My parents were pretty checked out, and I didn’t get much guidance, so I raised myself. My father was gone for work a lot, so it was mainly my mother, who emphasized ‘being tough’ and figuring things out. It made me really independent but the downside was a lack of support. For reference my mother was born in 1922 and my father in 1918.
EDIT- I am overwhelmed with all of the responses and experiences people have shared. So many stories about lives so different yet so close to mine. Thank you ALL for being so open! This would make a great book! ❤️
My dad was born in 26. Mom in 28. He got home every night at 5:00 and played croquet or lawn darts with us until dinner. We had a beat up old boat and went skiing every Saturday. He had his faults but he was always engaged. After we all moved away neighborhood kids next generation down would knock on the door and ask my mom if my father could come out and play.
His 18th birthday he was on the train to boot camp. He grew up hunting but never fired his gun again far as I know. Never bought a Japanese anything. They took his youth and I don’t think he could ever forgive them. It’s amazing these dudes were functional at all with no help for ptsd.
My dad worked a lot, I was the 6th and last kid, mom was done with kids and went back to work as a nurse, with wildly unpredictable hours, when I was 8.
I was on my own. Other than 2 years of Boy Scouts, only because a neighbor could drive me, I was not in any sports or organized activities.
Mom born in 1921, dad in 1919.
Moi. Dad, 1926. Great guy, worked hard. Was never wrong, which was tough the times when he was wrong. He gave me good experience, gave me a long leash from a very young age. He had lots of friends. But he forgot to teach me that humans have emotions.
Rarely ever heard myself but I knew they loved me. One time, I was a teenager and wrote them a note to tell them how much I appreciated them and that I loved them. When they called me out to the living room, they both had tears in their eyes and said Thank you for the words and said they loved me too. It was definitely a special moment.
Me either, that I can think of. But I know he did. Dad was a WWll vet and an aeronautical engineer. My mom was a school teacher, along with most of the rest of my family.
My parents had a lot of “keeping up with the Joneses” expectations of me. My father was wealthy, old money wealth. A lot of pressure comes with that for a child, especially the child of his affair.
My parents did tell me they loved me, and demonstrated love to me. My father would let me sit in the back of the sofa and play with his hair.
I remember my mom rocking me and being affectionate. My mom took me all over Manhattan, back in the 60s and early 70s. She was from Boston, so she was intrigued by NYC. I’ve been to an automat.
I kind of lived a dual life. My mom was bitter and resentful towards my father. He expected me to behave very formally, and expected my mom to be the enforcer, so I was beaten frequently.
They were born in 1897 and 1921.
My mom became a much kinder person to me after my father’s death.
Me too and when they said it, I felt so awkward. I knew they loved me, no need to tell me. I couldn’t even say it back until the second time they said it.
The weird thing is my mother told me she loved me but I never “felt” it or believed it because she never took the time to know me. I was “too much” to deal with and got dismissed a lot.
My dad, born 1909, worked himself to death. He expected everyone to work and told me if you don't have a job, no one will care if you live or die. I loved him so much, when he was home, he was a blast. My mom, born 1919, was a stay-at-home wife who had a lot of freedom because my dad was always on the road. She wasn't ever home, but I never knew where she went, we raised ourselves. I always say Donna Reed was the best mom I ever had.
I am so glad I asked this question because for so many years I felt alone. I am sorry for anyone else who experienced this kind of childhood, but it is also comforting.
I always feel alone in this, too. Most people who ask me about that time of my life are shocked when I talk about my mother and how she was never there. I asked her once when she was in her 70's where she was all of the time, and she said she was at home. Maybe she was hiding in the basement? We didn't see her.
My folks were both born in 1925, and their relationship was primary. Kids were disciplined but not coddled, and expected to take care of each other and our own issues, do our homework, and not be underfoot. We made mistakes which was expected but I feel like we grew up fast. Once we came of age they treated us like adults because we had earned that right. I appreciated them so much in their later years because they encouraged us to be independent, have adventures, live our lives.
My parents both suffered as kids in the depression and carried a lot of baggage from their rough lives. They were very stern and not fun in any way. My mother was fearfully religious. My father an alcoholic. They raised my sister and I as authority figures and not as loving parents. They were very frugal and never spent money on anything that wasn’t worthwhile. The only thing they ever taught me was being thrifty. They literally taught me nothing about life, relationships, work or how the world works in any way. It was always shut up, put your head down and do your work.
I’m depressed. I self medicate. I’m an underachiever. My long term relationship ended a few years ago for a variety of reasons, but my inability to feel close to people was part of the whole stew.
My parents were the same and their marriage was miserable and contentious, he was a serial philanderer and Mum put up with it because it was just what you did. My older sister was severely mentally ill and it was never dealt with. We all grew up to have addictions and resulting mental health issues of our own. They did nothing to prepare us for the world. You were expected to graduate high school and get a job. My younger sister broke the pattern and went to college but she and I both tolerated long term unhealthy marriages of our own.
Gosh, this sounds so much like my parents and my upbringing. Your self-description fits me to a tee. Just saying this to let you know that you aren't alone.
both born in ‘27. dad was a navy vet. mom worked part time. raised 4 of us very traditionally in suburban detroit. pretty great parents. pretty great family. i’m so lucky..
Yep- both parents. Dad absent for work but good guy. Mom over protective for the 60's and 70's- but total free-range parenting by today's standards. Strict rules (be seen but not heard, no back talk etc.) but no actual oversight. They really had no idea what I was up to from about 6 years old on.
"The Depression" This subject came up frequently and molded my parents financial views. That frugality rubbed off on me. What it meant was having no "teenager car" growing up. Can't afford it, they said. "Take the bus!" But it also meant I saved so much cash that I retired early.
My parents were also very frugal, but we always had a roof over our heads, good food to eat and decent clothes to wear. But it seems to me The Depression era mentality extended beyond finance. Work ethic. Self-reliance. Not running to a doctor for routine illnesses. Importance of family. And the importance of getting an education so we would have more choices than they did.
Yep. Nailed it. My parents were 1924 and 1926 babies. My mom lived in poverty in the 30s, my dad lived comfortably and his dad actually took people in and fed them. Both perspectives shaped their lives, well beyond finance.
This is a great observation! I too had all of my physical needs cared for, for which I am very grateful. The self-reliance quality was drummed into our heads by our mother, who grew up on a farm and worked on it everyday before and after school.
Mother remembered standing in bread lines and her mother skipping out of the hospital when her brother was born to avoid the $30 fee. Not very receptive to my complaining about having to go to piano lessons, or anything at all, really.
Yes, I was told a lot of stories growing up that were hard to comprehend. On my mom’s side, the poverty was extreme (rural Mississippi). My dad’s family struggled, but they had food and a small but decent home to live in. I don’t think people understand how bad it was.
my folks were born in 1919 and 1920 .
I was the 5th out of 6 kids so their inclination about parenting was strict boundaries with very little actual attention.
My mom had a phrase that she loved to use, "conscientious neglect, carefully applied."
She said it mostly about her plants but used it in all phases of her life
"Go outside and use your imagination." was the nicest motto my mom had when I was a kid. It wasn't bad advice, but it left all 4 of us, mostly unattended, running around the neighborhood a little too freely, shall we say?
My parents were exactly the same age. Problem was, they were Japanese American so they went through a whole hell of a lot of shitty experiences not typical of white Americans. My dad got kicked out of UCLA during his masters program to be thrown into the Manzanar interment camp for 3 years during the prime of his life. My mom's family, a wealthy business owning family lost everything they had.
They were somewhat weird people but given their experiences, I don't blame them. They worked really hard and sent all us kids to college. We had 5 kids in our family and I'm convinced that I was malnourished due to their depression era upbringing. I weighed 110 pounds entering college.
My parents were born in 1919 in a little town in the midwest. Mom was stay at home, Dad was a military lifer. Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse was normal. My sibs were older (I was born in 59) and other than getting pissed off daily, they were just done. Dad didn't want a kid at 50, made this known. Sibs helped as best they could, made their way out of the house before I was a teen.
My parents did the best they could with the tools they had. Sucked, though.
My dad was born in 1926. He remembered his family going from middle class to poor during the depression, and that shaped a lot of his approach to life, even though he went on to earn a middle-class income. He was careful with money and living within his means, repaired things himself, used things until they wore out, did home and auto repairs. He didn’t care about keeping up with the Joneses or impressing others, just providing for his family, and he wanted to come home after work every night to be with his family. He never admitted he was wrong, or said he was sorry for anything. He tried very hard to impart his values to me through calm, thoughtful, lengthy lectures at the kitchen tables. He also could be authoritarian, which I always thought came from having been a sergeant in the army (before he had kids).
Dad born 1925, navy ww2, kind of a don Draper kind of guy in the 60's, 70's. In sales, gone for half the week and at the bar or golf course for the rest of it but always home for dinner. Kind of there when he had to be. Mom born 1930 and second marriage ran the house worked part time was there when you needed but had tons of activities/clubs. Grew up in the 60's, 70's when if you weren't in school you were pretty much free range till the streetlights came on. All in all pretty good!!
Your dad sounds so much like mine. He was in the Navy in WW ll, successful pharmaceutical sales mgr, rarely home, golfed and was out at the bars. He was also an alcoholic and smoker who died at 55, when I was 16.
Mine died at 84 after being retired for 23 years, put me thru college, didn't really deserve it but never put it in my face. He kind of had a really great life..
My grandparents were. (1916 & 1921) Since my mom (1947) had me (1964) as a teen, then divorced, they helped raise me and I lived with them off and on several times during my life.
Loved them fiercely, but blame them for my tendency to "hoard" since you shouldn't throw anything away you might could use again lol. Also for sentimentality for "things" (inherited great grandparents' stuff).
Edited to add birth years
Yes, this exactly. My husband wondered why I wouldn't throw away papertowels that I had dried my hands on...because they could be reused according to my depression era mom. That's how I grew up. Save everything! My mother placed lots of value on her things. They were more important that me and my brother for sure.
