On Wednesday, July 10, 2013 4:37:08 PM UTC-7, Michel Boucher wrote:
> Gary > wrote in :
>
>
>
> > Same with me and I always resented it. I vowed that when I
>
> > grew up and had kids, my kids would be allowed everywhere.
>
> > Once I had kids, I held to that too. :-D
>
> >
>
> > I also grew up with a dining room that was for show and only
>
> > actually used a couple of times per year. That was just
>
> > stupid, imo.
>
>
>
> My parents were not like that. We went where we wanted (unless a
>
> door was closed, of course). We could go in the living room when
>
> there were guests although it took a while to appreciate the
>
> subtleties of adult conversation so we didn't spend too much time
>
> there.
>

Ah. If you keep a room ready for entertaining guests, there's a difference between keeping kids from playing in that room between visits, and keeping kids from being in that room even when visitors come.

>
> My mother's father was strict but my other three grandparents were
>
> not. But you had to know the rules when visiting.
>

We basically had to sit and be quiet while the adults talked. My great-uncle would have golf on the television as background, so we would try to amuse ourselves watching that.


>
> I had friends however who had strict parents who had really strange
>
> rules about furniture and food (this was in the 50's). It always
>
> weirded me out.

Guests could snack in the living room, and so could we. All other times and occasions, food was prohibited outside our eat-in kitchen.