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What was your most hated chore as a child?

(172 Posts)
littleflo Thu 11-Nov-21 10:12:58

My mother worked full time including Saturdays. So we were left with a big list of chores. My most hated one was, ‘cleaning the cutlery’. For some weird reason, I had to take everything out of the draw, clean each individual item with Vim and then wash and dry it before putting it back neatly in the drawer.

One day I went out with a friend and did not get back in time for all the chores. I tipped the cutlery into a sink of water and then dried it. She never noticed and so that became the norm afterwards.

Grandmabatty Mon 22-Nov-21 09:42:31

Cleaning the bathroom. It was a cold room, heated only by one of those light/heating affairs. The walls had black mould from condensation. It was always my job. My younger brother didn't have chores. Drying dishes was another. I hated drying pots. Dad would wash them and I would dry. I always had a sudden urge for the loo when the pots needed dried.

Cathie72 Mon 22-Nov-21 09:37:41

Vacuuming the whole house! I used to sneeze so badly and my eyes would get teary and my nose would run. No one thought of dust allergies when I was a little girl in the early 50's. Right to the end of her life whenever I called in she would say "Would you mine running the hoover round?" I still hate it but did it cheerfully for her sake of course.

Tamayra Sun 14-Nov-21 07:18:09

From about 10yrs old I did all the housework & cooked dinner during the week
Both my parents had full time jobs & didn’t get home till after 6pm
At weekends Mum cooked for us
I was an only child & remember trying to do my homework late at night
They both left for work early in the morning so I always got myself up & on two trains to get to school
I was at a girls grammar school in London Couldn’t wait to leave & get a job
I liked doing the housework But baking was a chore My Dad, as he staggered up the stairs, said my rock cakes were the heaviest cakes ever !!!!

ChrisK Sat 13-Nov-21 17:10:25

I was/am the oldest of 4 mum had to go back to work when I was about 11, chores were washing up/ drying and putting away after the evening meal for me and my brother, he also had to clean out the grate and reset for the next fire, school hols I would try to tidy and clean but he eas vefy awkward and refusrd to help. Also I had the job of tidying the sitting room after church and before lunch, hated it and would skip off to see my friend instead. Survived somehow!

Elizabeth27 Sat 13-Nov-21 16:16:11

Washing up, there were 8 of us and used to eat at 7pm so it was late by the time the washing up was finished and I could go out.

Calistemon Sat 13-Nov-21 15:30:23

Sago

There used to be a blind piano tuner that would regularly walk up our lane, when my mother saw him she would make me run out, link arms with him and lead him to the church.

It was so the neighbours would think I was a wonderful, caring and giving child.

I was about 10 and mightily uncomfortable with this deed as was the piano tuner.

Poor bugger was probably wanting the pub.

Our piano tuner was blind too. His wife used to come with him.

I once said to him "You are so clever, you play so beautifully" and he said "I can't really play, I can only do scales".
But the way he played scales was like a symphony!

NannyG123 Sat 13-Nov-21 10:48:38

Cleaning out the grate. Before you could the coal fire.

Shropshirelass Sat 13-Nov-21 09:33:09

We didn’t have to do any chores as such, we were lucky, but we did have animals so had to look after them, I don’t think this was a chore though. It did get us out from under Mum’s feet though!

Mollygo Sat 13-Nov-21 09:29:20

Hetty58 We never said we were bored either for the same reason as you.
We always had to be doing something or my Nan would say, “The devil finds work for idle hands to do.” Fortunately she considered reading to be a useful pastime.

Hetty58 Sat 13-Nov-21 02:09:55

We didn't have chores, as such - but sometimes I was asked to string and slice all the runner beans from the garden. I just don't have the patience (never did) so I'm happy with the frozen sort.

We never said that we were bored, though, or something would be found for us to do, like polishing the silver.

HillyN Sat 13-Nov-21 00:19:50

I had to clean out the guinea pig's hutch every week; I hated scraping out the smelly droppings but loved his excited squeaks when I put him back in with fresh sawdust and hay.
I was also sent to the Co-op to buy the milk tokens and other items. It was fine when they had everything on Mum's list but I got told off if I went home without an item. I was told to buy "the next best thing" but often got that wrong. I dreaded going eventually.