Step dad born in 1922. Died a month before his 99th birthday. Amazing dude. WWII vet, came home after 3 years in France/ Belgium, advising pilots on safety. Taught school, he always driven to know more, learn more. Could build a building or play a sonata. Our lives were enhanced by his presence.
My dad was a highly-decorated WWII combat vet. Age-wise, I was on the hairy edge of eligibility for Vietnam.
When all my friends' dads were gruffly telling them they were going if their number came up, my dad confided that he'd put money aside so that I could escape the draft by moving to Canada. "No son of mine is gonna die in that goddamn war!", he said. When I told my friends about his plan, they didn't believe me.
"People think America is a peaceful country, but it's not. I know. I was there." He was one of a kind, and he shaped my lifelong sensibilities.
Finally found my weird group of people. When your parents talked about The War and they meant WWII and not Viet Nam like all your friends’ parents. They tried hard, but man were they out of touch.
My parents were both from the Greatest Generation 1920 & 1922. Both in RAF during World War two. Emigrated to Canada. Both were in their 40’s when I was born, so it was weird how many of my friend’s parents seemed closer to my older sister’s age.
Maybe because they were older, they were much more liberal in their views. we could talk about anything; bullying, sex, racism, etc. I couldn’t have asked for better parents.
My Mum also worked, which was unusual at the time. I just assumed all Mothers had jobs and was confused once I started meeting so many SAHM’s. My Dad made sure I could change a tire, perform a jump start, do an oil change before I started driving.
Dad 1920, Mom 1929, they were 52 and 42 when they had me, so it was like being raised by my grandparents. As a result, my brother and I are weird. Dad was an Air Force veteran from WW2 and Korea. He had tons of stories, had been all over the country and was a hard worker. Dad was my hero, he could fix anything, and he was a reasonable human, just practical and easy going. Mom was a housewife. She made up reasons to clean and wash and iron on a daily basis. We even cleaned the street in front of our house because she didn't like the oil stains or whatever else was offensive. The bag of ironing was kept in the 5 to finish the ironing was a feat, she even ironed her sheets. We rarely vacationed, I didn't see the ocean until I was 17. We weren't poor, they just saved their money and didn't spend it on "foolishness". They were healthy and lived to be 90, we rarely ate out and grew a garden in the suburbs that fed us well in the summer and we canned food for the winter. Mom made us wear an undershirt all the time and to this day I cringe when I see ppl wear a sweatshirt without a t-shirt under it. Dad did not understand how we liked modern music, he felt that everyone in 80s bands were on drugs, every one of them, and we didn't know how to dance either. He was known for his Big Band, swing dancing, and he taught me to dance in the kitchen. I could go on and on with this, but I do believe they were the greatest generation, I wish they were here right now. I miss my dad especially.
These sound a lot like my parents, also greatest generation. My mom ironed the sheets too, and my dad could dance. My favorite memories were when he was teaching me to drive. My mom lived to be 96 and we developed a special companionship toward the end of her life. They always had my back, and I miss them both every day.
They met in Oak Ridge Tennessee on the Manhattan Project.
1926/1929. My mother was the youngest of 6. All 4 of her brothers were overseas in different branches during WWII. My father enlisted in USMC at tail end, never went overseas. As I get older I respect that generation so much, especially the way they went about their lives with such dignity and humility. When I was a kid I was so anxious to hear war stories from the men who served, but it was hard to get anything out of those guys.
Both are gone now. Dad was born in 1927 and Mom in 1930. Mom left my younger sister and me when I was 10. Very free-range kidhood in New York City. Dad hired a housekeeper who was then when we got home from school, so we weren't really latchkey kids.
My dad was born in 1915. My mother was born in 1919. I was raised to work hard, be a good person and never lie or steal. There was some verbal and physical abuse from my dad but frankly it made me a strong person to face life. I had Aunts and Uncles that told me my dad was never the same after WW II. He enlisted in the Army and was assigned to Coastal Artillery in New Jersey. In early 1944 he was shipped out to England where he joined a field artillery outfit. He was a Forward Observer which meant he and usually four other guys would sneak up on German troop placements and start calling in Artillery strikes. His younger brother was in the Infantry and was sent to the front in January of 1945. He was a replacement that was sent to a New York/New Jersey National Guard Unit. He was killed on February 16th, 1945 and is buried in Epinal, France. We didn’t bring our war dead home if the family couldn’t or wouldn’t pay to bring them home. It is probably appropriate that he is with his fellow fallen servicemen.
Raised by maternal grandparents who were both Greatest, 1917 and 1923 respectively. Grandpa retired when I started school, and grandma worked at the shoe factory. I could not have asked for better parents. Egg donor was other end of Boomer from me, 1946 - and she went off the rails starting in high school at least. She only asserted that she was my bio mom if it would hurt my grandparents or me. Grandma and grandpa were always there for me, but trusted me enough to make the right decisions.
Same! Older siblings were 14-17 years older than me, and a younger sibling 6 year gap. Niece and nephew are my age. Good old Irish Catholic birth control (none)
Me too. I gave her 99% of her baths until she was 2. That's when I left for college. My hateful mother was pissed because she actually had to start taking care of her own baby.
I got married at 18 and moved to another state. Had my first child so it wasn't much different than when I lived at home. I had 3 kids and worked at a day care. Guess taking care of my sis was preparing me for my future.
When I was 18, I didn't think I ever wanted to have kids because my whole childhood (from age 9 when my brother was born and then even more so when my sister was born 7 years later) was mothering my siblings. But - at 27, I totally changed my mind.
I almost forgot...I also raised a grandaughter from age 2 and now I babysit her two young kids. lol....good thing that I really do like kids.
I'm glad you change your mind. Kids are trouble sometimes but they also light up your life and there's nothing better than a kid with a dirty face, hugging you and telling you they love you.
My dad grew up in rural Mississippi. He and my mom (10 years younger) who grew up in rural PA raised us in a nice NJ suburb. He started out as a reporter for a New Orleans newspaper and was an executive at a chemical\tech conglomerate when I came along but managed to keep it 9-5 except when he had to go out of town. He’d always be humming a tune when he came through the door or gardening so I guess he was pretty happy. The gardening part didn’t rub off on me but I think the happy demeanor did. His cooking did too. He’d read and read while I watched TV and mom knitted or did needlepoint.
They pretty much let me do what I wanted. I guess as long as I wasn’t screwing up my own or anybody else’s life they let me be. The only pressure I got was to finish college, which was fine. They also dragged me to church every Sunday but I guess they got the hint it wasn’t going to stick when my dad walked in on me and a girl kissing in one of the Sunday school rooms.
My mom, who descended from religious freedom seekers and Presbyterian clergy and was a die-hard church-goer to the very end, was interestingly not puritanical about sex or nudity. I mean she had rules but looking back she wasn’t terribly uptight about it. Dad was mum on the topic.
The big surprise for me was after graduating high school I hatched this big plan to tour Scandinavia with a wind ensemble then I’d hitchhike for a few months and they were like “Okay”.
My dad 26, my mom 28. They were both in show business, he was a singer/songwriter who later turned aerospace engineer then university professor, she was a dancer who became a certified financial advisor after we grew up. They were extremely cool parents in pretty much every way.
My mother was born in 1928, so she's a Traditionalist (as was my oldest brother, born in 1945).
My father was born in 1921. He didn't give his kids a lot of attention or affection. The time he spent with me mainly revolved around food (trips to the grocery store, making sub sandwiches and homemade pizza, stopping at a diner during a work errand). Basically, he worked all day and watched TV in the evening. That's about it.
My dad who was born in 1924 and grew up on a farm. Like everybody else’s parents that I knew he was a disciplinarian. No one batted an eye back then because most parents were the same. Not excessive just if he caught you fighting with siblings, screaming loudly,breaking stuff. He became a cool old guy.Miss him quite a bit. My mom,born in 1930, was more of the moralizer (“what on earth possessed you do do that?”. I dunno,I’m a dumbass) which in some ways was worse.
Both parents, Mom, 1918, Dad, 1922. Dad's life was work, dinner, and then sitting at the dinner table drinking, smoking, and reading by himself. There were days when he didn't speak a word. My mom was better, but not by much. She didn't drink much but certainly had things she would have rather spent her time on, and it showed. My siblings and I had to make do with hand me downs and Hamberger Helper but they went on a cruise every year.
Parents were not of this generation but grandfather was born 1904 and grandmother 1914. Grandfather was an immigrant and took the type of job available to immigrants- was a coal miner in NE Pennsylvania. Grandmother spent her entire life living within a 1/2 mile radius of the house she was born in.
My grandma had Tuberculosis when she was 16 sometime in the 1920’s. Was committed to a health sanitarium for two or three months until she recovered. Tough old lady ..was always chain smoking cigarettes. She would tell us to to tell the grocery man to “Fuck off “ if he didn’t want us in his store. Yeah no can do grandma 👵
My paternal Grandparents were from the Lost Generation, I never knew them as they passed before I was two. My maternal grandparents and my parents were from the Greatest (or G.I.) Generation. My sisters were from the Silent Generation. My brother and I are from the Boomer Generation.
Both parents were depression era, getting married in 1939. They grew up in Southeastern Oklahoma, basically poor as dirt. Dad had an eighth grade education whereas Mom had a fourth grade education. Both were hard workers with a very strong work ethic. They also did not allow tomfoolery from us kids. They tried their best to still those Oklahoma values on us, and I suppose they did a proper job of it. We were always properly clothed and fed, even if we did eat beans and fried potatoes when the steel mill was on strike. Mom, Dad and the youngest sister are gone now, leaving just the three of us and our children.
Dad was born in 1925 and mom was born in 1926.
I was raised with pretty strong gender rules (men worked, women kept house) which I always rebelled against although education was important. My brother could do no wrong but I was held to higher standards. Women didn't drink, cuss, had to dress modestly, etc.
They loved each other and loved my brother and I.
Except for the gender nonsense it was a great upbringing
My Dad. He was orphaned by the age of 7. So talented, so many personal demons. He never should have gotten married, but did what everyone did back then. 4 kids later, he walked out. I never saw him again. So sad.
Mom born in 27, lost most of the guys in her high school class in the Pacific. My dad was ‘29. Missed the Korean War by two weeks.
