How much did you know about what your parents did for a living growing up?

[violina]

I knew a lot. My parents talked very openly about their jobs and what they did. Even though they had different careers, they'd look to one another for feedback so a lot of their conversations were very open.

 

[MamaMermaid]

Mom was a teacher, dad was a chiropractor! Very easy.

 

[nene0182]

For most of my childhood, my parents were both active duty Air Force. I know what my mom did but I’m not sure about my dad.

 

[hhisc16]

dad-hvac, i had to work for him on the weekends
mom- bank teller, i had to go to her bank some days after school

 

[JBRB828]

Shh, my dad was in the FBI

 

[Mysterian]

Nothing. My dad was in the USAF. Didn’t know what he did. Still don’t. It was classified. This didn’t seem odd to my as a child, since lots of military brats lived that life. We had “no need to know”.

Same with my dad! I didn't realize until later. He did let on about some things, without giving me the full details.

 

[kdonnel]

My dad was in the US Army, so he killed people for a living. When he wasn’t killing bad guys, he was feeding the others as a cook.

 

[bjscheel]

My dad farmed so he was generally around and I could see him working...but he also sold seed and feed and various other side gigs so sometimes he was driving around for that.

My mom started working in a nursing home when I was about 9 and then did nursing school and became a Director of Nurses. At 15 I started working for her as a CNA so I was quite aware of what she did! Dad probably got tired of hearing all the nursing home talk between us at dinner.

 

[OneOftheB's]

I was fairly well informed, although the title didn't mean much to me with regards to my dad's job. Mom was a teacher, super easy to understand as a kid. My dad worked in finance at Lockheed (on the C-130). I knew he worked at Lockheed and that when he or his desk mate answered the phone they answered with "Finance" then their last name. Now, as a 4,5,6 year old I had no idea what finance was, but did see his desk and where he worked etc when Lockheed had family days.

 

[lisaviolet]

Firefighter, so it was not hard to imagine.

Mom was a housewife until I was about eleven or so, and her positions were easy to understand.

 

[lisaviolet]

Most everything, I think.
My dad was a lumber salesman. He would drive to the lumber mills, sometimes taking my mom and I, buy a couple semi loads of lumber, get in the car, drive home and find a buyer for them before they were delivered.
My mom was a surgical nurse on the overnight shift. Ate a lot of breakfasts as she told me what kind of surgery (usually emergency on the overnight shift) she worked on. Usually pretty graphic. Needless to say, I never had a skate board, roller skates, never went snow skiing or had a motorcycle.
I did learn an important life lesson. Once in the while she came home and said "the operation was textbook perfect, but the patient died". Always from some ailment not related to the surgery, but I learned that you can do something perfectly and still ultimately fail.

tvguy, you must have been one of a few kids with working moms during those days, yes?

(I know some women worked of course. Especially in certain careers. My own grandmother worked when most did not. )

 

[tvguy]

tvguy, you must have been one of a few kids with working moms during those days, yes?

(I know some women worked of course. Especially in certain careers. My own grandmother worked when most did not. )

Well, my mom took 5 years off when I was born, until I started Kindergarten. She went back to work in 1962. Certainly fewer moms worked then, but about half the mom's in my neighborhood worked. Most of my friends had keys to their houses and let themselves in after school. What later became known as latchkey kids, was just being a kid for us.

 

[lisaviolet]

Certainly fewer moms worked then, but about half the mom's in my neighborhood worked. Most of my friends had keys to their houses and let themselves in after school. What later became known as latchkey kids, was just being a kid for us.

Wow. interesting.

I am a bit younger. Not one mother worked in my neighbourhood when I was little. When I was in public school, elementary to you, only about four or five kids tops did not go home for lunch - in my age group. By the time I was in high school, everything changed. It was that quick of a new era. In fact, by the time I was in high school a mother I used to babysit for was judged because she stayed home. Such a rapid change.

And then there was my aunt who was the first female bank manager in Canada. She was like a superhero to me, at that time. Pre the changing of the tide.

 

[tvguy]

Wow. interesting.

I am a bit younger. Not one mother worked in my neighbourhood. When I was in public school, elementary to you, only about four or five kids tops did not go home for lunch. In my age group.

And then there was my aunt who was the first female bank manager in Canada. She was like a superhero to me, at that time.

Our schools had closed campuses K-8, so you couldn't leave. Our High School, grades 9-12, did have open campus, but most did not. Two of my three Aunts in Canada worked full time. Same time frame.

 

[mmouse37]

Pretty much everything. Dad was a Barber who owned his own shop and worked alone. Mom stayed at home with us when we were young and then worked in the school cafeteria and then later on went to nursing school and became a nurse.

 

[sasywtch]

TV guy, wonder if your dad knew my dad? My dad was part owner of 3 lumber yards. He mainly worked at the one on Auburn Blvd. And yes, I knew what he did as he bought a house across the street from the main original one in Rio Linda so he could stare at it LOL My cousin and I were just remembering the good ole days of having to count the nails in those huge bins that twirled around during inventory. Her grandpa worked for my dad as did my brother, my brother in law and my now ex husband. My mom was a SAHM