MiniMoon Fri 12-Nov-21 23:10:05

Dusting the sitting room. We had a dining table in that room, it had ornately carved legs. I hated having to dust them, getting into all the carved places was a real pain.
I also got the job of polishing the shoes, but this job I really enjoyed. I got immense satisfaction from maki g them shine.

ElaineI Fri 12-Nov-21 22:58:11

Had to make supper (cheese toast or similar) for my father every night and had to polish everyones shoes every single night. Hated that - my brother never had to do it. Must have embedded in my brain as I continued to do that till my DC left school! Only do it now if they need cleaned - mine not anyone else's.

silverlining48 Fri 12-Nov-21 22:49:16

Using the carpet beater on rugs hung over the washing line. A really dusty job,

kevincharley Fri 12-Nov-21 22:21:51

Well, it looks like I'm quite unique. I had no chores to complete.
My mother believed that I should enjoy my childhood and that I would have housework to do soon enough.
As a result, instead of being made to do things, I wanted to help. I often did the ironing, the shopping, the washing up, cooking, baking, cleaning, etc.

Sago Fri 12-Nov-21 22:17:59

There used to be a blind piano tuner that would regularly walk up our lane, when my mother saw him she would make me run out, link arms with him and lead him to the church.

It was so the neighbours would think I was a wonderful, caring and giving child.

I was about 10 and mightily uncomfortable with this deed as was the piano tuner.

Poor bugger was probably wanting the pub.

Calistemon Fri 12-Nov-21 22:05:47

My Mum used to say "Get your head out of that book and go and get some fresh air"

littleflo Fri 12-Nov-21 21:56:37

That was interesting about ‘reading a book’ being lazy. My Nan lived with us and she used to say that too “Get your head out of that book and do something useful”. We were never bought books as children. We only had the ones from the library. Woe betide my Dad if he picked up a book. All hell broke loose.

mousemac Fri 12-Nov-21 21:30:31

I had a ton of chores. Mostly I enjoyed them but the bad one was fetching coal from the cellar (cold, damp, unlit) to the top floor where we lived in a requisitioned house.
Up five floors of stairs, and I was never big or muscular (despite years of that).

thuberon Fri 12-Nov-21 19:54:51

Washing all my dad's dirty hankies in a bowl. I loved him but the thought of it, even now ,makes me want to heave

icanhandthemback Fri 12-Nov-21 19:01:46

Washing up - I hated the bits in the water touching my hands. My sisters and I had to take turns in washing, drying and putting away. I used to trade my washing up for my youngest sister's drying up. It used to drive my late sister into such a state. because she was insistent we should each take our turn doing everything. As she stamped around the kitchen it used to make us giggle which further incensed her. Sadly, she died at the age of 24 it is a mild source of regret now.
I also used to hate picking up stones from the garden so my parents could do what they wanted with it. It seemed such an endless task as we would pick the stones up, they would turn the earth and there would be a load more. I don't suppose we did it for long but it seemed like forever to me.

Thisismyname1953 Fri 12-Nov-21 17:11:28

I was a child in the 1950s / 60s . I had to clean the fire grate out , run messages and do the dishes after tea. The good thing was , anything I had to do , my brother had to take his turn doing too. He is only 16 months older than me and my parents believed in equal rights even then .whereas in my late DH household of 4 boys and 2 girls , the girls had to wait on the boys hand and foot . I used to get annoyed on their behalf ( I knew the whole family from 16)

Elvis58 Fri 12-Nov-21 17:03:27

The job l hated was taking a container to get pink parafin from the garage for the parafin heaters in the house.No central heating then.

Elvis58 Fri 12-Nov-21 17:01:43

Th

phantom12 Fri 12-Nov-21 16:53:25

I don't remember hating anything but if my Mum caught me reading she would often say that she could find me something to do , such as housework, if I had time to sit around. When I was 14 the youngest of my 3 brothers arrived. To help out I offered to clean through the house every Sunday morning and in return I no longer had to go to Sunday school!