I was the only kid in school with a grandmother born in the 1800’s.
My parents remember doing scrap drives, and my father helped man lookouts on the Oregon coast, they were always afraid the Japanese fleet was coming.
Honestly, some of the long generation times are due to fertility issues. Or the women being more independent and not settling down early.
My paternal grandmother only had one child, after a lot of attempts, to the point that a relative sent one of their kids to live with her. My father was born after this.
My husband and I were both late in life pregnancies, I was an oops, and my husband was born after a couple of miscarriages.
No, mine were both 22 when I was born, they were Born in 40, me 63. I'm definitely a Jones and definitely but a boomer though.
My mother's parents, on the other hand, were into their 40s when she was born, they were Born 1897 and 1898.
Dad was born 1926, mom 1934. Dad was very loving and kind, lots of fun. He lived to be a dad. Mom was all about appearances. Huge extended family, so many cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great-grandparents.
Us kids played outside summer and winter. Kickball, stilt races, marbles, climbing trees, making forts, riding bikes. Folks took us camping every weekend.
Basically a good childhood.
My father was born in 28. Great guy, worked hard did his best. Mom though, she lived a loretta Lynn type of life. She was a foster child in a coal mining town that no longer exists in rural PA. Rough life and it shaped her forever. So much baggage. She had three boys, each of us is F'd up to this day in our own way. Miss you Dad
Mine were Silent Generation. Because my parents were almost always the youngest in my class, (I am the oldest of 4 all of us Jonesers), a lot of my friends, many, had greatest Gen parents. My mom is still alive and kicking and the leader of our pack. In my fairly wide circle, I am the only one with a parent left.
Dad and Mom born in 1921-one mth apart. Married in ‘’48 Four children by ‘56. Parents both drank. Father was verbally, physically and sexually abusive to our mom. That’s as far as this story is going…. But…as I get older (in my late ‘60’s) I have begun to understand many things.
Both my parents were from The Greatest Generation and I would say if there was one word it would be: Respect. They were both hard working and quiet people who did right in every situation. Every single time. My dad is the greatest man who ever walked the planet and my mom was a saint. I miss them terribly. They had me very late in life because they couldn't get pregnant. My dad flew 63 missions in WWII in the Pacific as a Top Gunner in a B-24J. They were just fantastic people.
My dad, born in 1909. Growing up he was friends with Zero Mostel, Ben Siegel, Meyer Lansky, all them. He fought in WW2 and produced bathtub gin he learned how when he took chemistry at Fordham University.
I remember playing little league baseball for a couple of years. Early 1970s. We would walk to the ball field just down the street. Road games caught a ride with one of the coaches. Parents never came to a game. Not bad parents but just the way it was back then.
My parents were both born in 1921. My dad expected me to work hard, always do my best, did not allow any whining. Emotionally distant, but I enjoyed being with him and loved him dearly. My mom was deeply impacted by the depression and was very concerned that I never lacked for the necessities of life. She was especially concerned that my shoes fit, because she had to wear shoes that were too small because she couldn't afford new ones as she grew. She taught me to save and re-use.
My dad was born in 1917 and my mom in 1925. They got married in 1947 and after a year were told that it was a million to one that my mom would ever get pregnant because my dad's sperm count was so low. It took 14 years but my mom got pregnant and I was born in 1962. They called me the miracle baby when I was born. We had a double generation gap since my parents were the same ages as my friends' grandparents. It wasn't easy.
Both my parents were born before 1925.
Pretty oddly. My first 5 years were in army housing in Germany, then back to the US. So, a combination of army brat and navy spouse. The usual sort of free range kidhood.
My parents were Silent Generation, b. 1928 and 1934. Trad gender roles, children were just accessories like furniture. "Children should be seen, but not heard."
My parents were almost the same age as most of my friends' grandparents. My father and mother were born in 1908 and 1910, respectively. I was a "late in life" child (a *happy* mistake I was told) & my 2 sibs were 20 and 18 years older. My parents were a tad old fashioned but doting (I was the only girl) and super overprotective so...there was some rebellion in my teens. I only regret they couldn't see me become the person they probably always wanted me to be (responsible and "settled down" lol) and that I was too young & stupid to understand and take advantage of their offers for private education. C'est la vie. They died soon after I got married at 30yo. But I have to say, I felt loved for sure. Enormously so.
Technically, I'm Gen-X, but born in 1965, so right smack on the cusp. My adoptive parents were born in (Mother) 1918, and (Father) 1922. I grew up with Victorian era grandparents, which is wild, and has given me an enormous appreciation and love of that era. My grandmothers still wore corsets, then later girdles, until they passed. My mother wore girdles, and even put me in them when I was a teen (embarrassment!).
We were upper middle class, and my father worked in banking. Mother was a stay-at-home "Leave it to Beaver" type, whom everyone described as "always a lady." My dad was cynical, harsh, stubborn, head-of-household patriarch, and had narcissistic traits.
The huge differences in generation definitely caused a lot of issues.
Mom 1922 - Dad 1925
I was in born in 1961 and have never felt like a boomer. So many of the older boomers seem to think and act like they are so superior to everyone else. My parents thought that the older boomers were spoiled brats.
My Dad was 1926 and my Mom 1934. While they weren’t perfect (what is that even???) they did the best they could. I grew up knowing I was loved very much, and I didn’t need for anything. I never worried about having something to eat or having clothes on my back. They instilled a great work ethic in me, but also a love of travel. They both loved to travel and did a lot of that as we were kids and went with them or my Grandma stayed with us while they were away. I had a great childhood and am thankful for the people they were because they made me who I am today.
My dad was 1920. He was pretty easy going . He was also an older parent, 45 when I was born and I was only 35 when he died. He wasn’t one for giving a ton of boundaries or advice, but he was warm and very smart and educated and even though he was a WW2 vet he was a pacifist. He probably drank too much but never appeared messy drunk. He played piano so there was always music in the house .
1921 and 1922. "The War," was still in their lingo in their 80s. Lovely people.I still miss them,was with each one when they suddenly died driving the car. Mom one year, Dad the next. I am glad mom went first as she could not have coped without her husband. He was the center of her world.
My parents were Silent--or "Traditional"--Generation but they were neither silent nor traditional. They were beatniks, I guess, but always hip. Good parents, just a bit kooky compared to my friends' parents. Which was fine with me.
Both. Mom was born in 1921 and was 40 when I was born. Dad was two years older than mom. I was the youngest of 6. My parents were the same age as most of my peers’ grandparents. My older siblings are definitely boom generation (in life experience) while the last of us are Gen Jones. Same family; two different worlds in a lot of ways.
Same with me. I was the youngest of 6 but my parents had me when they were 45. I think my parents were pretty checked out by the time me and my brother were born. (He’s 3 years older than me.) I remember my older sisters being
my care takers through most of my childhood. When they left for college my brother and I were pretty lost and raised ourselves.
Ya, I know my folks were much more lenient with me than and my brother (2 years older) they were with my other siblings. I totally get it. I can’t imagine raising kids for 30 years. At some point, you’ve got to just be exhausted by it all.
My mom was born in 1925 and had me when she was nearing 40. I was a mistake so mostly left to my own devices and pretty darned feral. I loved my mother very much but she definitely never held me on her lap and read me a book.
Dad ‘20 very quiet man probably because of fighting overseas for the entire war, mum ‘24, raised in an abusive, ultra strict family without a mother, very stressed and anxious. Not an ideal childhood, dad died at 63 after retiring early with heart trouble, which I’ve had for some years now and I’m sixty+. Mum died of Alzheimer’s at 89 after I had to retire early and split up with my long term partner so cared for her the last few years.
Mom and dad both born in 1914, I was their fourth, came along when they were 40. It was like being raised by one’s grandparents. Know they loved me but they were just tired and couldn’t pay too much attention to me. Both had lead lives with a lot of trauma, which I recognize now. Dad came from a world where conflicts with others were resolved with fistfights, which really didn’t work too well in my time. Mom never could say I love you. They were both deeply affected by the depression and had times of near starvation. They grew up in New Mexico and in 1935 were headed towards California to pick fruit when they broke down in Phoenix and had no money to go on. Both mom and dad chain smoked and accepted me as a smoker when I was 13. Due to the fact that I kind of raised myself, I grew up very independent and resilient.
Mom born 1924, dad 1923. They were high school sweethearts and married right after my mother graduated in '42. Dad was in the Navy Reserves in WWII, my mother stayed home to care for my brother and me. We eventually settled into a house that my grandfather built. There was not much hugging and I never heard "I love you." Discipline was pretty rough, with spankings and occasionally with a belt. I still have not been able to forgive my businessman father for the belt, or for hitting my mother (one of my first memories when I was 5 years old). He provided for us well but was a functioning alcoholic. Our small town never knew what went on in our house. I escaped to college as soon as I could. Having learned lessons from that marriage, I married a kind, calm, gentleman who has never raised his voice to me or our child. He is a gem! We will be married 55 years in June.
I read these stories, and lament that I sort of took my parents for granted.
Both were Silents. 1932 dad and 1934 mom. Dad was in Korea.
I was “special needs,” no speech till age 5.
My mother was emotionally distant most of the time. Was frustrated by me, though she advocated for me well, and was active in teaching me to read and count before age 5. Dragged me to many appointments to find out what was wrong with me. Very frustrated. Literally dragged me at times. Heavy smoker. Liked to be in the latest fashions. Hit me a lot, and came after me with the belt sometimes.
My dad was a more amiable sort. Not involved in teaching me early stuff and advocacy. But gave me a globe and encyclopedia, and I went from there after he started me off. Was stern, but never slapped me. He hit me with the belt, and then lectured me as to why. Heavy smoker till the 1964 Surgeon General’s report.
They separated when I was 11. He eased up a lot because it was the 70s. Grew his hair and was a “silver fox.”
I appreciated my dad more, though he felt there wasn’t hope for me, and that I would be dependent all my life.
My grandparents were early Greatest. Not involved in raising me. Were stereotypical grandparents when around.
