What was your most hated chore as a child?

We didn’t have any set jobs, just helped when needed.

I didn’t have to do many chores. My parents were more interested in my exam results than my abilities as a housewife. I remember ironing handkerchiefs - what a waste of time! - also sometimes helping to make beds.

Plucking chickens. My father bought our chickens from the local farmer, then, after chopping it's head off, left it to me to pluck the feathers. It took AGES to remove every feather and it hurt my fingers.

They MUST have machines that do it these days.

Helping on washday - every Monday without fail. I hated having to put washing on the clothes horse and pulley if the weather was bad. Always cold meat from Sunday's joint and rice pudding on Mondays.

Dusting the ornaments and cleaning the cutlery. I now have NO ornaments (not one) and I would like someone to tell me why we cleaned cutlery which was washed after every meal, please? Crazy!

Same here Paddyann My Mum said we would have a lifetime of chores so we didn't do any.

I was one of 5 children and looking back I don't know how my Mum coped. We didn't even make our own beds!

A few chores but cleaning the silver was the worst.

I didn’t mind the chores really. They didn’t take too long. I refused to empty the ashtrays though. I’ve never been able to stand the smell of cigarettes since I was very little and could never touch one either.

I didn’t have chores as we had servants! We lived in the colonies. Housework is something I have never got used to and loathe to this day…

Ditto here with lemongrove - raking out the ashes and laying the fire for the day. I can still remember our metal bin on fire in the back yard as the ashes hadn’t been completely cold and they had caught the paper in it.

Cleaning out the guinea-pigs. S**t everywhere.

GagaJo - our guinea pigs lived indoors in winter. They used to lie in front of the coal fire nestled against our dog’s stomach like puppies. It was my sister’s job to clean them out but they lived in cardboard boxes with hay and ma used to just replace the box when it got dirty. My sister got off lightly I always thought !

From the ages of 7-12 we had to work in the home every Saturday morning. It was my job to clean the bathroom, sweep and mop the landing, stairs and hallway and polish the hall tiles. Then I had to clean the brasses.

After we finished we dreaded our step-father coming home from the pub to ‘inspect’ our work. It was a very rare day when he didn’t get into a rage after criticising what we’d done and most Saturdays he would make us re-do things. He was a very cruel man.

I quite liked my Saturday chores, but hated the daily winter task of bringing in the coal. Once my little brother was big enough to carry the bucket the job was given to him and I always felt sorry for him. The bucket was really heavy and would bang your shins - and spilling coal in the house resulted in a clout round the head.

We had paraffin heaters when I was a child. It was my job to take the paraffin can to the hardware store and buy paraffin. I remember the can was metal with a screw top and was very heavy when full. The shopkeeper would say "Pink or Blue?" and fill the can from the appropriate barrel. The idea of a young child on her own lugging a container of highly flammable liquid with a not very secure top (I would often spill some) perhaps half a mile seems unbelievable now?.

Lemongrove I hated cleaning and laying the fire too. Lighting it was too dangerous.
I also hated hanging washing out because it had to be done in the correct order with the correct pegs! Hanging it out now is much more fun, with the added feeling of successful rebellion!?

Mollygo -you just reminded me. THE MANGLE !!
Feeding the folded sheets through and trying not to get your finger tips squashed.
Oh happy days ! NOT !

Thank you for all these replies. What a wonderful glimpse into history.

I didn’t have any jobs and feel very sorry for some of the posters here. I realise how lucky I was.

Family of 7, no running hot water in the house. Pans and kettles had to be boiled up on the stove. Every night the washing up of all dishes, cutlery, pans and the stove had to be done, then dried and put away. One night, I picked up the pan rest to put it into the sink to be washed but, as it had just had a kettle of boiling water on it, I got burnt and dropped it. I had to pay for the replacement.

Up until I was 15 in 1976 we didnt have a washing machine, and from aged around 9 until then my most hated chore was taking the family laundry to the laundrette.

I didnt mind the all things I had to do whilst at the laundrette, it was the lugging a big heavy battered suitcase the half a mile or so to and from it that was the killer.

I didn't have anything to do - as the only girl and the youngest of 4, I was probably quite spoilt.

I don't remember being given any specific jobs, I was occasionally asked to go to the corner shop, I seem to remember bringing back a brick of ice cream on a hot day, which the shop wrapped in newspaper and it was somewhat partially melted by the time I got it home, still delicious though!

Brushing down the stairs my hated job so dusty I like

Don't know what happened there! I really like lighting the coal fire in the morning.

Ooh, too many to count!
Washing the bathroom floor on my hands and knees with a bucket and cloth.
Peeling potatoes - 1 used to get shouted at as I peeled them too thickly.
We had carpet in the front room, not fitted, but with a border of lino - my job was to dust the lino, on hands and knees again, no mop.
Going to queue at the local factory shop (it was a bacon factory) for animal innards for the cat.
Helping mother fold the sheets, as I invariably dropped my end and got shouted at again.

Did not visit any of these horrors on my own DC!