dorothy Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 This kooky question pops into my mind when we are reading through our history - If lots and lots of families were living in ONE room and having lots and lots of babies.....how, when, where were they making TEA? Were the kids present??? During a long, shut in winter, everyone was present all of the time. Was it acceptable then to make TEA in the presence of others? Obviously, these are not the discussion questions I am using with the DC! :D But, they are the discussion questions I hope to have answered here - by you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 ...I've wondered too. :blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Kids DO go to sleep. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Oh no.. ya'll aren't starting up that TEA business again, are you? I'm still confused from the last thread. tea,teA, TEA, tee, .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddhabelly Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Very quietly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel Heather Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Oh no.. ya'll aren't starting up that TEA business again, are you? I'm still confused from the last thread. tea,teA, TEA, tee, .... :lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 I don't think it was taboo thing it became later on. Think about it, most people (going back probably forever) had been in one room type situations. Plus even 'city' people lived much more of a 'farm' life (you still had cows and such in teh city). That whole seperate room thing started coming about as wealth increased. "Look we can afford to have more than one room" which became "Look, we can afford to have a room for the wife and a room for the husband". Supposedly it eventually morped into the whole same room but seperate bed thing, but I don't know how true that really is, or if that's just how movies and tv protrayed married couples (think Lucy and Ricky) because a single bed would 'give the wrong idea'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 and it shows Kevin Costner looking out of his sleeping bag when he hears noises from a nearby couple. They cover up and he looks away. I always figured it was like that.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 (edited) Oh wait a minute... I think I've got this one. You mean like Ma and Pa Ingalls sleeping in that sack under the Mary amd Laura's loft. I think Pa Ingalls came home from the mill for "lunch". You know... a "sandwich". Edited December 28, 2008 by Blessedfamily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Oh wait a minute... I think I've got this one. You mean like Ma and Pa Ingalls sleeping in that sack under the Mary amd Laura's loft. I think Pa Ingalls came home from the mill for "lunch". :lol: Didn't Carrie sleep at the foot of their bed for a long long time. Until Grace came?:001_tt1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 At night, when the kids are asleep. We co-sleep with our kids until they are about 2 - 2 1/2 year old. We just wait until they are asleep and gently slide them over to one side of the bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Why on earth do you think the SCHOOL HOUSE was invented!? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emeraldjoy Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Interesting questions for sure. This is not just a phenomenon of the past, however. There are a lot of countries in our current world where it is quite common for very large families to live in one room. I don't know about "back then", but I do know that in other cultures *it* is not quite seen as such a taboo, hush hush thing. It is viewed more as a normal and very natural fact of life that doesn't necessarily need to be hidden. It just is, you know? Nothing wierd or uncomfortable or snicker producing....just mom and dad doing what they do....maybe something to look forward to... Emerald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in PA Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 At night, when the kids are asleep. We co-sleep with our kids until they are about 2 - 2 1/2 year old. We just wait until they are asleep and gently slide them over to one side of the bed. Oh my... I can.not.imagine.that. :svengo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Oh wait a minute... I think I've got this one. You mean like Ma and Pa Ingalls sleeping in that sack under the Mary amd Laura's loft. I think Pa Ingalls came home from the mill for "lunch". You know... a "sandwich". :lol:Didn't Carrie sleep at the foot of their bed for a long long time. Until Grace came?:001_tt1: If memory serves, I believe when Carrie got big enough to go to school, they put baby Grace in her little wooden high chair at *lunch* time, and turned it to face the fireplace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Why on earth do you think the SCHOOL HOUSE was invented!? :lol: UM, do you mean for the parents to sneak off too, or for the parents to have tea at noon?:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 If memory serves, I believe when Carrie got big enough to go to school, they put baby Grace in her little wooden high chair at *lunch* time, and turned it to face the fireplace. :smilielol5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorothy Posted December 28, 2008 Author Share Posted December 28, 2008 At first they were in a trundle that slid out from under Ma and Pa's bed. I guess they did wait til the dc were asleep, but I gotta tell you, I would not be able to "brew" properly with any dc nearby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Why on earth do you think the SCHOOL HOUSE was invented!? :lol: Exactly. That's what I'm talkin' 'bout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 At first they were in a trundle that slid out from under Ma and Pa's bed. ... Oh dear. Poor children must have gone to school with headaches nearly every day. Tsk. Tsk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Why on earth do you think the SCHOOL HOUSE was invented!? :lol: There ya go. Sneak in there while the kids are home during chores... DP and I were just the other night staring at our three year old in bed next to us pondering this exact same question! We decided they must have gone out to the barn or woodshed or outhouse. I bet they never did at night in bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 At night, when the kids are asleep. We co-sleep with our kids until they are about 2 - 2 1/2 year old. We just wait until they are asleep and gently slide them over to one side of the bed. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 .... We decided they must have gone out to the barn or woodshed or outhouse. I bet they never did at night in bed. Well, in the barn might spook the horse, and the outhouse smell would sour the *TEA* so I vote for the woodshed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 I think it isn't the taboo thing it is today. They lived on farms, and mating is just a part of nature on a farm. Children were birthed at home and the reproductive cycle wasn't as mysterious to children as it is now. Pregnancy may not have been discussed in mixed company, but is wasn't hidden in the home. I also suspect that Tea wasn't done as much for leisure as it is now. People worked very hard and were very tired by the end of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 My mom use to talk about all of the kids goign to church on Sunday, but her parents never did....that was THEIR holy time :D. this was during the 40's in a 3 room apt. My friend's daughter was adopted @ 4 yrs. and she knew what it was all about. Yup, Barbie and Ken, making tea, sound effects and all....It's a different culture nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennifersLost Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Glad I'm not the only one who's wondered. And not the only one who said, "A-ha!" when watching Dances With Wolves..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamasteff Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 I CANNOT imagine co-sleeping and scooting the kids over, but we did live in one room with a 4 year old and newborn for about 4 months, and oh boy, if dh doesn't get his tea on a very regular basis he gets cranky. The room we were in was part of a weird arrangement in which the other rooms were in use ALL the time - as offices, other guest rooms, a community kitchen and break room. So, yeah, quiet tea. Sometimes it brews better if you have to sneak around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Well, in the barn might spook the horse, and the outhouse smell would sour the *TEA* so I vote for the woodshed. That reminds me of that line in Cold Comfort Farm, "I saw something nasty in the woodshed!" A friend of mine confessed in an embarrassed way that her son, who slept in their same room, piped up in the middle of the night, "Remember, Daddy! No jumping on the bed!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 A friend of mine confessed in an embarrassed way that her son, who slept in their same room, piped up in the middle of the night, "Remember, Daddy! No jumping on the bed!" That made me laugh! The bedroom is just not a possibility in this house, not because little kids in the same bed might wake up (although they might), but because my bed is where big kids go in the middle of the night. They're not going to come look for us in the living room or the kitchen. They're going to go straight to my room if they awaken, and right into the bed. They don't even care if I'm there. It's my bed. I'll be there eventually, and in the mean time, it's big and warm and smells like me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 A friend of mine confessed in an embarrassed way that her son, who slept in their same room, piped up in the middle of the night, "Remember, Daddy! No jumping on the bed!" We had a moment somewhat like that when my younger son was four or five. He is so quiet that we hadn't noticed him slip into our bedroom one morning and sit our the blanket chest at the end of the bed. Until we heard him say, "Excuse me! I'm trying to read down here." :blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Time Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 How long has TEA been a code word? I have never heard of it. Guess I'd better change my board name! It is funny, but... can't have that thought popping into everyone's mind when I post. Although, it could be a worse thought! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retired Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 when I read the book Pillars of the Earth last year, there was part were they are all sharing a room and the unmarried couple were having tea, there noise woke one of the kids. I guess maybe society saw sex as procreation similar to animals do it in the open, whats the big deal. The worst part was not the privacy but can you image the lack of hygiene and having tea. Like once a month baths or some cultures no baths at all:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 The worst part was not the privacy but can you image the lack of hygiene and having tea. Like once a month baths or some cultures no baths at all:D EWEWEWEWEW!!!! LALALALALA! I'm not listening to you!!!! :willy_nilly: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Very quietly. At night, when the kids are asleep. We co-sleep with our kids until they are about 2 - 2 1/2 year old. We just wait until they are asleep and gently slide them over to one side of the bed. :iagree: To be fair, size of home really doesn't matter. Did anyone else see that episode of 7th heaven where the youngest girl catches mom and dad making tea? Mom mentions to oldest adult son how horrified they are and how they aren't sure how to deal with dd and oldest son says something along the lines of, "mom! let her be, she'll be fine. We all got through it fine and so will she. there's 9 of us around here - we've all walked in on you at some point!" and mom just wants to fall through the floor in shock?:lol::ohmy: quiet, blankets, desperation, imagination, and taking advantage of any opportunity to entertain can make some amazing tea;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 There ya go. Sneak in there while the kids are home during chores... DP and I were just the other night staring at our three year old in bed