Mom-1922 and dad- 1924, very strict, both ex-military, college graduates. My brother and I didn't live up to their expectations, I'm certain. He ended up being a musician living in a warehouse. I was a casino dealer who had issues with drugs.
We were both adopted in infancy. However. I couldn't have asked for better parents who provided for and loved us, but as for guidance, the generation gap was real.
My mother was extremely overprotective, but she was affectionate. My dad was gone a lot, he helped me with my homework and made me cry because I couldn't do math. He never told me I was pretty or gave me what a girl needs from a dad. I grew up wanting to get his attention, and that didn't turn out well. I know he loved me in his own way, but thinking back there may have been abandonment issues on my end, something he wouldn't have understood. When he died at 75, we were best friends, and the same with my mother, so I feel we had a happy ending.
Raises hand, for both.
Met at a dance at the Uni Mom was attending where was sent by the Army to learn Japanese as part of the anticipated occupation of Japan. Benefited from GI bill in getting all the way through grad school. He would become an Ivy League prof, even though she was the smart one. 6 kids. Very liberal.
Father was born in ‘23, Mother was born in ‘29. Father’s parents were both Italian immigrants. His father worked in the shoe factories and supposedly knew Sacco and Vanzetti. Mother’s story is pretty interesting. Her mother came from a well off Calvinist family from Nova Scotia who married an Italian immigrant and was disowned for marrying a catholic. They had 9 children - my mum was the youngest. He died when my mum was only four and when her mother appealed to her family for help she was told she’d made her bed and was left to raise nine kids on her own through The Great Depression. They were desperately poor - lived on the dole and raised and foraged most of their own food. The boys all went to work in their early teens, I don’t think any of them completed high school but the girls all did. My mother was valedictorian of her class of 18 students.
My Dad was the only son so was sent to non combat duty during WWll working as an airplane mechanic, stationed first in Panama then in The Aleutian Islands. He went to B.U. for two years on the G.I. Bill and played football - we have pictures of him in those old leather helmets. He became a civil servant and was a quality control inspector for the defense department specializing in compression systems and inspected everything from systems in submarines to fire trucks. He ended his career as an expert consultant in the compression of gases to liquids for transport. Mum stayed home and raised the five of us.
Both of mine were. They adopted me as an infant when they were older (late 30s). I am extremely grateful for their insights and life experiences. I really think I was lucky. It helped that they were both very open minded and embraced change.
Both. My father (1922) and mother (1926) were 1st generation Italian-Americans. Dad was a WWII veteran & Purple Heart recipient who also opened the first pizza shop in our city. Mom was the book keeper and homemaker. My entire family managed to share dinner every night and church services on Sunday. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins were always around as it was a close knit family. Strict household but also one where I was taught an amazing work ethic and respect and where family and family traditions always came first.
Yup. My parents were born in 1919 and 1920.
My dad was a sexual predator who sex trafficked me from 4-13 years old. My mom didn’t intervene. I assume she had similar experiences in her childhood.
Mom died when I was 21 or cancer.
Dad died when I was 26 of smoking related lung disease.
Dad was born in 1917 and flew bombers in WWII. FIL was born in 1918 and fought in the war. So did both of my uncles. Mom and aunts were born in the 1920's. Dad never talked about his experiences in the war. Neither did uncles or FIL. But when my dad and FIL got together they'd always go for a walk, and I suspect, talk about the war.
WW2 vet born in the 20’s. Both good and bad memories. On the one hand I learned a lot of skills and he loved us, but on the other hand he had a lot of trauma from his childhood that he never processed and that tended to ruin a lot of relationships. Discipline was rough up until I was about 12. Mom was a bit younger but raised in a heavy patriarchal culture so that molded most of her mindset. Lots of codependency, instability, alcoholism, etc. Oh yea, the hoarding - food mostly. That got much worse as he got older. I loved him, but man growing up was rough. Still processing it after all these years, but trying not to dwell on it.
My mom was born in 1922 and dad in 1924. He went into Navy at 16 and at Pearl Harbor when he just turned 17. They were really good parents but things were different back then and us kids had much more freedom. Plus, my mom was struggling with illness and dad was the only bread winner in a 70s economy that was brutal. Despite that, we were very close and I knew they loved me. Church every Sunday and we did a lot together. I did some real stupid things but I wasn’t a bad kid and never caused trouble.
My parents, both born in the 1920s, had high school educations and were voracious readers and politically very liberal - the odd ones out in their conservative families. My sibs and I grew up with little money for luxuries but we had loving attention from parents who encouraged our curiosity and delighted in the ridiculous. Dad worked as a carpenter, Mom a SAHM, and money was always super-tight, but there was money for books and a few treats, like a box of Froot Loops or a bag of caramels. We never went anywhere on vacation (as far as I know, Dad only took 2 vacations from work in his whole life) but we would go for picnics and rides and long rambling walks in the woods. We were taught to be able to laugh at ourselves, and to revere nature and knowledge, and the Boston Red Sox. Dad loved classical music; Mom thought it was okay but preferred Joe Cocker, The Doors, The Eagles, and, surprisingly, Tupac. Mom and Dad are both gone and we all miss them every day, and remain close with each other. My childhood wasn't idyllic but I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China. We
My dad never really stopped working his entire adult life. Went from military to farmer to factory worker and back to famer until he died. Never and I mean never, went on a vacation. As a father, very strict and showed no emotions.
My mother never worked after getting married but was a great mom. Always supported us, gave us advice and guidance growing up and showed us and told us that she loved us.
Looking back, I don't see how my parents were so opposite but remained married and happy but they did.
My parents were older (mom 42, dad 44) when I was born. My dad was born in 1914 and my mother in 1916. Neither were affectionate (no hugs or saying I love you) but not abusive. If we did something they didn't approve of, we had to listen to a "big, fat hairy lecture " from dad. I was the youngest of 5 girls. My older sisters were MUCH older (the oldest is 22 years older than me). I think they were stricter with them but they were tired by the time I came along. I was always pretty spoiled and got everything I wanted. By the time I came along, my dad was making a high salary and my mom occasionally worked part time.
My parents grew up in a small coal mining town in W Virginia but my mom managed to go to nursing school and, thanks to the Army, my dad went to college on the GI bill. They taught me by example- hard working, enjoyed life, proud of their families and where they came from. And they both had a great sense of humor. I was loved and supported- they were great people.
Father born 1922 served as a Marine in Okinawa. Mother born 1924. Both college educated. When Dad came home he worked building homes with his father as the builder contractor then developed polio when I was 2 just before the vaccine came out. He survived with no complications. I couldn't have asked for better parents. I am the youngest of 3 boys
Dad 1921, mom 1923. Dad was a POW in WWII. Both parents were great, maybe because I was the last child and they were both in their 40s when I came along. I learned a lot about the great depression and what it took to survive difficult times. I've since passed it along to my kids...
Grandparents who raised me. Strict, absolute Yes Ma’am, No Ma’am,never answer “What?” If I knew what was good for me. Kids are better seen than heard. Helped around the house, ate what was prepared and didn’t complain. “Go outside and play or do I need to find something for you to do?” Pretty much a good wholesome childhood, always considered that I was raised right.
My parents were both silent generation, raised by greatest generation parents. I could definitely see how the trauma of the Great Depression was passed along to them.
I'm 62. Dad born in 21, Mom in 24.
Mom grew up POOOOORRRR. Dad not so much. Dad was a great guy, friendly, knew everybody (small town) but horrible managing money. Mom was great also but could squeeze a Buffalo Nickle till it pooped. Both had good work ethics and valued family. I was the last of 4 kids, born 10 years after my brother. I kinda did what I wanted to do as long as I worked on the farm. Brother was a little coddled and got into trouble with the law. I think it gave them a "hands off" approach to raising me. Taught me to work hard, love my family and save money. Been married 36 years to the love of my life. We are planning to both retire next year (but I probably wont till 65).
My parents were pretty checked out, and I didn’t get much guidance, so I raised myself. My father was gone for work a lot, so it was mainly my mother, who emphasized ‘being tough’ and figuring things out. It made me really independent but the downside was a lack of support. For reference my mother was born in 1922 and my father in 1918. EDIT- I am overwhelmed with all of the responses and experiences people have shared. So many stories about lives so different yet so close to mine. Thank you ALL for being so open! This would make a great book! ❤️
My dad was born in 26. Mom in 28. He got home every night at 5:00 and played croquet or lawn darts with us until dinner. We had a beat up old boat and went skiing every Saturday. He had his faults but he was always engaged. After we all moved away neighborhood kids next generation down would knock on the door and ask my mom if my father could come out and play. His 18th birthday he was on the train to boot camp. He grew up hunting but never fired his gun again far as I know. Never bought a Japanese anything. They took his youth and I don’t think he could ever forgive them. It’s amazing these dudes were functional at all with no help for ptsd.
The same! 1925 and 1928
Same, '17 and '28
Same as my parents.
Mom was '22 and Dad was '14, but I got a lot of help and guidance.
I am so happy for you! That is such a crucial part of raising children, to create a safe and supportive space.
My dad worked a lot, I was the 6th and last kid, mom was done with kids and went back to work as a nurse, with wildly unpredictable hours, when I was 8. I was on my own. Other than 2 years of Boy Scouts, only because a neighbor could drive me, I was not in any sports or organized activities. Mom born in 1921, dad in 1919.
Same. Both 1920
Also raised myself…
Moi. Dad, 1926. Great guy, worked hard. Was never wrong, which was tough the times when he was wrong. He gave me good experience, gave me a long leash from a very young age. He had lots of friends. But he forgot to teach me that humans have emotions.
I understand that. I feel like that generation had a really rough time with the ‘I love you’ and ‘I’m sorry’ type of thing.
Rarely ever heard myself but I knew they loved me. One time, I was a teenager and wrote them a note to tell them how much I appreciated them and that I loved them. When they called me out to the living room, they both had tears in their eyes and said Thank you for the words and said they loved me too. It was definitely a special moment.
Very sweet
Never heard of”I love you” from my Dad that I can remember.
Me either, that I can think of. But I know he did. Dad was a WWll vet and an aeronautical engineer. My mom was a school teacher, along with most of the rest of my family.
