19 Clues You Grew Up with Really Old-School Parents

Jana Warner

Growing up with old-school parents meant embracing traditions and values that might make anyone seem different from the other kids at school. If these experiences on our list seem familiar, then you probably fit into this category of people we’re talking about.

Family Dinners

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According to the Harvard Graduate School of Education, “Regular family dinners are associated with lower rates of depression, and anxiety, and substance abuse, and eating disorders, and tobacco use, and early teenage pregnancy, and higher rates of resilience and higher self esteem.” Busy family lives don’t always allow for it, but old-school parents tried to prioritize family dinner each night.

Handwritten Notes

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If you were taught about the importance of writing letters and thank you cards, you probably grew up with old-school parents. They were most likely skeptical about digital communication, too, opting for post-it notes and cards over emails or text messages.

Learning to Save From an Early Age

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Maybe they opened up a savings account for your birthday money, or you had to earn your allowance by doing household chores. It’s been found that children whose parents/carers gave them responsibility for spending and saving from an early age tend to do better with their money later in life. 

Strict Bedtime Routines

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Old-school parents are often strict on after-dinner routines. A non-negotiable bedtime might have been annoying as a kid, but it’s been found that “children who follow bedtime routines are more likely to go to sleep earlier, take less time falling asleep, sleep longer, and wake up less during the night.” 

Hand-Me-Downs

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Older siblings, cousins, and even children from your neighborhood were the only real way you could update your wardrobe unless it was your birthday or Christmas present. Often, parents do this to teach their kids about the value of money and the benefits of being frugal.

Respect for Elders

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Most people remember being taught to be respectful to those older than them, and parents often teach you to be extra polite with adults. Some modern parents are moving away from this idea, as some say being raised in this way can “teach kids to accept rude behavior and create weak boundaries.”

Physical Maps

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Traditional parents love teaching their kids how to navigate using a proper paper map and following it using landmarks and road signs. They probably saw using a sat-nav as unnecessary or unreliable and most likely have a bookshelf full of maps from the places they’ve visited.

A Library Card Was a Must-Have

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You can often be found in the local library picking up your new bedtime read or using the computers and text books to do some research for school. Library events and summer reading challenges are also favorites among old-school parents who place a high value on reading.

The Family Chore Chart

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The chore rota was probably stuck to the fridge with a magnet you bought on a family holiday, and it told you which day you had to do which task. Many parents use chores to teach the value of money or essential life skills to prepare their kids for adulthood.

Watching Classics on Movie Night

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You probably didn’t watch the newest movies that everyone in school was talking about, but you’ll be clued up on classic movies. Family film nights would have been a staple in your week, and your parents might have even taught you about the moral and cultural lessons of the films.

Cursive Writing

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Many traditional parents see cursive writing as a necessary skill for writing letters and cards to others. They might have had you practicing at the kitchen table and spent hours with you working on your letters, all so you could take pride in having beautiful handwriting.

No Locks on Bedroom Doors

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While they respected your privacy, especially as you reached your teenage years, your parents may have had open-door policies to create a sense of trust and openness within the family home. Often, parents do this to keep an eye on their children’s feelings and struggles rather than to stop them from doing things they don’t want them to.

The Family Television Set

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Your friends may have had a TV in their bedroom, but those of us with more traditional parents probably only had one in the living room. In families with old-school parents, there’s a lot more communal TV watching, where you sit down to enjoy a show or movie together.

Playing Outside Until Dusk

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Many parents will encourage their children to play outside in the yard or with neighborhood friends until it starts to get dark or until they’re called in for dinner. This is usually to limit screen time and tire them out before the start of the bedtime routine.

Home Remedies

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Being frugal was key, so old-school parents would always try out a natural or home remedy for illnesses or pains before heading to a doctor. Of course, they’d take you to the doctor’s office when you really needed it, but they learned tips and tricks from their parents and other family members to try out when they could.

Learning Practical Skills

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While academic knowledge was highly valued, practical skills were also necessary. Your mom might have taught you how to cook or mend your clothes, and your dad might have shown you some basic woodworking or car maintenance skills. They probably also taught you the importance of mending things rather than buying new ones.

The Encyclopedia Set

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The big set of encyclopedias proudly sat on the bookshelf and was dragged out when you needed help with your homework or wanted to know more about something you’d seen on TV. Old-school parents loved how these books allowed kids to research and educate themselves without the internet.

Respecting Other’s Privacy

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They taught you that reading someone else’s mail breaches their trust and should never be done. This was a great lesson in teaching children how to respect other people’s boundaries, especially regarding their communications with others.

Emphasis on Self-Reliance

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Often, old-school parents focus on teaching their kids the value of hard work and what you can achieve when you put your mind to it. Part of this is encouraging them to try and solve their problems on their own before asking for help.