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Based on an exercise developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.
Bold which apply to you:
* Father went to college. My father also did a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering - he holds a masters. He wanted to go for a PhD, but was tired of being poor, so he went to work instead.
* Father finished college. He also spent four years in the Navy and got his Masters degree.
* Mother went to college.
* Mother finished college. Bachelor of Fine Arts - even though she is five years younger than my dad she finished first because he went into the Navy and then was work/study at college.
* Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor. My grandfather taught at the Eastman School of Music from 1934-1974. I also have a number of master craftsmen in my family line, as well as blue collar workers (steel mill). But no lawyers or doctors. I've also got a biochemist, a journalist, and a couple of pharmacists.
* Were the same or higher socio-economic class than your high school teachers. Mostly the same. Not really any higher, although there were plenty in my school who had scads more money than just about anyone.
* Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
* Had more than 500 books in your childhood home. My mom and I were big readers. My dad and brother, not so much. However, most all of the books were second hand, and we used the library a *lot.*
* Were read children's books by a parent. My mom read with me into middle school. It was a great bonding thing. We'd read aloud to each other - read Jane Eyre that way for the first time when I was about ten. I'd gotten it as a christmas gift from my uncle.
* Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
* Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18. Does piano when after two years the teacher told my mother the piano "wasn't my instrument"? Also, skating - and the usual one day ski lessons, stuff like that. And voice when I was in High School.
* The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively. This confuses me. I guess?
* Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18. Went to college at seventeen and my dad gave me cc to use for my school books. But he paid the bills.
* Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs. My dad's work paid tuition reimbursement for nearly half, so it did not put as much of a strain on them. Otherwise, I'd have gotten student loans.
* Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs. if you count my father's work as a "trust" - it was a perk of working where he worked.
* Went to a private high school. While my HS was *small* (147 in my graduating class, and we were a large class) it was still a Public School.
* Had a private tutor before you turned 18.
* Went to summer camp. I was in the town's day camp for years, and then I had two weeks in the summer at summer camp starting when I was about ten going to when I was fifteen or so.
* Family vacations involved staying at hotels. Sort of. My dad liked to rent a house (either in the mountains in the winter for skiing, or at the beach in the summer) The only time I remember staying in an actual *hotel* for a vacation was when I was sixteen, and I badgered my parents into taking me to Disney World - my first time.
* Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18. Not even close. I got lots of things "gently used" - especially when I was really little, because my parents did not believe in living outside their means, so when I was growing fast, most of my stuff (except underclothes or socks - that we got new) was hand-me-downs or bought at the church exchange. The girl two doors down would pass down clothes, also. Although, she was always quite a bit taller than me, so I remember rolling up pant legs and lifting up dress hems. She always had the coolest pretty dresses her mom made her - and I usually got them a year or so later, so we have photos of her at a birthday party in the green velvet and gingham dress, and then two years later *me* in the same green velvet and gingham dress at another birthday party.
* Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them. Nope! My first car I got a few years out of college and I paid for it.
* There was original art in your house when you were a child. Well, yeah. My mom is a professional artist. My grandmother also dabbled, and they tended to trade their art for the art of other people. My parent's house is filled with original art - because my brother is now also a professional artist. Heck, all of our houses have original art - but it is home-grown, local, or we know the artist and respect the work enough to buy/trade for it. Lots of my jewelry is all hand made original art, as well.
* You and your family lived in a single family house. From the time I was about five. Before that we rented an apartment while they saved money like crazy for a down payment on a home. Of course, they saved hard for eight years before they had kids and it still took 'til I was about four before they were *ready* to buy.
* Your parents owned their own house or apartment before you left home. Well, I'm not sure if they'd completely paid the mortgage on it or not...
* You had your own room as a child. After we moved when I was five. Before that, my brother and I shared a room.
* You had a phone in your room before you turned 18. An extension only. And I wasn't a big one for talking on the phone as a teenager. I am still not - I prefer to see the people I am talking to. Phones make me nervous.
* Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course. My school was huge into the SATs and I had a councilor help me with SAT prep.
* Had your own TV in your room in High School. Nope. There wre only two TVs in the house. The *big* one (25 inch) in the living room, and the *little* one (about 18 inch) in my parent's bedroom. However, we were one of the first families in town that had a home computer (a loaner).
* Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College. Are you kidding? The minute I had an after school job, a summer job, my dad had me putting the bulk of it away in an IRA. I've had one since I was 14. Kinda glad now, because twenty-odd years later (and 20 odd years of contributing to IRAs, 401(k)s and such) I am doing fairly well on my retirement planning. Not fabulous, but I should be able to retire in thirty years, and be able to continue to live reasonably comfortably. And that is if I don't do more than I am doing right now.
* Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.
* Went on a cruise with your family. We are not cruise people. Hiking, skiing, sailing, biking, yes. Cruise, no.
* Went on more than one cruise with your family.
* Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up. Heck yeah. And if they weren't, the school was. We had more trips to the Science Museum or Aquarium or places like Plymouth Plantation or Sturbridge Village, and Concord and Lexington for Revolutionary War battle fields, the Boston Freedom Trail. Heck, in seventh grade they bussed us to Washington D.C for a week of museums and government and monuments. Made a stop in Philadelphia for the Liberty Bell. Yeah, my school system was great for cultural stuff in the Boston area - and all the way down to D.C.
* You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family. No. I know how much, because I was sometimes the person who took in the oil delivery slip left on the door. It didn't *mean* much, because it was without context - I never knew how much my parents made, so I never knew if it was on par with what it should be. But it still seemed like a hellovalot of money to me.