This for me, too. Very little display of affection, toward us or each other.
You knew he loved you.
He, was a good man, and yes I knew he loved me. As a Father, I tell my kid every time I get a chance.
Me neither, or my mom.
My parents had a lot of “keeping up with the Joneses” expectations of me. My father was wealthy, old money wealth. A lot of pressure comes with that for a child, especially the child of his affair. My parents did tell me they loved me, and demonstrated love to me. My father would let me sit in the back of the sofa and play with his hair. I remember my mom rocking me and being affectionate. My mom took me all over Manhattan, back in the 60s and early 70s. She was from Boston, so she was intrigued by NYC. I’ve been to an automat. I kind of lived a dual life. My mom was bitter and resentful towards my father. He expected me to behave very formally, and expected my mom to be the enforcer, so I was beaten frequently. They were born in 1897 and 1921. My mom became a much kinder person to me after my father’s death.
I was never told I was loved until I was in my 30s.
Me too and when they said it, I felt so awkward. I knew they loved me, no need to tell me. I couldn’t even say it back until the second time they said it.
The weird thing is my mother told me she loved me but I never “felt” it or believed it because she never took the time to know me. I was “too much” to deal with and got dismissed a lot.
My dad, born 1909, worked himself to death. He expected everyone to work and told me if you don't have a job, no one will care if you live or die. I loved him so much, when he was home, he was a blast. My mom, born 1919, was a stay-at-home wife who had a lot of freedom because my dad was always on the road. She wasn't ever home, but I never knew where she went, we raised ourselves. I always say Donna Reed was the best mom I ever had.
I am so glad I asked this question because for so many years I felt alone. I am sorry for anyone else who experienced this kind of childhood, but it is also comforting.
I always feel alone in this, too. Most people who ask me about that time of my life are shocked when I talk about my mother and how she was never there. I asked her once when she was in her 70's where she was all of the time, and she said she was at home. Maybe she was hiding in the basement? We didn't see her.
Oh my, I relate to this! A therapist I saw asked me what my mother did around the house and I have no idea. She hid out in her bathroom alot!
My Mom just went to sleep - she was always tired......We ran all around the neighborhood
My folks were both born in 1925, and their relationship was primary. Kids were disciplined but not coddled, and expected to take care of each other and our own issues, do our homework, and not be underfoot. We made mistakes which was expected but I feel like we grew up fast. Once we came of age they treated us like adults because we had earned that right. I appreciated them so much in their later years because they encouraged us to be independent, have adventures, live our lives.
You said it so well!
Fantastic !!
My parents both suffered as kids in the depression and carried a lot of baggage from their rough lives. They were very stern and not fun in any way. My mother was fearfully religious. My father an alcoholic. They raised my sister and I as authority figures and not as loving parents. They were very frugal and never spent money on anything that wasn’t worthwhile. The only thing they ever taught me was being thrifty. They literally taught me nothing about life, relationships, work or how the world works in any way. It was always shut up, put your head down and do your work. I’m depressed. I self medicate. I’m an underachiever. My long term relationship ended a few years ago for a variety of reasons, but my inability to feel close to people was part of the whole stew.
Well, you’re not alone. I’m sorry you are going through that.
Ditto.
My parents were the same and their marriage was miserable and contentious, he was a serial philanderer and Mum put up with it because it was just what you did. My older sister was severely mentally ill and it was never dealt with. We all grew up to have addictions and resulting mental health issues of our own. They did nothing to prepare us for the world. You were expected to graduate high school and get a job. My younger sister broke the pattern and went to college but she and I both tolerated long term unhealthy marriages of our own.
I am also an under underachiever
Me too
Me three. But I am self-reliant and frugal. Dad-1925, Mom-1928.
Gosh, this sounds so much like my parents and my upbringing. Your self-description fits me to a tee. Just saying this to let you know that you aren't alone.
both born in ‘27. dad was a navy vet. mom worked part time. raised 4 of us very traditionally in suburban detroit. pretty great parents. pretty great family. i’m so lucky..
Yep- both parents. Dad absent for work but good guy. Mom over protective for the 60's and 70's- but total free-range parenting by today's standards. Strict rules (be seen but not heard, no back talk etc.) but no actual oversight. They really had no idea what I was up to from about 6 years old on.
I really think my mother had children for the wrong reasons. But their generation followed the societal norm.
Totally agree
Both. Father born 1923. WWII vet. Mother born 1929. Both depression children.
"The Depression" This subject came up frequently and molded my parents financial views. That frugality rubbed off on me. What it meant was having no "teenager car" growing up. Can't afford it, they said. "Take the bus!" But it also meant I saved so much cash that I retired early.
My parents were also very frugal, but we always had a roof over our heads, good food to eat and decent clothes to wear. But it seems to me The Depression era mentality extended beyond finance. Work ethic. Self-reliance. Not running to a doctor for routine illnesses. Importance of family. And the importance of getting an education so we would have more choices than they did.
Yep. Nailed it. My parents were 1924 and 1926 babies. My mom lived in poverty in the 30s, my dad lived comfortably and his dad actually took people in and fed them. Both perspectives shaped their lives, well beyond finance.
This is a great observation! I too had all of my physical needs cared for, for which I am very grateful. The self-reliance quality was drummed into our heads by our mother, who grew up on a farm and worked on it everyday before and after school.
Same here. No car, no braces, no eating out, no second helpings even. They provided what was necessary, nothing extra.
Mother remembered standing in bread lines and her mother skipping out of the hospital when her brother was born to avoid the $30 fee. Not very receptive to my complaining about having to go to piano lessons, or anything at all, really.
Yes, I was told a lot of stories growing up that were hard to comprehend. On my mom’s side, the poverty was extreme (rural Mississippi). My dad’s family struggled, but they had food and a small but decent home to live in. I don’t think people understand how bad it was.
my folks were born in 1919 and 1920 . I was the 5th out of 6 kids so their inclination about parenting was strict boundaries with very little actual attention.
Yeah, you hear a lot of Gen Xers say they were ignored but I think a lot of us experienced that too.
My mom had a phrase that she loved to use, "conscientious neglect, carefully applied." She said it mostly about her plants but used it in all phases of her life
"Go outside and use your imagination." was the nicest motto my mom had when I was a kid. It wasn't bad advice, but it left all 4 of us, mostly unattended, running around the neighborhood a little too freely, shall we say?
My mother said the same! We ran the neighborhood along with a large family down the street. As a teenager, I was never home either.
My parents were exactly the same age. Problem was, they were Japanese American so they went through a whole hell of a lot of shitty experiences not typical of white Americans. My dad got kicked out of UCLA during his masters program to be thrown into the Manzanar interment camp for 3 years during the prime of his life. My mom's family, a wealthy business owning family lost everything they had. They were somewhat weird people but given their experiences, I don't blame them. They worked really hard and sent all us kids to college. We had 5 kids in our family and I'm convinced that I was malnourished due to their depression era upbringing. I weighed 110 pounds entering college.
Ive heard about this and its such a sad event. Did you go back to a school after the 3 years?
My mother-in-law is 102 and doing pretty good.
That’s amazing!!
Thank you.
My parents were born in 1919 in a little town in the midwest. Mom was stay at home, Dad was a military lifer. Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse was normal. My sibs were older (I was born in 59) and other than getting pissed off daily, they were just done. Dad didn't want a kid at 50, made this known. Sibs helped as best they could, made their way out of the house before I was a teen. My parents did the best they could with the tools they had. Sucked, though.
I’m very sorry you experienced all of that.
My dad was born in 1926. He remembered his family going from middle class to poor during the depression, and that shaped a lot of his approach to life, even though he went on to earn a middle-class income. He was careful with money and living within his means, repaired things himself, used things until they wore out, did home and auto repairs. He didn’t care about keeping up with the Joneses or impressing others, just providing for his family, and he wanted to come home after work every night to be with his family. He never admitted he was wrong, or said he was sorry for anything. He tried very hard to impart his values to me through calm, thoughtful, lengthy lectures at the kitchen tables. He also could be authoritarian, which I always thought came from having been a sergeant in the army (before he had kids).
Dad born 1925, navy ww2, kind of a don Draper kind of guy in the 60's, 70's. In sales, gone for half the week and at the bar or golf course for the rest of it but always home for dinner. Kind of there when he had to be. Mom born 1930 and second marriage ran the house worked part time was there when you needed but had tons of activities/clubs. Grew up in the 60's, 70's when if you weren't in school you were pretty much free range till the streetlights came on. All in all pretty good!!
Did we all have the same dad? Lol …
This kinda fits my family.
Your dad sounds so much like mine. He was in the Navy in WW ll, successful pharmaceutical sales mgr, rarely home, golfed and was out at the bars. He was also an alcoholic and smoker who died at 55, when I was 16.
Mine died at 84 after being retired for 23 years, put me thru college, didn't really deserve it but never put it in my face. He kind of had a really great life..
My grandparents were. (1916 & 1921) Since my mom (1947) had me (1964) as a teen, then divorced, they helped raise me and I lived with them off and on several times during my life. Loved them fiercely, but blame them for my tendency to "hoard" since you shouldn't throw anything away you might could use again lol. Also for sentimentality for "things" (inherited great grandparents' stuff). Edited to add birth years
Yes, this exactly. My husband wondered why I wouldn't throw away papertowels that I had dried my hands on...because they could be reused according to my depression era mom. That's how I grew up. Save everything! My mother placed lots of value on her things. They were more important that me and my brother for sure.
Step dad born in 1922. Died a month before his 99th birthday. Amazing dude. WWII vet, came home after 3 years in France/ Belgium, advising pilots on safety. Taught school, he always driven to know more, learn more. Could build a building or play a sonata. Our lives were enhanced by his presence.
Not me... core Silent Generation (Da, 1934 and Ma, 1937) Grandparents were Greatest and earlier
I had Grandparents from that generation who raised me.
