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Growing up Saturdays were for chores in my house. My mom kept a calendar (she was all about being fair) and each of the three of us had a specific chore to do. Conveniently we had a shared bathroom, the living room, and the kitchen which all had to be cleaned. Sometimes to change it up so we wouldn’t get bored mom would let us divide the chores into dusting, vacuuming and folding laundry, which always seemed like it’d be the easiest but would end up lasting all day.
Because I’m prone to melodrama I often say that my mom cleaned me to death when I was little and that’s why I don’t mind some clutter around the house. But she also cursed me. I can’t watch television, work on my book or even cook dinner if my house isn’t clean. What’s up with that? I mean I literally have to stop what I’m doing and get out the vacuum and get the dirt the kids tracked in before I can do anything else!
I’m thankful for that though because one thing all those Saturdays of cleaning taught me was how to function in our family and as part of a team. Another of my mom’s edicts was that no one could go outside and play until everyone was done. That meant that if I finished first I’d go and help my sisters and vice versa. I can see now how one of us might have manipulated the others but that never happened.
We lived in a rural location so there were no other kids around to play with. It was just us and that made it very important that we’d all be outside at the same time.
Tell me about your favorite childhood Saturday memory one randomly selected commenter will receive a $5 Amazon.com electronic gift card.
Happy Saturday!
Filed in: Katherine Garbera
Sep 29th
2012
6:54 am
Mia Marlowe Said:
OMGosh! My mom had a rotating schedule of chores for us on Saturdays too. Was that a “mom rule” or something?
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Sep 29th
2012
8:04 am
Laurie G Said:
Through 4th grade I spent my Saturdays with my Great Aunt Anna. She never married so we spent the day reading, baking, grocery shopping and cleaning her 1 bedroom apartment. We always had hamburgers and tater tots for dinner. I took a bath in a claw foot tub with Laurie Bubble Bath. She always said it was named for me.
She died in 1976. I miss those fun filled Saturdays.
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Sep 29th
2012
8:41 am
Connie Fischer Said:
My Mom was left a widow with three small children all under the age of three, She worked full time and when we were old enough to stay by ourselves, we had chores after school and in the summertime. We were to wash the dishes, sweep the floor, keep our rooms up and just neaten things up. On Saturdays, we would help Mom hang clothes on the line and when dry, take the down and fold them. We would also help with the ironing. Am I the only geezer who remembers “sprinkling” cottons and keeping them in the refrigerator until ready to iron? Mom never pushed us to do lots of chores because she felt that children needed to be outside playing and having fun. Of course, as we got older, we did start to do more things to help. My Mom was a wonderful woman. She has been gone a long time yet I still miss her loving, calm, patient ways.
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Sep 29th
2012
9:05 am
Kathleen O Said:
Most Saturdays when I was growing up was “Shopping” Day.. My mom, grandma would do the weekly grocery shopping. Usually I went with them and maybe one of my younger brothers.. We would have to go before 1pm, because after that dad needed the car to go to the local Racetrack.. Sometimes I went with him too..
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Sep 29th
2012
9:11 am
donna ann Said:
watching old westerns (both tv shoes & movies) as well as mysteries (such as those old charlie chan movies which still make me smile) with my mom in the afternoon when at home
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Sep 29th
2012
9:14 am
eap Said:
doing errands with my mom
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Sep 29th
2012
9:29 am
Karen H in NC Said:
I was a child of the 50′s and Saturday afternoons were spent at the Della Theater watching a double feature along with the latest installment of a serial film, usually a western, and plenty of cartoons and popcorn….all for about twenty-five cents a kid.
Once a month, after the movie, we could get a bo-kay ice cream cone. Now that was a real treat. There were 3 flavors of ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry) & 4 flavors of sherbet (raspberry, lime, orange & pineapple) piled on a cone with a flat paddle type scoop. I so wish they still sold those things today! I can still taste them.
