Question Of The Day - Monday, May 20, 2019

As a kid, I was into a lot of summer sports - soccer, equestrian and swimming lessons. Read a lot of books too with plenty of snacks. Other times my family and I went on small road trips to see the coastline or museums. Sometimes play with some friends too outside! Had big imaginations then.


As a teen, I was working summer jobs. First it began with babysitting at the age of 14-15, then at 16 had my first "official" job, and continued working summer jobs all throughout my teens and early 20's. Didn't have too much of a life during those years mainly school and work. Some small breaks here and there, like city trips once a year for one weekend or fit in some hobbies.

Well I spent probably 75% of my childhood alone. I walked the woods, rode my bike, went to the town beach by myself at 12 and up. I did have a close friend by the time I was in 8th grade but 2 years later she moved to Florida. We used to watch a ton of tv at her house, ride bikes, eat peaches off trees, smoke cigarettes in the woods on the trails laughing like we were cool=that didn't last long-we both gagged and said to hell with that. Her sisters and her used to get into arguments and locked us out of the house...so we took our bikes and disappeared for some time. I don't remember what the arguements were about=I pretty much grew up alone so I always thought these arguments were petty stuff..they were younger than I was...sisters always going to fight I guess..
I read a ton of books, draw, play music loud, play with the cats, take my dog to the woods and we went for long walks.

There was one family with 2 kids but we were not in the same grade. The girl was a girlie girl and didn't like to climb trees or run wild like I did. I liked her brother but she got jealous if I hung out with him instead...so yeah by age 10 I realized it was better to be alone than with someone.

My mom always had a garden so I puttered in it even as a kid. I just remember mom driving me to the town beach and she slept in the shade while I swam or she would drop me off and come get me later...my dad worked so it was always just the 2 of us. We did go to the movies or shopping..life was different back then...and yes if my dad was home I was told to stay outside until the sun went down...mom loved her tv and she didn't listen to him-she would tell him to go find something to do and leave her alone to watch her shows...she wasn't into sports or liked being around people...so to me it wasn't unusual to be alone. I often prefered playing along side the boys.

At the town beach they taught me how to cannon ball and do the can opener or back flip off the dock. I had more fun with the boys anyday than the girls...I was kind of wild and obnoxious back then.

foxxycat said:

I just remember mom driving me to the town beach and she slept in the shade while I swam or she would drop me off and come get me later

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I remember getting dropped off at the beach, and when they came back to pick me up I was a sunburnt lobster.

I used to spend all my summers at the local riding school (and later, the livery yard I had my horse at). I moved from stables to stables, but summer always meant horses and riding.

I'm sure @Norachan has similar memories. I have a feeling our summers were quite similar

maggiedemi said:

I remember getting dropped off at the beach, and when they came back to pick me up I was a sunburnt lobster.

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yes the sunburns...sunblock was a necessity here...my mom never burned but my dad is very blonde and he burns easily...I inherited his skin...

I spent them with an uncle and aunt who were tobacco farmers. I remember the days spent at the tobacco barn working in tobacco. Since they were farmers, they had many fresh vegetables, and my aunt did a lot of freezing them. My cousin and I were put to work.

I did all of the kid things common in the pre-internet, pre-computer, pre-mobile phone days: spent most of my time outside with neighborhood friends riding bikes, playing hopscotch and dodge ball, jumping rope, and wandering all over our little town. When I wasn’t outside, I was reading, reading, reading. I also went to week-long summer camp. When I was in high school, I waitressed at a local restaurant, an experience that gave me a lifelong appreciation for good service—and I tip accordingly.

But the experiences I appreciate most now that I’m an adult were the driving vacations my mom and dad took us on over the entire eastern part of the U.S. By the time I graduated from high school, I’d been in every state east of the Mississippi River, as well as a couple on the other side; we also made several trips to eastern Canada. We visited historical sites, museums, state and national parks, and more. I learned so much on those trips. It was a tremendous gift my parents gave my brother and me that, of course, we didn’t realize or appreciate at the time.

Willowy said:

Do you stop schoolwork for the whole summer? The homeschoolers I grew up with didn't; they didn't want their kids to forget stuff or be idle, etc.

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Usually I do for about 8 weeks. I seem to spend about 4 of those deciding on next years books and schedule. This summer we are going to keep up our reading and some light math games. DD struggled to learn to read (she is a natural at math) but she's really making huge strides in reading; so I don't want to stop the progress she is making now. DS has been just a bit slow to mature; so he's going to keep doing some work too. They think math facts games on the computer is a HUGE treat. So that's my plan!

DS found an art book I kind of abandoned mid year and decided we MUST do that over the summer too.

i went swimming in the creek almost every day, rode my bike, read books.

Tobermorey said:

the driving vacations my mom and dad took us on over the entire eastern part of the U.S

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Oh yeah, I forgot about vacations. We used to go to one Fun Park per summer. We went to Niagara Falls, Parc Safari, Granby Zoo, Great Escape, and many more.