next to us pondering this exact same question! We decided they must have gone out to the barn or woodshed or outhouse. I bet they never did at night in bed. ewww, not the outhouse! :lol: I've used outhouses, and I promise you that no one on earth wants to drink tea in them. If that was your only indoor choice, you'd surely just go outside. Mostly, I think people brewed and drank tea with others in the room. I'm sure Ma and Pa Ingalls did it quietly, under the covers, but I'm sure that's what they did. The barn and the great outdoors are really only choices in fairly pleasant weather; I doubt they went all winter without drinking tea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Okay, do you think it was just TEA back then or did they have appetizers too with others in the room? I am having a hard time imagining this. We share our bed with a four year old and well we use other parts of the house very often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 In our old house before DD #2, we used to put the 2 year old down for a nap, lock our bedroom door, and go into our walk in closet. That STILL didn't stop her!!!!! She figured out how to unlock the door and she knocked on the closet and asked what we were doing!!!!:svengo: It can be so hard to enjoy tea when they're little.:glare: At the age mine are at, they know SOMETHING is going on that they don't want to know about. We get a lot more privacy now:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 I've used outhouses, and I promise you that no one on earth wants to drink tea in them. If that was your only indoor choice, you'd surely just go outside. My ex got our (two room) Wyoming cabin in the divorce, but it had an outhouse. I don't think we both could have fit in at once, but it was clean enough. During the brief period we lived there full time, I used to go in and clean it just like I do my indoor bathroom now. Actually, I probably kept it even cleaner because the bugs & critters would invade fast if it was the slightest bit messy. As for being outdoors, you'd need to bring a conspicuous number of blankets to cover up the rocks, cacti and pine needles out there. I'd have to be pretty desperate to ignore my fear of bears, foxes, coyotes, lynx and those crazy aggressive chipmunks. (Don't laugh! They're nuts!) But in winter, we could have built an igloo just for that purpose. Weren't canopy beds popular in colonial times? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 As for being outdoors, you'd need to bring a conspicuous number of blankets to cover up the rocks, cacti and pine needles out there. I'd have to be pretty desperate to ignore my fear of bears, foxes, coyotes, lynx and those crazy aggressive chipmunks. (Don't laugh! They're nuts!) But in winter, we could have built an igloo just for that purpose. And yet, romance novels make it sound sooooo appealing!!!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Isn't making quiet TEA impossible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Isn't making quiet TEA impossible? Quite. If it's made properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phathui5 Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 We've been able to make tea with the baby in the bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phathui5 Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Isn't making quiet TEA impossible? No. It's what all the proper ladies and gentlemen are doing :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Isn't making quiet TEA impossible? No. It's what all the proper ladies and gentlemen are doing Well, I guess that excludes me. LOL.:D :blushing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 This thread has me cracking up. Yes, they brewed quietly and under the covers. And they most likely didn't have appetizers as some of that was considered pretty deviant...or probably just did it before children...after children...well, there's tea and then there are appetizers. Tea is one thing. Appetizers, well, one is sometimes too tired or at least can forego the appetizers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennifersLost Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Love this thread. I recently made dh "fix" our wooden frame bed so that it would stop CREAKING during tea making. I kept laughing so much the darn tea wouldn't brew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 How long has TEA been a code word? I have never heard of it. Guess I'd better change my board name! It is funny, but... can't have that thought popping into everyone's mind when I post. Although, it could be a worse thought! :tongue_smilie: I just lost my tea (real tea) through my nose...so funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~~Faithe...who lived in a 27 foot trailer w/ dh and 2 dd's...and still managed to get our teatime in. LOL!!! I think you just had to be very creative. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 (edited) Love this thread. I recently made dh "fix" our wooden frame bed so that it would stop CREAKING during tea making. I kept laughing so much the darn tea wouldn't brew. :smilielol5: Yep, been there! Spent the night at a childhood friend's house the night before her wedding. We woke up the morning of to some bed squeaking right. above. our. heads. Her parents (the people that took me to church every week for years) were brewing TEA. Yea, we were both embarrassed to say the least. Edited December 29, 2008 by mommaduck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 :smilielol5: Yep, been there! Spent the night at a childhood friend's house the night before her wedding. We woke up the morning of to some bed squeaking right. above. our. heads. Her parents (the people that took me to church every week for years) were brewing TEA. Yea, we were both embarrassed to say the least. Well, weddings just make people feel all giddy. Can you blame them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Well, weddings just make people feel all giddy. Can you blame them? Nope...but I never thought about their TEAality before. I could barely look them in the eye that morning. Feel like a kid that just walked in on their parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.