Parenting isn't easy, god bless 'em, but sometimes, we're lead to wonder exactly where they picked up their er, techniques from.
Following a reminiscing session in the HuffPost UK towers back to the "good old days" when our parents gave us buttered weetabix instead of biscuits, rationed ice cubes and, er, made us brush our teeth with salt... We thought we'd do a quick whip round to see who had the weirdest parents.
Turns out, they were all pretty odd.
*Pictures have been changed in order to protect HuffPost staff identities.
**And to avoid any calls being made to the NSPCC.
Mean Things Our Parents Did When We Were Little
Despite not living on the breadline as far as I recall, if I wanted a biscuit I was 'rewarded' with a buttered Weetabix(01 of19)
Same with sweets - except I got a bag of raisins. :( (credit:rutlo/Flickr)
To this day, I still view having plentiful supplies of ice in the freezer as a real treat, as I was limited to one cube per drink as a child.(02 of19)
Yes, frozen water was rationed. (credit:Juriah Mosin via Getty Images)
If we ever ran out of toothpaste my Mum made me brush my teeth with salt.(03 of19)
(credit:metinkiyak via Getty Images)
Gave me a bowl cut actually using a bowl on my first day of school(04 of19)
Was not pleased (credit:Guff.com)
My mum used to make the dinner ladies sit with me at lunchtime in primary school as I was always hiding the food I didn't like in my pockets.(05 of19)
*Innocent face* (credit:Creatas via Getty Images)
I was made to sit at the table until I'd finished the dinner you hate *casserole* and make your older brother's friend *who you fancied* watch me 'til I ate it.(06 of19)
Like this, except I was about 12. Thanks Mum. (credit:vauvau/Flickr)
I was never allowed to have ketchup with any meal which contained baked beans/ spaghetti hoops...(07 of19)
(credit:Rain Rabbit/Flickr)
..I was also never allowed pop tarts or flavoured cereals(08 of19)
My parents ran a cruel ship. (credit:JeepersMedia/Flickr)
No chocolate snacks. I grew up in the house of apples and muesli bars(09 of19)
Also banned:
Tattoos
Heroin
Dr Marten boots
Motorcycles (still banned apparently)
...not entirely sure how they weighted the issues. (credit:Fairy Heart ♥/Flickr)
Tattoos
Heroin
Dr Marten boots
Motorcycles (still banned apparently)
...not entirely sure how they weighted the issues. (credit:Fairy Heart ♥/Flickr)
They made me and my bro wear the same clothes.(10 of19)
Or, rather, the same prints. Him in a shirt and me in a dress. Like weird different sized twins. (credit:Andrew Taylor via Getty Images)
Made me go and put back a flashing roadworks light I'd stolen (whilst drunk) in broad daylight in the main street in our village.(11 of19)
This was because 'someone could have got killed' by me nicking it. It was around resurfacing works and the hole was about one two centimetres deep. (credit:comedy_nose/Flickr)
We had one of those victorian photoshoots and the picture is on the mantlepiece - AH(12 of19)
(credit:MuseumWales/Flickr)
When I ring home they make me talk to our dog down the phone..(13 of19)
..Even though I have repeatedly told them animals can't speak English (credit:damedeeso via Getty Images)
My parents decided I needed to learn the meaning of a wage, and sent me to run the ice-cream van on Saturday at a motor auction.(14 of19)
I was NINE. (credit:Ezra.Wolfe/Flickr)
My dad used to put vinegar in ketchup when it had nearly run out. He said it made it last longer. It tasted gross(15 of19)
My mum used to intercept and throw the ketchup away before he'd managed to get to it.
When I was little I had to eat a whole bowl of apple crumble with cheese sauce... because my mum thought she had given me custard.(16 of19)
(credit:Chris Fertnig via Getty Images)
When I was a baby my mum forced me to eat mashed banana, even though I cried the whole time.(17 of19)
Turns out I was allergic to it. (credit:Steven Errico via Getty Images)
My mum used to make the dinner ladies sit with me at lunchtime in primary school as I was always hiding the food I didn't like in my pockets.(18 of19)
(credit:Kim Gunkel via Getty Images)
When I was little my mum tried to teach me that red was blue and blue was red, as an experiment. (19 of19)
And then got worried she would damage me. (credit:Wealan Pollard via Getty Images)