Bold which apply to you:
* Father went to college. My father also did a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering - he holds a masters. He wanted to go for a PhD, but was tired of being poor, so he went to work instead.
* Father finished college. He also spent four years in the Navy and got his Masters degree.
* Mother went to college.
* Mother finished college. Bachelor of Fine Arts - even though she is five years younger than my dad she finished first because he went into the Navy and then was work/study at college.
* Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor. My grandfather taught at the Eastman School of Music from 1934-1974. I also have a number of master craftsmen in my family line, as well as blue collar workers (steel mill). But no lawyers or doctors. I've also got a biochemist, a journalist, and a couple of pharmacists.
* Were the same or higher socio-economic class than your high school teachers. Mostly the same. Not really any higher, although there were plenty in my school who had scads more money than just about anyone.
* Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
* Had more than 500 books in your childhood home. My mom and I were big readers. My dad and brother, not so much. However, most all of the books were second hand, and we used the library a *lot.*
* Were read children's books by a parent. My mom read with me into middle school. It was a great bonding thing. We'd read aloud to each other - read Jane Eyre that way for the first time when I was about ten. I'd gotten it as a christmas gift from my uncle.
* Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
* Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18. Does piano when after two years the teacher told my mother the piano "wasn't my instrument"? Also, skating - and the usual one day ski lessons, stuff like that. And voice when I was in High School.
* The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively. This confuses me. I guess?
* Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18. Went to college at seventeen and my dad gave me cc to use for my school books. But he paid the bills.
* Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs. My dad's work paid tuition reimbursement for nearly half, so it did not put as much of a strain on them. Otherwise, I'd have gotten student loans.
* Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs. if you count my father's work as a "trust" - it was a perk of working where he worked.
* Went to a private high school. While my HS was *small* (147 in my graduating class, and we were a large class) it was still a Public School.
* Had a private tutor before you turned 18.
* Went to summer camp. I was in the town's day camp for years, and then I had two weeks in the summer at summer camp starting when I was about ten going to when I was fifteen or so.
* Family vacations involved staying at hotels. Sort of. My dad liked to rent a house (either in the mountains in the winter for skiing, or at the beach in the summer) The only time I remember staying in an actual *hotel* for a vacation was when I was sixteen, and I badgered my parents into taking me to Disney World - my first time.
* Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18. Not even close. I got lots of things "gently used" - especially when I was really little, because my parents did not believe in living outside their means, so when I was growing fast, most of my stuff (except underclothes or socks - that we got new) was hand-me-downs or bought at the church exchange. The girl two doors down would pass down clothes, also. Although, she was always quite a bit taller than me, so I remember rolling up pant legs and lifting up dress hems. She always had the coolest pretty dresses her mom made her - and I usually got them a year or so later, so we have photos of her at a birthday party in the green velvet and gingham dress, and then two years later *me* in the same green velvet and gingham dress at another birthday party.
* Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them. Nope! My first car I got a few years out of college and I paid for it.
* There was original art in your house when you were a child. Well, yeah. My mom is a professional artist. My grandmother also dabbled, and they tended to trade their art for the art of other people. My parent's house is filled with original art - because my brother is now also a professional artist. Heck, all of our houses have original art - but it is home-grown, local, or we know the artist and respect the work enough to buy/trade for it. Lots of my jewelry is all hand made original art, as well.
* You and your family lived in a single family house. From the time I was about five. Before that we rented an apartment while they saved money like crazy for a down payment on a home. Of course, they saved hard for eight years before they had kids and it still took 'til I was about four before they were *ready* to buy.
* Your parents owned their own house or apartment before you left home. Well, I'm not sure if they'd completely paid the mortgage on it or not...
* You had your own room as a child. After we moved when I was five. Before that, my brother and I shared a room.
* You had a phone in your room before you turned 18. An extension only. And I wasn't a big one for talking on the phone as a teenager. I am still not - I prefer to see the people I am talking to. Phones make me nervous.
* Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course. My school was huge into the SATs and I had a councilor help me with SAT prep.
* Had your own TV in your room in High School. Nope. There wre only two TVs in the house. The *big* one (25 inch) in the living room, and the *little* one (about 18 inch) in my parent's bedroom. However, we were one of the first families in town that had a home computer (a loaner).
* Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College. Are you kidding? The minute I had an after school job, a summer job, my dad had me putting the bulk of it away in an IRA. I've had one since I was 14. Kinda glad now, because twenty-odd years later (and 20 odd years of contributing to IRAs, 401(k)s and such) I am doing fairly well on my retirement planning. Not fabulous, but I should be able to retire in thirty years, and be able to continue to live reasonably comfortably. And that is if I don't do more than I am doing right now.
* Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.
* Went on a cruise with your family. We are not cruise people. Hiking, skiing, sailing, biking, yes. Cruise, no.
* Went on more than one cruise with your family.
* Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up. Heck yeah. And if they weren't, the school was. We had more trips to the Science Museum or Aquarium or places like Plymouth Plantation or Sturbridge Village, and Concord and Lexington for Revolutionary War battle fields, the Boston Freedom Trail. Heck, in seventh grade they bussed us to Washington D.C for a week of museums and government and monuments. Made a stop in Philadelphia for the Liberty Bell. Yeah, my school system was great for cultural stuff in the Boston area - and all the way down to D.C.
* You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family. No. I know how much, because I was sometimes the person who took in the oil delivery slip left on the door. It didn't *mean* much, because it was without context - I never knew how much my parents made, so I never knew if it was on par with what it should be. But it still seemed like a hellovalot of money to me.