Weird stuff our parents or grandparents said or believed (member, children, grandma)

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird

My dad actually believed you should put butter on a burn and wouldn't believe differently.

This belief was extremely common, if not universal, in a certain era. There are probably people around who were raised with that, and still believe it.

[chiluvr1228]

My grandmother believed using a tampon was like packing a wound to stop the bleeding. She had had numerous late term miscarriages where she had to be "packed" to stop the hemorrhaging. She happened to go through menopause earlier than most women and her mind she associated this with the miscarriages and the wound packing. People of her generation were so ignorant of their own bodies.


She raised my sister and I and while she told us about menstruation, she never talked about sex AT ALL. It was for married people and a woman was supposed to just put up with sex for the sake of her husband and for procreation and that was it. I was 13 or 14 years old and heard my aunt, who had just had a baby talking to my grandmother about the stitches being itchy. I assumed she was talking about the stitches to open her up to take the baby out because how else could it get out, that's how clueless I was.

[shamrock4]

My grandmother always said to watch out for the folks who sat in the front church pews because they were the biggest backstabbers.

Hmmmm, in many cases I found out she was right (!).

Also, my mother always said if you cut your hair shorter, it would come in thicker. I was always jealous of my sister's long pony tail while I had a shorter bob.

[JanND]

Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird

My mom/grandmother believed doing splits or falling in a certain way would break the hymen. But I don't think they confused no hymen and not a virgin. Or at least I don't think so.

I remember being told all the time the most unappealing part of food (bread crust, chicken skin, burnt parts, etc) was the healthiest.

My dad actually believed you should put butter on a burn and wouldn't believe differently.

I am sure more will pop in my head soon.

Yes, butter on a burn was something from my childhood. But, one that really works, that I use still is slather plain yellow mustard on a burn.....it truly does work.

My Mom/G.Ma would wrap a slice of raw potato, or a copper penny on you foot on the wound if you stepped on a nail.

[bpollen]

Don't play like you're blind (closing your eyes and walking), or you really will go blind.

[jamary1]

Originally Posted by JanND

My Mom/G.Ma would wrap a slice of raw potato, or a copper penny on you foot on the wound if you stepped on a nail.

My grandfather would soak his foot in a bucket of kerosene if he stepped on a nail.


My grandmother was pretty convinced that tampons caused insanity or Tuberculosis, sometimes both. No whistling in the house, never walk around with only one shoe on, no hats on the bed ever.....all bad luck.


If you gave someone a gift of cutlery, you also had to give them money (it could be a nickel), otherwise they would promptly cut themselves accidentally. Likewise a purse....it had to have a few coins in it to bring prosperity.


Never light three cigarettes on a single match. Never say, "If it's the last thing I do, ......."

[Robino1]

If you eat raw potatoes you will get worms.

Everything was made better by soaking it in Epsom salts.

[TruckWife518]

Originally Posted by bpollen

Don't play like you're blind (closing your eyes and walking), or you really will go blind.

Isn't there also an Old Wives Tale that claims masturbation will make you go blind too? Lol!

[Robino1]

"If you keep making that face, it will freeze that way."

If you sit too close to the TV you will go blind.

[PhureeKeeper]

My grandmother freaked out when she saw I had houseplants on a shelf in my bedroom. She was insistent that I was going to die during my sleep because the plants would suck all of the air out of the room.