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Sep 29th
2012
9:36 am
Lois M. Said:
Oh boy… I just really remember watching the Smurfs and other lesser known show that I’m not sure I remember the titles or even what they were about anymore… but then as I got older, just trying to sleep late. Didn’t and doesn’t work, that one.
Lois
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Sep 29th
2012
9:56 am
Kirsten Said:
On Saturdays we would go grocerie shopping and I got to push the cart. It was a lot of fun pretending it was a race car and I had to win a race. Mom did not like me “running” around the store and tried to get me interested in the food we would buy. That would take years… When we got home everything had to be put in it’s place & we got to drink hot chocolate. Sometimes with a bit of cream or an oat cookie. Then I had to tidy my room and we would watch a movie or read a book.
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Sep 29th
2012
10:01 am
ellie Said:
Saturdays was a special day of outings which was a treat. going downtown to the large department store (which is gone now) and shopping in the various departments. What a wonderful day. eating out too which was rare.
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Sep 29th
2012
10:09 am
diane Said:
We used to mow the lawn, tidy up our rooms and then be rewarded for this with a wonderful dinner with grandma. Long for those days now.
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Sep 29th
2012
10:20 am
Shana Said:
Saturdays were usually fun days for us–wake up and watch cartoons, hang around the house, maybe go to a movie or do something fun. My mom always cleaned on Mondays.
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Sep 29th
2012
10:38 am
infinitieh Said:
Saturday mornings were all about the cartoons and the sugary cereals. Of course, by my teens, they became all about sleeping in.
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Sep 29th
2012
10:52 am
pearl Said:
We spent the day visiting our aunt and grandmother, stayed for lunch and then to play in the park(on our own) since it was the 50′s. A day of fun, family and freedom, totally unlike nowadays.
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Sep 29th
2012
12:47 pm
Na S. Said:
Saturdays in my family has always been family day, whereas Sundays are more like stay-home, rest and relax days. We like to visit parks and would start out early in the morning and come back late. I remember Friday evenings helping my mom prepare the picnic lunch and pack up our stuff for the outings. It felt really carefree walking in the parks, sometimes we went on mountain trails. It’s a family tradition we still do today.
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Sep 29th
2012
2:11 pm
catslady Said:
Oh, where to begin. My mom is a cleaning fanatic. Mostly she did it but my sister and I had to dust, change our bed sheets every week and then various jobs like washing dishes and eventually ironing. My sister took after my mom; I did not lol. I tried to get my kids to do certain chores (mostly keep their rooms clean) but my mom would come and visit and do it for them. My mom is 90 is has not changed – cleaning keeps her active and probably part of what keeps her young. I also remember during the summer that she gave us math problems every day to keep our minds alert. I think all the reading that I did was a better way lol.
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Sep 29th
2012
2:44 pm
Melody May Said:
My favorite childhood memory about Saturday was the Saturday morning cartoons. I remember watching A Pup Name Scooby-Do, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and so forth. Now you don’t find that to often.
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Sep 29th
2012
3:54 pm
bn100 Said:
Going to the park with my family and playing games
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Sep 29th
2012
6:11 pm
Barbara Elness Said:
My favorite childhood memory is jumping on my bike and riding to the library to exchange the pile of books I’d read for new ones. That was always the highlight of my week.
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Sep 29th
2012
8:32 pm
chey Said:
My favourite Saturday memory is going to visit my grandparents.
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Sep 29th
2012
9:24 pm
Quilt Lady Said:
We got the cleaning thing every Saturday also and we had to help cook every day when we got older also had to hand wash the dishes. Also on Friday nights they did the grocery shopping and we got to go to the dime store to spend our 25 cents we got each week if they had the money and we did our chores.
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Sep 30th
2012
1:38 pm
Kimh Said:
Cartoons baby eating ceral with my boorhergrear prize
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Oct 2nd
2012
4:58 am
Katherine Garbera Said:
Thank you everyone for sharing your favorite Saturday memories. I will be posting the winner of the $5 Amazon.com gift card on Sunday! Have a great week!
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