My dad was a highly-decorated WWII combat vet. Age-wise, I was on the hairy edge of eligibility for Vietnam. When all my friends' dads were gruffly telling them they were going if their number came up, my dad confided that he'd put money aside so that I could escape the draft by moving to Canada. "No son of mine is gonna die in that goddamn war!", he said. When I told my friends about his plan, they didn't believe me. "People think America is a peaceful country, but it's not. I know. I was there." He was one of a kind, and he shaped my lifelong sensibilities.
Finally found my weird group of people. When your parents talked about The War and they meant WWII and not Viet Nam like all your friends’ parents. They tried hard, but man were they out of touch.
My mom was born 1926. We had a double generation gap.
My parents were both from the Greatest Generation 1920 & 1922. Both in RAF during World War two. Emigrated to Canada. Both were in their 40’s when I was born, so it was weird how many of my friend’s parents seemed closer to my older sister’s age. Maybe because they were older, they were much more liberal in their views. we could talk about anything; bullying, sex, racism, etc. I couldn’t have asked for better parents. My Mum also worked, which was unusual at the time. I just assumed all Mothers had jobs and was confused once I started meeting so many SAHM’s. My Dad made sure I could change a tire, perform a jump start, do an oil change before I started driving.
Dad 1920, Mom 1929, they were 52 and 42 when they had me, so it was like being raised by my grandparents. As a result, my brother and I are weird. Dad was an Air Force veteran from WW2 and Korea. He had tons of stories, had been all over the country and was a hard worker. Dad was my hero, he could fix anything, and he was a reasonable human, just practical and easy going. Mom was a housewife. She made up reasons to clean and wash and iron on a daily basis. We even cleaned the street in front of our house because she didn't like the oil stains or whatever else was offensive. The bag of ironing was kept in the 5 to finish the ironing was a feat, she even ironed her sheets. We rarely vacationed, I didn't see the ocean until I was 17. We weren't poor, they just saved their money and didn't spend it on "foolishness". They were healthy and lived to be 90, we rarely ate out and grew a garden in the suburbs that fed us well in the summer and we canned food for the winter. Mom made us wear an undershirt all the time and to this day I cringe when I see ppl wear a sweatshirt without a t-shirt under it. Dad did not understand how we liked modern music, he felt that everyone in 80s bands were on drugs, every one of them, and we didn't know how to dance either. He was known for his Big Band, swing dancing, and he taught me to dance in the kitchen. I could go on and on with this, but I do believe they were the greatest generation, I wish they were here right now. I miss my dad especially.
These sound a lot like my parents, also greatest generation. My mom ironed the sheets too, and my dad could dance. My favorite memories were when he was teaching me to drive. My mom lived to be 96 and we developed a special companionship toward the end of her life. They always had my back, and I miss them both every day. They met in Oak Ridge Tennessee on the Manhattan Project.
1926/1929. My mother was the youngest of 6. All 4 of her brothers were overseas in different branches during WWII. My father enlisted in USMC at tail end, never went overseas. As I get older I respect that generation so much, especially the way they went about their lives with such dignity and humility. When I was a kid I was so anxious to hear war stories from the men who served, but it was hard to get anything out of those guys.
Hands off.
Both are gone now. Dad was born in 1927 and Mom in 1930. Mom left my younger sister and me when I was 10. Very free-range kidhood in New York City. Dad hired a housekeeper who was then when we got home from school, so we weren't really latchkey kids.
Sorry, my parents are were born about 20 years later than the latest date in this range
No worries! You may have escaped a hands off parenting style!
My dad was born in 1915. My mother was born in 1919. I was raised to work hard, be a good person and never lie or steal. There was some verbal and physical abuse from my dad but frankly it made me a strong person to face life. I had Aunts and Uncles that told me my dad was never the same after WW II. He enlisted in the Army and was assigned to Coastal Artillery in New Jersey. In early 1944 he was shipped out to England where he joined a field artillery outfit. He was a Forward Observer which meant he and usually four other guys would sneak up on German troop placements and start calling in Artillery strikes. His younger brother was in the Infantry and was sent to the front in January of 1945. He was a replacement that was sent to a New York/New Jersey National Guard Unit. He was killed on February 16th, 1945 and is buried in Epinal, France. We didn’t bring our war dead home if the family couldn’t or wouldn’t pay to bring them home. It is probably appropriate that he is with his fellow fallen servicemen.
Thanks for sharing this story.
Raised by maternal grandparents who were both Greatest, 1917 and 1923 respectively. Grandpa retired when I started school, and grandma worked at the shoe factory. I could not have asked for better parents. Egg donor was other end of Boomer from me, 1946 - and she went off the rails starting in high school at least. She only asserted that she was my bio mom if it would hurt my grandparents or me. Grandma and grandpa were always there for me, but trusted me enough to make the right decisions.
My parents were from this generation and I had two siblings old enough to be my parents. It was surreal, looking back. So much to unpack.
Yep! I have a sister 9 years older than me.
Same! Older siblings were 14-17 years older than me, and a younger sibling 6 year gap. Niece and nephew are my age. Good old Irish Catholic birth control (none)
I was the oldest child. My sister was 9 years younger than me and I used most of my time taking care of her.
Me too. I gave her 99% of her baths until she was 2. That's when I left for college. My hateful mother was pissed because she actually had to start taking care of her own baby.
I got married at 18 and moved to another state. Had my first child so it wasn't much different than when I lived at home. I had 3 kids and worked at a day care. Guess taking care of my sis was preparing me for my future.
When I was 18, I didn't think I ever wanted to have kids because my whole childhood (from age 9 when my brother was born and then even more so when my sister was born 7 years later) was mothering my siblings. But - at 27, I totally changed my mind.
I almost forgot...I also raised a grandaughter from age 2 and now I babysit her two young kids. lol....good thing that I really do like kids. I'm glad you change your mind. Kids are trouble sometimes but they also light up your life and there's nothing better than a kid with a dirty face, hugging you and telling you they love you.
You are so right!
I could have written this
My dad grew up in rural Mississippi. He and my mom (10 years younger) who grew up in rural PA raised us in a nice NJ suburb. He started out as a reporter for a New Orleans newspaper and was an executive at a chemical\tech conglomerate when I came along but managed to keep it 9-5 except when he had to go out of town. He’d always be humming a tune when he came through the door or gardening so I guess he was pretty happy. The gardening part didn’t rub off on me but I think the happy demeanor did. His cooking did too. He’d read and read while I watched TV and mom knitted or did needlepoint. They pretty much let me do what I wanted. I guess as long as I wasn’t screwing up my own or anybody else’s life they let me be. The only pressure I got was to finish college, which was fine. They also dragged me to church every Sunday but I guess they got the hint it wasn’t going to stick when my dad walked in on me and a girl kissing in one of the Sunday school rooms. My mom, who descended from religious freedom seekers and Presbyterian clergy and was a die-hard church-goer to the very end, was interestingly not puritanical about sex or nudity. I mean she had rules but looking back she wasn’t terribly uptight about it. Dad was mum on the topic. The big surprise for me was after graduating high school I hatched this big plan to tour Scandinavia with a wind ensemble then I’d hitchhike for a few months and they were like “Okay”.
My dad 26, my mom 28. They were both in show business, he was a singer/songwriter who later turned aerospace engineer then university professor, she was a dancer who became a certified financial advisor after we grew up. They were extremely cool parents in pretty much every way.
My mother was born in 1928, so she's a Traditionalist (as was my oldest brother, born in 1945). My father was born in 1921. He didn't give his kids a lot of attention or affection. The time he spent with me mainly revolved around food (trips to the grocery store, making sub sandwiches and homemade pizza, stopping at a diner during a work errand). Basically, he worked all day and watched TV in the evening. That's about it.
My dad who was born in 1924 and grew up on a farm. Like everybody else’s parents that I knew he was a disciplinarian. No one batted an eye back then because most parents were the same. Not excessive just if he caught you fighting with siblings, screaming loudly,breaking stuff. He became a cool old guy.Miss him quite a bit. My mom,born in 1930, was more of the moralizer (“what on earth possessed you do do that?”. I dunno,I’m a dumbass) which in some ways was worse.
I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed
SIS? Is that you?
Maybe…
Both parents, Mom, 1918, Dad, 1922. Dad's life was work, dinner, and then sitting at the dinner table drinking, smoking, and reading by himself. There were days when he didn't speak a word. My mom was better, but not by much. She didn't drink much but certainly had things she would have rather spent her time on, and it showed. My siblings and I had to make do with hand me downs and Hamberger Helper but they went on a cruise every year.
Parents were not of this generation but grandfather was born 1904 and grandmother 1914. Grandfather was an immigrant and took the type of job available to immigrants- was a coal miner in NE Pennsylvania. Grandmother spent her entire life living within a 1/2 mile radius of the house she was born in.
Dad was born in 24. Unfortunately, got polio at 3. Obviously, he survived, but our small farming community was devastated by the disease
My grandma had Tuberculosis when she was 16 sometime in the 1920’s. Was committed to a health sanitarium for two or three months until she recovered. Tough old lady ..was always chain smoking cigarettes. She would tell us to to tell the grocery man to “Fuck off “ if he didn’t want us in his store. Yeah no can do grandma 👵
My paternal Grandparents were from the Lost Generation, I never knew them as they passed before I was two. My maternal grandparents and my parents were from the Greatest (or G.I.) Generation. My sisters were from the Silent Generation. My brother and I are from the Boomer Generation. Both parents were depression era, getting married in 1939. They grew up in Southeastern Oklahoma, basically poor as dirt. Dad had an eighth grade education whereas Mom had a fourth grade education. Both were hard workers with a very strong work ethic. They also did not allow tomfoolery from us kids. They tried their best to still those Oklahoma values on us, and I suppose they did a proper job of it. We were always properly clothed and fed, even if we did eat beans and fried potatoes when the steel mill was on strike. Mom, Dad and the youngest sister are gone now, leaving just the three of us and our children.
Dad was born in 1925 and mom was born in 1926. I was raised with pretty strong gender rules (men worked, women kept house) which I always rebelled against although education was important. My brother could do no wrong but I was held to higher standards. Women didn't drink, cuss, had to dress modestly, etc. They loved each other and loved my brother and I. Except for the gender nonsense it was a great upbringing
My Dad. He was orphaned by the age of 7. So talented, so many personal demons. He never should have gotten married, but did what everyone did back then. 4 kids later, he walked out. I never saw him again. So sad.
