How to parent like its the summer of 1986

Jeni Dibley-Rouse - 26 Jun 17

Ahh the 80’s, my childhood, I don’t remember endless day trips, we just hung out in the park, did DIY bonfire nights and renditions of various musicals, so here are my top tips on how to parent like the 80’s.

Head to the park

No need to pack up the car simply get a bat and ball and head to the park. It’s free and there is loads of room to run, run, run. Various games can include Piggy in the middle, Catch (so simple but SO good), you could pretend you were Boris Becker and play “Tennis” all day. Rounders was always a favourite, it’s not summer without a jumper for a stump and a plastic cricket bat and who doesn’t love shouting OUT!

When the days were not so bright whip out a vinyl of your children’s favourite musical.

Joseph and the Technicolor Coloured dreamcoat is a good choice (this came out in 1991 but you get my drift). All day  they will spend preparing a master piece obviously serving justice to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. This would also provided some evening entertainment for the whole family who would be forced to sit through the “hits” of show with your child appearing from the curtains that covered the french patio doors (now  bi-folds!)

Picnics

Again get yourself outside and serve lunch alfresco. Don’t worry about a picnic blanket you can sit on your jumpers. Serve delights of corn beef sandwiches with pickle on brown bread followed by some Salt n Shake crisps and the good old humble granny smith apple.

VHS player 

Purchase a VHS player and buy or record only one film, they will want to watch it over and over again to the point that it will be crackly on your screen at certain points of the film when it was the “best bit”, usually something that had an adult nature.

Jane Fonda

Forget HIIT, body pump, combat and Insanity its was all about the Jane Fonda workout video, so pull on those leg warmers, practise your clapping and woos and remember to Breath and Relax. Tunes like “Can you feel it” and “Stomp” will remain in your children’s head for years and they will always have burning desire into busting out some of Jane’s moves every time they hear these hits.

Let your children be feral

Open the back door and let your children run free in the garden all day, they will swing off the metal climbing frame, find bugs, mud and water. Don’t wipe them clean at every turn as when you’re not looking they are bound to be eating mud and worms. Get yourself a sprinkler this can also be hours of fun.

Chicken pox party 

As a mum of two children but have gone through chicken pox three times I’m not sure if I would do this now but the trend was to stick your child in a bath with another contagious child who had chicken pox so you would “get it over and done with”.

Bonfire night

Hold your own bonfire night but sectioning off the end of the garden by getting all the 70’s sun loungers out, random plastic boxes, chairs anything that a child won’t get through. Send your better half the other side to the light the bonfire and fireworks. Get some sparklers BUT stay safe as we all remember that advert! Enjoy games like bobbing for apples but make sure after their faces are wet they then have fish out sweets from plates full of flour with their teeth, evil!

On trend drinks

The UK as a nation was not consuming at third of the world’s Prosecco supplies  in the 80’s so pop open a bottle of Cinzano with R Whites lemonade, if you are the sophisticated type you could always go for the Rosso version but keep an eye on the levels as your children will take a sneaky sip to feel “grown up”.

Hand me down black plastic bag

Get yourself into a “hand me down” group, this is when your youngest child gets 5th generation clothes and is always eyeing up the older children clothes knowing one day that white Dash sweatshirt jumper will be there’s, however by the time they get their hands on it, it will be so out of fashion.

Enjoy your 80’s summer!

Jeni Dibley-Rouse

I'm a mum of two children, Joe (5) and Grace (2), married to the husband and I quit my job of 15 years in post production TV (mainly working in advertising with a few documentaries) to run the family full time. I enjoy laughing through every phase of being a parent with the Joe and Grace.   I look on the brighter side of life 99% of the time. I'm aways on Instagram doing an insta story of our day to day life so if you fancy it come and follow us over there too @everythingisaphase

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