Thursday, February 20, 2014

Eating in the Living Room

Dessert by midgefrazel
Photo collection of Midge Frazel
The Card Table

By the time the TV arrived in our house, weekends changed. Unlike weeknights where I was fed first and then my parents ate at the tiny table in the kitchen, Mom would set up the "card table" in the living room and we ate while we watched TV. This is obviously dessert since it is near 6 PM (we ate supper at 5 PM on the dot) and my mother is having her after supper cigarette.

While my mother prepared supper and then while they ate, children's TV programming (with numerous commercials aimed at kids) started to be popular. If I say, "It's Hoody Doody Time" and you are in your middle sixties, you will know what I mean. 

Children were washed in the tub, put to bed, all before the grownups TV shows. Kids stayed in their rooms and were not allowed to interrupt. We read with a flashlight under the covers and hoped we didn't get caught not sleeping.

Of course, being an only child, I was more obedient than most and I was also spoiled more than most. But, schedules were adhered to religiously. Dishes were washed and the men read the newspaper. There was a "bedtime" routine which meant your parents read you a story.

I had a special outfit that I wore when it was cold or when I was sick called "The TV Suit". It was a quilted jacket with pants that seemed unisex not unlike the clothes people now wear all weekend. It was cotton and not scratchy like the sweater I am wearing while I eat ice cream in this photo. It was also good to wear when I was home sick from school.  I'd wear it today.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Midge, My mom and dad were fanatical about my schedule. I think it was a hold-over from post Victorian parenting styles that my parents themselves experienced.

CarmenMJ said...

As I am younger than you...my biggest TV memory was Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" and "The Wonderful World of Disney" on Sunday nights. There were many times that I had to bring the bathroom drawer in with all of the curlers, so Mom could put my hair up on Sunday night. I sure don't miss those scratchy curlers. Mom caught me reading with the flashlight as well - I guess that is a common tact of all of us bookworms