[Bullwinkle]

Skills I’ve mastered that would baffle today’s kids?

Stuffing a training bra with tissues.

A home perm. Why??!!

Walking and only falling over a few times in chunky, clunky, heavy wooden high heels.

Tie dying. Everything.

Playing with a hula hoop. (There’s an art to it!)

Plucking your eyebrows - the thinner the better

And I’ll mention this one again from my earlier post-

Smearing baby oil and sunbaking for hours when the sun is at its hottest

So, it appears I’ve just described a freckled, frizzy haired, flat chested 14 year old girl with ultra thin eyebrows and choo choo bar stained teeth. Pass me the hula hoop please.

Yep certainly sounds just like me….only I had long thin hair!!

 

[BerniceFisher]

Driving a manual car !!

 

[Bullwinkle]

Reading a dressmaking pattern, then following through and actually making the pattern and proud to wear my accomplishment….still do make most of my clothes. From hats to wedding dresses!!

Write in cursive…although I prefer to print

Change a light bulb
Change a tap washer

Change a tyre on my car and do an oil change

 

[denise.cain]

Ironing.

 

[NotNats]

shorthand

 

[Gil]

Mental Arithmetic, Spelling, The Art of Being Courteous, Kindness, Respect, Driving a Manual Car, Reading a Novel, Duty of Care, Respecting your Elders.

 

[MaggieAmalia]

I can do all of those things but they don't seem to know how to spend money WITHOUT WASTING IT. I get sick of hearing about how hard life is. They get all the handouts we didn't and still expect us to feel sorry for them. We had no pensions, no child minding funds, no cheap medicines, no superannuation and often, like me, single parents worked extra jobs and we did it without yelling that we couldn't make ends meet. The one thing we did get was 1 pound per child every 3 months. GEE TAH!!!

I have to wonder what actual financial advice was ever given to the children to help prepare them for life. None... Maybe only going to the lay buy counter and paying the minimum amount to keep the transaction alive.
Daughters were taught the domestic chores and the sons treated like mini demi gods. Many saw their male role model parent abuse their mother, terrorise the children .
My family lived in a small country village.. We had a happy childhood until we moved into a large town and from the first Friday night around 11 pm we were woken up with the sounds of a screaming woman and terrified shrieking children and doors being slammed. The abusive language we heard from the male adult was terrifying to say the least.
The following fortnight it happened ...again late at night waking us all up.
Next morning my father asked us to accompany him. We followed him to the house of the previous horrors. He knocked on the door and asked the male parent and the family to come outside. They nervously all did except the bully boys himself who was like a bantam rooster.. all puffed up with arrogance. When all were assembled my father spoke.

"if ever my family and I are woken up at night time because you have come home drunk from your night out.. If we hear your wife crying in pain because you have bashed her. If we hear your children outside the house frightened and cold because what they heard and saw you doing to their mother
. Believe me when I say this to you...I will come to your house and I will kill you... This is what I will do to you... Understand that this i will do to you.
Never let us hear in this street your wife and children suffering in your hands... Also . When you get your pay packet each fortnight you will not spend one penny from It and you will give all the money to your wife because she is the one who must control the money and if she feels like it she can give you tobacco money.. woman . You hear my words. So when it looks as though you are not hurting them any more I will still speak to your wife and children to ask them are they safe or do I need to speak to you for the last time. "
Our lives became peaceful and we often heard happy children no longer terrified.. the woman knew she was not on her own she had support. My mother and we were so grateful for our opu. (Dad). My father had been in the military so that stupid bully man had no idea what punishment he would have receivedb if he continued.

 

[Terese]

SEwing and cooking skills

 

[Polly.L]

Shorthand and touch-typing, using 8 fingers, not just two thumbs

 

[Liag]

I learned how to prepare documents as stencils and copy them on a Gestetner duplicating machine. Was the bane of my existence at that time

 

[janj]

Knitting crocheting and Quilting

 

[MariaG]

There are so many little things, and, a few major.
I can add, subtract and divide without using a calculator or phone.
I can write a letter, on a real piece of paper, with a pen that has ink in it, and, do so without spell-check.
I know how to read a Dictionary.
I know what an Encylopedia is for.
I can pick up a book and read it without any electrical gadget assisting me.
I can make gravy from scratch.
I can make pancake and waffle batter to make waffles and pancakes myself.
Here's something interesting....I was having a conversation with someone, the young person with us stopped me because she wanted to know what a bank book is? How old do I feel.

 

[Muggybatton89]

Waiting until Sunday for the payphone to be full and get interstate STD phone calls for free.

 

[Mindygirl12022]

I can spell really well.
Julie