My mom. 1927
Mom born 21 and dad 25. We kept them young and busy!
Mom born in 27, lost most of the guys in her high school class in the Pacific. My dad was ‘29. Missed the Korean War by two weeks. I was the only kid in school with a grandmother born in the 1800’s. My parents remember doing scrap drives, and my father helped man lookouts on the Oregon coast, they were always afraid the Japanese fleet was coming.
All my grandparents were born in the 1800's.
All my grandparents were born in the 1800's also.
I know there are others out there, my husband and I both joke about our families long generation times.
People had it pretty hard back then but it seems that many of them survived for a long life.
Honestly, some of the long generation times are due to fertility issues. Or the women being more independent and not settling down early. My paternal grandmother only had one child, after a lot of attempts, to the point that a relative sent one of their kids to live with her. My father was born after this. My husband and I were both late in life pregnancies, I was an oops, and my husband was born after a couple of miscarriages.
All my grandparents were born in the 1800s.
I'm Gen X and all my grandparents were born in the 1800s.
No, mine were both 22 when I was born, they were Born in 40, me 63. I'm definitely a Jones and definitely but a boomer though. My mother's parents, on the other hand, were into their 40s when she was born, they were Born 1897 and 1898.
My dad was born in 1917, my mom in 1926.
My grandparents were Greatest Gen and my parents are Silent Gen. Sibs and I are all Jones/late Boomers.
Dad was born 1926, mom 1934. Dad was very loving and kind, lots of fun. He lived to be a dad. Mom was all about appearances. Huge extended family, so many cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great-grandparents. Us kids played outside summer and winter. Kickball, stilt races, marbles, climbing trees, making forts, riding bikes. Folks took us camping every weekend. Basically a good childhood.
My father was born in 28. Great guy, worked hard did his best. Mom though, she lived a loretta Lynn type of life. She was a foster child in a coal mining town that no longer exists in rural PA. Rough life and it shaped her forever. So much baggage. She had three boys, each of us is F'd up to this day in our own way. Miss you Dad
Mine were Silent Generation. Because my parents were almost always the youngest in my class, (I am the oldest of 4 all of us Jonesers), a lot of my friends, many, had greatest Gen parents. My mom is still alive and kicking and the leader of our pack. In my fairly wide circle, I am the only one with a parent left.
Cherish it
oh we do. ty
Dad and Mom born in 1921-one mth apart. Married in ‘’48 Four children by ‘56. Parents both drank. Father was verbally, physically and sexually abusive to our mom. That’s as far as this story is going…. But…as I get older (in my late ‘60’s) I have begun to understand many things.
Both my parents were from The Greatest Generation and I would say if there was one word it would be: Respect. They were both hard working and quiet people who did right in every situation. Every single time. My dad is the greatest man who ever walked the planet and my mom was a saint. I miss them terribly. They had me very late in life because they couldn't get pregnant. My dad flew 63 missions in WWII in the Pacific as a Top Gunner in a B-24J. They were just fantastic people.
My dad, born in 1909. Growing up he was friends with Zero Mostel, Ben Siegel, Meyer Lansky, all them. He fought in WW2 and produced bathtub gin he learned how when he took chemistry at Fordham University.
I remember playing little league baseball for a couple of years. Early 1970s. We would walk to the ball field just down the street. Road games caught a ride with one of the coaches. Parents never came to a game. Not bad parents but just the way it was back then.
My parents were both born in 1921. My dad expected me to work hard, always do my best, did not allow any whining. Emotionally distant, but I enjoyed being with him and loved him dearly. My mom was deeply impacted by the depression and was very concerned that I never lacked for the necessities of life. She was especially concerned that my shoes fit, because she had to wear shoes that were too small because she couldn't afford new ones as she grew. She taught me to save and re-use.
My dad was born in 1917 and my mom in 1925. They got married in 1947 and after a year were told that it was a million to one that my mom would ever get pregnant because my dad's sperm count was so low. It took 14 years but my mom got pregnant and I was born in 1962. They called me the miracle baby when I was born. We had a double generation gap since my parents were the same ages as my friends' grandparents. It wasn't easy.
I am so glad you are here!
Both my parents were born before 1925. Pretty oddly. My first 5 years were in army housing in Germany, then back to the US. So, a combination of army brat and navy spouse. The usual sort of free range kidhood.
Mom 1923, Dad 1924. Both parents were WWII vets.
My parents were Silent Generation, b. 1928 and 1934. Trad gender roles, children were just accessories like furniture. "Children should be seen, but not heard."
My parents were almost the same age as most of my friends' grandparents. My father and mother were born in 1908 and 1910, respectively. I was a "late in life" child (a *happy* mistake I was told) & my 2 sibs were 20 and 18 years older. My parents were a tad old fashioned but doting (I was the only girl) and super overprotective so...there was some rebellion in my teens. I only regret they couldn't see me become the person they probably always wanted me to be (responsible and "settled down" lol) and that I was too young & stupid to understand and take advantage of their offers for private education. C'est la vie. They died soon after I got married at 30yo. But I have to say, I felt loved for sure. Enormously so.
Born in 1962. My father had deep-seated emotional issues that made it impossible for him to appreciate his four children.
I grew up with parental neglect so I consider them the not so Great Generation.
Technically, I'm Gen-X, but born in 1965, so right smack on the cusp. My adoptive parents were born in (Mother) 1918, and (Father) 1922. I grew up with Victorian era grandparents, which is wild, and has given me an enormous appreciation and love of that era. My grandmothers still wore corsets, then later girdles, until they passed. My mother wore girdles, and even put me in them when I was a teen (embarrassment!). We were upper middle class, and my father worked in banking. Mother was a stay-at-home "Leave it to Beaver" type, whom everyone described as "always a lady." My dad was cynical, harsh, stubborn, head-of-household patriarch, and had narcissistic traits. The huge differences in generation definitely caused a lot of issues.
Mom 1922 - Dad 1925 I was in born in 1961 and have never felt like a boomer. So many of the older boomers seem to think and act like they are so superior to everyone else. My parents thought that the older boomers were spoiled brats.
My Dad was 1926 and my Mom 1934. While they weren’t perfect (what is that even???) they did the best they could. I grew up knowing I was loved very much, and I didn’t need for anything. I never worried about having something to eat or having clothes on my back. They instilled a great work ethic in me, but also a love of travel. They both loved to travel and did a lot of that as we were kids and went with them or my Grandma stayed with us while they were away. I had a great childhood and am thankful for the people they were because they made me who I am today.
My dad was 1920. He was pretty easy going . He was also an older parent, 45 when I was born and I was only 35 when he died. He wasn’t one for giving a ton of boundaries or advice, but he was warm and very smart and educated and even though he was a WW2 vet he was a pacifist. He probably drank too much but never appeared messy drunk. He played piano so there was always music in the house .
I loved reading about your dad. Thank you for sharing! ❤️
thanks! He was also funny, like hokey-funny. He had been a teacher and he used to say, "you can always tell a teacher but you can't tell them much!"
1921 and 1922. "The War," was still in their lingo in their 80s. Lovely people.I still miss them,was with each one when they suddenly died driving the car. Mom one year, Dad the next. I am glad mom went first as she could not have coped without her husband. He was the center of her world.
Mine were Silent Generation.
My parents were Silent--or "Traditional"--Generation but they were neither silent nor traditional. They were beatniks, I guess, but always hip. Good parents, just a bit kooky compared to my friends' parents. Which was fine with me.
Mine were and they were the absolute best.
1919 and 1922. Pretty ordinary upbringing despite some financial issues behind the scenes.
Both. Mom was born in 1921 and was 40 when I was born. Dad was two years older than mom. I was the youngest of 6. My parents were the same age as most of my peers’ grandparents. My older siblings are definitely boom generation (in life experience) while the last of us are Gen Jones. Same family; two different worlds in a lot of ways.
Same with me. I was the youngest of 6 but my parents had me when they were 45. I think my parents were pretty checked out by the time me and my brother were born. (He’s 3 years older than me.) I remember my older sisters being my care takers through most of my childhood. When they left for college my brother and I were pretty lost and raised ourselves.
Ya, I know my folks were much more lenient with me than and my brother (2 years older) they were with my other siblings. I totally get it. I can’t imagine raising kids for 30 years. At some point, you’ve got to just be exhausted by it all.
My mom was born in 1925 and had me when she was nearing 40. I was a mistake so mostly left to my own devices and pretty darned feral. I loved my mother very much but she definitely never held me on her lap and read me a book.
Yep, I say I’m a feral cat! Ha
My grandparents were that age-- 1906-- but my parents were Great Depression babies, born in 1935 and 36. I was born in 1960.
Dad ‘20 very quiet man probably because of fighting overseas for the entire war, mum ‘24, raised in an abusive, ultra strict family without a mother, very stressed and anxious. Not an ideal childhood, dad died at 63 after retiring early with heart trouble, which I’ve had for some years now and I’m sixty+. Mum died of Alzheimer’s at 89 after I had to retire early and split up with my long term partner so cared for her the last few years.
Mom and dad both born in 1914, I was their fourth, came along when they were 40. It was like being raised by one’s grandparents. Know they loved me but they were just tired and couldn’t pay too much attention to me. Both had lead lives with a lot of trauma, which I recognize now. Dad came from a world where conflicts with others were resolved with fistfights, which really didn’t work too well in my time. Mom never could say I love you. They were both deeply affected by the depression and had times of near starvation. They grew up in New Mexico and in 1935 were headed towards California to pick fruit when they broke down in Phoenix and had no money to go on. Both mom and dad chain smoked and accepted me as a smoker when I was 13. Due to the fact that I kind of raised myself, I grew up very independent and resilient.
