We went out to the cinema sans enfant last week. We left the children with a responsible adult … Gramps.
The children were ready for bed and we left Gramps with simple instructions; Give the 3 year old another 20 minutes or so then put him to bed unless he asks to be put to bed (this really does happen). The 5 year old could stay up a little later (no later than 9).
Gramps who is now wise to the fact that his granddaughter will grass him up at her earliest convenience bared his soul when we returned. He ‘d been so engrossed in his work that he failed to notice that the 5 year old had been watching Day of The Triffids … until, that is, she asked him whether there were real plants that killed people. She finally went to bed just before 10m.
I have a memory of Crazy Nan babysitting for me when I was about the same age. She would come on a Saturday night and let me stay up way too late. We would watch Blankety Blank and she would ply me with M&S Devonshire Toffees. I remember one night we were watching TV, I can’t remember what it was but I can distinctly remember being terrified as I watched a woman being buried alive and saying that I would actually much rather go to bed. The image has never left me.
Gramps said that there weren’t meat eating plants, but that Day of the Triffids was a bit like Jack and the Beanstalk. Having watched it myself now I can definitely say that it is nothing like Jack & The Beanstalk.
The following morning there was no mention of the meat eating plants which means with my daughter she has stored it under ‘Nightmares for future use’ and will always have a warped view of Jack & The Beanstalk.
I can’t wait.
21 Comments on "Nightmares for future use …"
When he babysat for my two the bedtime routine consisted of a re-enactment of Pink Panther & Cato. This seemed to involve much hiding in the curtain and jumping out at each other frightening the other person half to death before biffing them. What he’d forget to tell them was when to stop and I think they “got” hima few more times when he was least expecting it. You’d think he’d learn.
The program that stays with me today is Heart to Heart – one episode opened with a man who had to sit in front of that machine the opticians use to test for Glaucoma. You know, the one that blows that nasty puff of air in to your eyes.
Except, in the opening scenes of this particular episode it fires spikes in to the eyes TO KILL YOU WITH instead!
Ever since seeing that episode, aged about 10, I have never been able to have the puff test. This annoys my optician, somewhat, because there’s a history of Glaucoma in my family…
Oh dear… that probably wasn’t what you needed!
I read the book when I was about 11 and had nightmares for weeks! I still can’t help but look a bit suspiciously at large, potentially carnivorous plants…
Missed the TV thing. Quite relived actually.
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Ah crazy nan, she was a law unto herself!
We used to watch all kinds of wrong at my Grandma’s when we were little.
I distinctly remember my brother going green whilst watching American Werewolf in London.
I remember staying with my nan around age 6 and sitting drinking hot chocolate, eating butter osbourne biscuits topped with thick butter (my nan knew no other type of butter) and sugar and being allowed to watch ‘Les Diaboliques’. Anyone familiar with this film will know it’s quite a scary flick with ‘dead’ bodies rising from baths and disappearing from swimming pools. I have a poor memory but I remember scenes from this film distinctly, so I guess you can say I was slightly traumatised.
that’s going to make for an interesting pantomime trip one year.
I’ve never had a scary babysitter, but I remember one being so critical of my parent’s taste in interior design that I asked to be put to bed. It was back in the days when I was young enough to take everything my parents did as just the way things were done, and to have someone sitting there saying, ‘That lampshade looks ridiculous with that base’ and ‘How silly to hang paintings so high up’ nearly made me sick. Wonder if she knew how rude she was being, or maybe she thought her opinions didn’t count when told to a four-year-old?
OMG! This is AMAZING! When I was a kid, I snuck out of bed and around the back of my parents couch (which they had pushed up towards the fire , so plenty of space behind), and watched a movie where a woman was buried alive in a coffin! She was struggling to get out of it from memory. And for AGES and AGES afterwards I had nightmares about it, and was convinced I’d somehow end up in a coffin myself.
And just like you, I’ve never forgotten about it. I guess I can’t blame my grandparent though. Just myself. *sigh*
I’m part way through it on iplayer – you are right about Eddie Izzard, he does scary very well!
I remember watching some of the original Day of the Triffids when I was a kid, and I’ve turned out fine… oh hang on a minute…
The boy will happily watch anything, but after watching the first part of triffids without him, I put my foot down when the husband suggested letting him watch the second. Hell, that program scared me!
She watched David Attenborough’s ‘Life’ program about plants and was frightened byt he Venus Fly Traps!
Oh I have so many of these stories. Haha. Maybe she’ll just focus on how terrible it was instead!
I can’t look at Eddie Izard in the same way now.
Hmm I understand the not suitable for children. GranMa let Maxi watch casualty!!!
I can’t watch Casualty – all that blood!
Grandparents! Shame you can’t complain too much or you’ve lost a babysitter.
Oh, we laughed. She still hasn’t mentioned watching it so we may be safe.
I remember one babysitter ‘letting’ us watch boogie nights, that was a bit of an eye opener at ten!
I seem to remember watching Nightmare on Elm Street when I was about 11. It explains a lot.