gum or bubble gum as it was common.
Don’t wash your dirty linen in public ie gossip about family news.
Cut my nails on a Sunday
Have a bath when I had a period. I did break this rule.
Go to the cinema on a Sunday.

How ridiculous it all seems now.

Not allowed to wear trousers.No white shoes.No playing out on Sundays.No talking at the table.No sitting in front of the fire get marks on your legs.

I was not allowed to tell people that it was my birthday - my mum said it looked as though I was asking them for a present ?? Bless her!

Oh so many familiar memories here!
I was not allowed to......

Answer back or argue with any adult.
'Don't speak until you're spoken to'
Speak during meals.
Put my elbows on the dinner table.
Make a fuss about anything especially in public.
Don't sulk - this from a mother who could sulk for England!
Point at anything or anyone - very rude.
Whisper in other people's presence - very rude.
Yawn without covering my mouth.
Eat in the street - not ladylike. The only exception was ice cream or a small bag of chips on holiday, only because nobody knew us there!
Speak loudly or call out to anyone in the street.
Talk about bodily functions or anatomy - not nice.
Swear or use any 'coarse language'. I still don't swear and don't like to hear it.
Walk around the house in my pyjamas or underwear, especially when my grandad was home.
Sit with my legs apart even in trousers - not ladylike.
Wear jeans, considered to be very common and American.
Wear makeup or nail polish until I was 16.
Wear my hair long. My curly hair was cut into a short bob when I started school at 5 and stayed like that until I left.
Play with the neighbouring children - too common, not 'our kind of people'. (Little did my mother know....)
Have school friends in the house.
Have friends that were not white, English, with professional or middle class parents. We were working class!
Go to Brownies, Guides or Youth Clubs - "Heaven knows who you'd be mixing with!"
Go to art college when I left school - "I'm not having you hanging around with all those long haired arty types" I never forgave my mother for that and still resent her for it to this day.
To talk about our family to neighbours or other people.
Chew gum.
Make silly faces - common.
Laugh loudly or display excitement about something - excessive unnecessary behaviour.
Wear sleeveless dresses or tops or low necklines - not ladylike to bare so much skin.

I could go on and on! But despite so many restrictions I did have a happy childhood, I had a few friends and grew into a normal well balanced adult, and I imposed very few restrictions on my own children. Although they say I was a strict parent! I now hear them saying the same things to their children that I said to them.

No eating in the street (school rule, and I still don’t).
No watching ITV.
No shoes with heels.
Wasn’t allowed black patent shoes and I REALLY wanted some.

So much!

Most have already been mentioned but mine included:
No elbows on the dining table
Wait until being told to 'get down from the table' at the end of a meal which I thought odd as I wasn't actually on the table...
No visiting children on the council estate (which I did - I rode my bicycle there because they had an almost permanent ice-cream van, a huge attraction for me!)
No watching ITV
No sewing/drawing/watching television on the sabbath
No tights until I begged and begged (aged 13-14!). White socks were obviously suitable for a teenager...!!
No washing hair when having a period
No white shoes as a teenager (common!)

I am sure there were others too but that's quite enough.

I actually instilled one of the above in my children... but which one.....?!

Judging by some of these posts, I think my parents were pretty easy going. They weren't perfect by any means but I have developed a new appreciation for them after reading some of the many petty rules some Gransnetters had to put up with.

Isn’t it odd that our mothers thought so much was “ common”?
My mother was born in 1928 to a very very working class family and her own mother my nanny was such fun. Not sure why she turned into such a prejudiced and cold adult.
Re the not being able to able with with anyone who was white middleclassed and Protestant, my own children clued into her ridiculousness at quite an early age.
I was not allowed to invite a dark skinned girl in my class to my 8th birthday party or a girl with callipers ( polio) how dreadful was that of her.
All people of “colour” ( her words not mine) were banned unless one was a doctor and then her delightful turn of phrase was “ he has done so well for himself considering”

My father was a tyrant. I remember being told at a young age I 'wasn't going out dressed liked that'. I was roughly 8, I had a summer skirt on, just above the knee, that my mother had bought me!! He told me I looked like a tart ?. (Late 70s)
We couldn't leave the table until we'd eaten EVERYTHING. No elbows, no talking. No friends in (although most of us were scared of each other's fathers)
Our mother was equally damaging I think. We weren't allowed to say we thought we looked nice because it was 'boasting ' ??‍♀️.
Father insisted on long hair. He insisted on Clark's shoes. Nobody told me about periods, so when it happened I was frightened. My sister helped me.
We had to be quiet whenever my father was in. Very difficult for 3 kids. Very difficult for my mother I'd imagine.
I tried really hard not to be like my parents.
I have rules about manners for dgds but I really couldn't rule with an iron fist like he did...

Ooo I’d forgotten about some of these in the midst of time! Definitely not to go outdoors in slippers and wouldn’t have entered our heads to nip to the shops in our nightwear like I’ve seen lots of young people do now. Very vulgar! Yes eating in the street was out too. Again seen as common. No sitting on radiators as I’d get piles and don’t sit with your back to the open fire as you’d feel sick- despite that I’d be required to do so on a Sunday to dry my long hair as we didn’t have a hairdryer.

I don't remember any ‘not alloweds’ apart from no pud if I didn't eat my main course. I must have been either a spoilt brat or a goody two shoes ?

.....or I’m suffering from memory loss ?

I don't think that insisting on a few rules like good table manners made my mum less fun or warm and loving.
My dad was very caring but probably wouldn't have noticed whether my hair was long or short, whether or not I wore trousers or skirts etc.

Up to the age of 10 I led a very free life - very little adult supervision (WW2). My friends and I were quite wild.
So it came as a shock when Dad came home and we got back to 'normal'. Most of the restriction mentioned above.
Plus stay away from pubs altogether.

I am so enjoying this thread, there were lots of rules in my childhood and the one which has stuck with me is eating or drinking in public.
I do not even like having a cup of tea standing in the Church hall after the service on Sundays, need to sit down.
I was at a family day with DGS at a local Museum here(Belgium), I needed to take some medication mid-morning and as there was no eating etc in the Museum. I spoke to an attendant and no problem go ahead. I then went behind a pillar and took the pill with some water. On returning the Woman just smiled and said, Mum and Dad, no eating in public.
So it is not just a British thing!!!!

ps plus one that Dad started - no arguing, fighting etc.
I sometimes wonder whether that was due to his wartime experiences.
I've always preferred shalom too.

Chewing gum, reading comics, wearing navy pants next to my skin (white ones underneath), using slang, biting my nails, smuggling the dog upstairs, eating fish and chips, mentioning birth or sex, being friends with someone whose mother was a lone parent, numerous table manners, drinking tea or coffee before teens, wearing unpolished shoes.
My mother was a snob! Wow, my childhood was such fun!