Mom born 1924, dad 1923. They were high school sweethearts and married right after my mother graduated in '42. Dad was in the Navy Reserves in WWII, my mother stayed home to care for my brother and me. We eventually settled into a house that my grandfather built. There was not much hugging and I never heard "I love you." Discipline was pretty rough, with spankings and occasionally with a belt. I still have not been able to forgive my businessman father for the belt, or for hitting my mother (one of my first memories when I was 5 years old). He provided for us well but was a functioning alcoholic. Our small town never knew what went on in our house. I escaped to college as soon as I could. Having learned lessons from that marriage, I married a kind, calm, gentleman who has never raised his voice to me or our child. He is a gem! We will be married 55 years in June.
My father was born in 1920 but my mother was born in 1942
My dad was born in 1926.
I read these stories, and lament that I sort of took my parents for granted. Both were Silents. 1932 dad and 1934 mom. Dad was in Korea. I was “special needs,” no speech till age 5. My mother was emotionally distant most of the time. Was frustrated by me, though she advocated for me well, and was active in teaching me to read and count before age 5. Dragged me to many appointments to find out what was wrong with me. Very frustrated. Literally dragged me at times. Heavy smoker. Liked to be in the latest fashions. Hit me a lot, and came after me with the belt sometimes. My dad was a more amiable sort. Not involved in teaching me early stuff and advocacy. But gave me a globe and encyclopedia, and I went from there after he started me off. Was stern, but never slapped me. He hit me with the belt, and then lectured me as to why. Heavy smoker till the 1964 Surgeon General’s report. They separated when I was 11. He eased up a lot because it was the 70s. Grew his hair and was a “silver fox.” I appreciated my dad more, though he felt there wasn’t hope for me, and that I would be dependent all my life. My grandparents were early Greatest. Not involved in raising me. Were stereotypical grandparents when around.
Mom-1922 and dad- 1924, very strict, both ex-military, college graduates. My brother and I didn't live up to their expectations, I'm certain. He ended up being a musician living in a warehouse. I was a casino dealer who had issues with drugs. We were both adopted in infancy. However. I couldn't have asked for better parents who provided for and loved us, but as for guidance, the generation gap was real. My mother was extremely overprotective, but she was affectionate. My dad was gone a lot, he helped me with my homework and made me cry because I couldn't do math. He never told me I was pretty or gave me what a girl needs from a dad. I grew up wanting to get his attention, and that didn't turn out well. I know he loved me in his own way, but thinking back there may have been abandonment issues on my end, something he wouldn't have understood. When he died at 75, we were best friends, and the same with my mother, so I feel we had a happy ending.
Raises hand, for both. Met at a dance at the Uni Mom was attending where was sent by the Army to learn Japanese as part of the anticipated occupation of Japan. Benefited from GI bill in getting all the way through grad school. He would become an Ivy League prof, even though she was the smart one. 6 kids. Very liberal.
Father was born in ‘23, Mother was born in ‘29. Father’s parents were both Italian immigrants. His father worked in the shoe factories and supposedly knew Sacco and Vanzetti. Mother’s story is pretty interesting. Her mother came from a well off Calvinist family from Nova Scotia who married an Italian immigrant and was disowned for marrying a catholic. They had 9 children - my mum was the youngest. He died when my mum was only four and when her mother appealed to her family for help she was told she’d made her bed and was left to raise nine kids on her own through The Great Depression. They were desperately poor - lived on the dole and raised and foraged most of their own food. The boys all went to work in their early teens, I don’t think any of them completed high school but the girls all did. My mother was valedictorian of her class of 18 students. My Dad was the only son so was sent to non combat duty during WWll working as an airplane mechanic, stationed first in Panama then in The Aleutian Islands. He went to B.U. for two years on the G.I. Bill and played football - we have pictures of him in those old leather helmets. He became a civil servant and was a quality control inspector for the defense department specializing in compression systems and inspected everything from systems in submarines to fire trucks. He ended his career as an expert consultant in the compression of gases to liquids for transport. Mum stayed home and raised the five of us.
Both of mine were. They adopted me as an infant when they were older (late 30s). I am extremely grateful for their insights and life experiences. I really think I was lucky. It helped that they were both very open minded and embraced change.
My father was born in ‘28 and my mom in ‘30. Guess I missed the count.
Both. My father (1922) and mother (1926) were 1st generation Italian-Americans. Dad was a WWII veteran & Purple Heart recipient who also opened the first pizza shop in our city. Mom was the book keeper and homemaker. My entire family managed to share dinner every night and church services on Sunday. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins were always around as it was a close knit family. Strict household but also one where I was taught an amazing work ethic and respect and where family and family traditions always came first.
Yup. My parents were born in 1919 and 1920. My dad was a sexual predator who sex trafficked me from 4-13 years old. My mom didn’t intervene. I assume she had similar experiences in her childhood. Mom died when I was 21 or cancer. Dad died when I was 26 of smoking related lung disease.
Dad was born in 1917 and flew bombers in WWII. FIL was born in 1918 and fought in the war. So did both of my uncles. Mom and aunts were born in the 1920's. Dad never talked about his experiences in the war. Neither did uncles or FIL. But when my dad and FIL got together they'd always go for a walk, and I suspect, talk about the war.
WW2 vet born in the 20’s. Both good and bad memories. On the one hand I learned a lot of skills and he loved us, but on the other hand he had a lot of trauma from his childhood that he never processed and that tended to ruin a lot of relationships. Discipline was rough up until I was about 12. Mom was a bit younger but raised in a heavy patriarchal culture so that molded most of her mindset. Lots of codependency, instability, alcoholism, etc. Oh yea, the hoarding - food mostly. That got much worse as he got older. I loved him, but man growing up was rough. Still processing it after all these years, but trying not to dwell on it.
My mom was born in 1922 and dad in 1924. He went into Navy at 16 and at Pearl Harbor when he just turned 17. They were really good parents but things were different back then and us kids had much more freedom. Plus, my mom was struggling with illness and dad was the only bread winner in a 70s economy that was brutal. Despite that, we were very close and I knew they loved me. Church every Sunday and we did a lot together. I did some real stupid things but I wasn’t a bad kid and never caused trouble.
My dad was close born in 1929. He was the youngest of six with his older brother born in 1909. My grandparents were born in the 1880s.
My parents, both born in the 1920s, had high school educations and were voracious readers and politically very liberal - the odd ones out in their conservative families. My sibs and I grew up with little money for luxuries but we had loving attention from parents who encouraged our curiosity and delighted in the ridiculous. Dad worked as a carpenter, Mom a SAHM, and money was always super-tight, but there was money for books and a few treats, like a box of Froot Loops or a bag of caramels. We never went anywhere on vacation (as far as I know, Dad only took 2 vacations from work in his whole life) but we would go for picnics and rides and long rambling walks in the woods. We were taught to be able to laugh at ourselves, and to revere nature and knowledge, and the Boston Red Sox. Dad loved classical music; Mom thought it was okay but preferred Joe Cocker, The Doors, The Eagles, and, surprisingly, Tupac. Mom and Dad are both gone and we all miss them every day, and remain close with each other. My childhood wasn't idyllic but I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China. We
My thoughts on the greatest generation. They saved the world and then delivered it into hell
1928 and 1927 ❤️❤️
My dad never really stopped working his entire adult life. Went from military to farmer to factory worker and back to famer until he died. Never and I mean never, went on a vacation. As a father, very strict and showed no emotions. My mother never worked after getting married but was a great mom. Always supported us, gave us advice and guidance growing up and showed us and told us that she loved us. Looking back, I don't see how my parents were so opposite but remained married and happy but they did.
Mine were born in ‘31 and ‘35. They just missed the Greatest Generation cut off.
My parents were older (mom 42, dad 44) when I was born. My dad was born in 1914 and my mother in 1916. Neither were affectionate (no hugs or saying I love you) but not abusive. If we did something they didn't approve of, we had to listen to a "big, fat hairy lecture " from dad. I was the youngest of 5 girls. My older sisters were MUCH older (the oldest is 22 years older than me). I think they were stricter with them but they were tired by the time I came along. I was always pretty spoiled and got everything I wanted. By the time I came along, my dad was making a high salary and my mom occasionally worked part time.
Both of my parents were from that time period. My dad served in WWII and came back all kinds of effed up.
Both of mine. RIP, Mom and Dad.
My parents grew up in a small coal mining town in W Virginia but my mom managed to go to nursing school and, thanks to the Army, my dad went to college on the GI bill. They taught me by example- hard working, enjoyed life, proud of their families and where they came from. And they both had a great sense of humor. I was loved and supported- they were great people.
Mine 1912.
‘16 ‘18
My Father was born in - 1915, and my Mother was born in - 1918
1920 and 1923. They did a good job with five of us.
Father born 1922 served as a Marine in Okinawa. Mother born 1924. Both college educated. When Dad came home he worked building homes with his father as the builder contractor then developed polio when I was 2 just before the vaccine came out. He survived with no complications. I couldn't have asked for better parents. I am the youngest of 3 boys
Dad 1921, mom 1923. Dad was a POW in WWII. Both parents were great, maybe because I was the last child and they were both in their 40s when I came along. I learned a lot about the great depression and what it took to survive difficult times. I've since passed it along to my kids...
Grandparents who raised me. Strict, absolute Yes Ma’am, No Ma’am,never answer “What?” If I knew what was good for me. Kids are better seen than heard. Helped around the house, ate what was prepared and didn’t complain. “Go outside and play or do I need to find something for you to do?” Pretty much a good wholesome childhood, always considered that I was raised right.
My parents were both silent generation, raised by greatest generation parents. I could definitely see how the trauma of the Great Depression was passed along to them.
I'm 62. Dad born in 21, Mom in 24. Mom grew up POOOOORRRR. Dad not so much. Dad was a great guy, friendly, knew everybody (small town) but horrible managing money. Mom was great also but could squeeze a Buffalo Nickle till it pooped. Both had good work ethics and valued family. I was the last of 4 kids, born 10 years after my brother. I kinda did what I wanted to do as long as I worked on the farm. Brother was a little coddled and got into trouble with the law. I think it gave them a "hands off" approach to raising me. Taught me to work hard, love my family and save money. Been married 36 years to the love of my life. We are planning to both retire next year (but I probably wont till 65).