Habits & Routines

[Daisy]

WeeGranny, I love your 'go with the flow' style. Although I have routines for some things, I can ignore all sorts of jobs that need doing - like the ironing, dusting, even the washing can pile up.

I do hoover regularly, mainly because of the dog and all the bits that seem to get trodden into our rugs.

[Gemini]

I love routines for the fun bits of life, but generally I dislike it and enjoy any break from routine. Even having the GC on different day some weeks is nice and breaks the routine.

My mum was very routine bound and imposed needless set routines on herself (Such as visiting my dad at 2pm in the nursing home, even if it meant leaving off in the middle of gardening - and moaning about this!. There were no set visiting times and dad was happy to see us whenever we came) Some of these were imposed on me. So I aim to impose none on others and certainly not on myself

[Plantaholic]

The only set routine I have is to get to the various groups I belong to, apart from that I deliberately avoid it.

[Daisy]

Gem, I wonder if it was a generational thing because my Mum was very routine-based. Washing was always Monday, followed by ironing if it was dry. Friday was always clean the house day, ready for the week-end, and Sunday afternoon after a roast dinner was clean the oven time. She always shopped first thing in the morning. She had summer and winter bedroom curtains and these were changed with the seasons. I wasn't allowed to wear summer clothes until Whitsun week-end (even though Whitsun varied like Easter). She always did the ironing in a particular order. The list goes on and on.

Dinners were mostly the same every week, depending on the day as well.

I always vowed I'd never be governed like that by pointless routines.

[Plantaholic]

Same as my mother Daisy. My mother shopped most mornings, no fridges then.

[Gemini]

There was a lot more work then. Hand washing, no labour-saving devices and no fridges and freezers to store food for long.
Shopping was a daily thing for my grandmother and I'm sure she had her housework routines.

There isnt really any need now, but some people do like routines.

[WeeGranny]

Changing curtains in Summer/Winter was also a thing when I was growing up. Thick ones in winter with linings and thin ones without in Summer. I remember my Granny complaining when she was in her late eighties and had just had two hip replacements being very annoyed that she couldn't get up the step ladder to change her curtains!

[Daisy]

WeeGranny, I had to smile at the picture of your granny being cross she couldn't change her curtains.

Gem, I think some routines can be helpful - jobs done automatically, but efficiently. Although I believe there are experts who say it's nearly impossible to multitask after the menopause. I certainly find my self doing one job and getting distracted by another before I've finished it!

[Gemini]

I know what you mean Daisy!

I think most us us have had to have routines in our lives, whether we wanted them or not.
School, college, work, years of childcare and getting children to school etc on time.
It's nice now to to have so many

[Oma]

My mother had her routines , cleaning one day washing next etc , I hated cleaning day when all the furniture was dragged out to clean behind ,
God help us if we got in the way or dragged dirt onto her clean floors.

I can’t remember changing curtains for the season , probably did but I can’t remember.

[Daisy]

We're lucky that modern appliances and a cleaner environment (I grew up is a polluted, smoky city) make housework so much easier. I shouldn't grumble (but of course I do!)

[Gemini]

My mum definitely had winter and summer curtains, and I think this seasonal changing habit probably went on until her 80s.

[Daisy]

Gem, I suppose more people might have continued to change their curtains except for the fact that double glazing meant fewer draughts.