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What perks did you have as a kid because of your parent's job(s)?

scott43

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My dad worked at Kodak as a programmer and we got every new Kodak camera going! Disc camera, instant camera, 110 cameras, Brownies, you name it. And free movies every weekend in winter (we lived up north so coming down for a movie was actually a big deal..) and I got a job there when I was in first year Uni measuring buildings and drawing plans that had probably been measured and drawn 100 times before! :) We also got every new computer as well as dad was anxious that I learn Assembler...

My dad retired, the plant was sold and is now a service yard for the Toronto Crosstown LRT line. Tempus Fugit.
 

luliski

Making fresh tracks
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So many things that I did not appreciate. One material thing my father brought home when he was a graduate student (in late 60s-early 70s) was stacks of computer cards and computer paper that my siblings and I colored on.
 
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SpikeDog

You want Big Air, kid?
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Nothing comes to mind. As an Army brat, the privilege to move every few years and start over making friends. Short hair when everyone else's was long, although that did come in handy once. At boot camp in San Diego, I was the only recruit in my company who's ears had seen the sun in several years. This was before sunscreen, and the sunburns on the top of the ears was horrible (except me).
 

luliski

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the privilege to move every few years and start over making friends
This was the privilege I did not appreciate. I'd lived on three continents and spoke three languages by the time I was eight years old. People always ask if we were military (we weren't). But I do consider the experiences a gift (now that I've settled in one place and stayed for 25 years).
 

Bad Bob

I golf worse than I ski.
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An Air Force brat. The moving and school changes could be a challenge, but the travel was great. Being 10 in southern Japan with a bike and $2 a week allowance ROCKED. By 12 had traveled by planes, ships, trains, internationally. Very little Europe, but lots of memories; some were bad, but they are easy to overlook (I like lemonade)
 

pchewn

Skiing the powder
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Beaverton OR USA
When my father was in the Navy we young-un's would enjoy going to the base pool for a swim. Later when he taught at United Airlines in Denver we had access to a nice airplane. So I got flying lessons and then solo flights before I could drive a car.

The best thing of course was a steady home in Denver when he changed from military to civilian life. That allowed us to start skiing.
 

wallyk

Would rather be ski'n
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My father was the team dentist of the local NHL team when I was growing up. We had season tickets, which was nice, but as kids we got to hang out by the locker room before games and chat with players, he had players over for dinner, we got a ton of sticks, pucks and other NHL memorabilia. As a kid that was pretty cool.
 

Carolinacub

Yes thats a Cubs hat I'm wearing
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Dad worked for Bell Telephones so we had free long distance. He also took lots of early computer courses through work so we had computers in our house early. (think tandy model 2). My best friends dad worked for Heathkit his job was proof building all their kits and he got to keep everything he made. He kept screwing up the Boonie Bikes until he had enough for all his kids.
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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My mother was a teacher and head of the discipline committee at my high school. I had the privilege of her knowing if I did anything wrong before I did it. Also, rides to school on really crappy weather days.
 

Phelmut

German for Northeasterner
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My father was the team dentist of the local NHL team when I was growing up. We had season tickets, which was nice, but as kids we got to hang out by the locker room before games and chat with players, he had players over for dinner, we got a ton of sticks, pucks and other NHL memorabilia. As a kid that was pretty cool.

Sounds like he was very busy based on the mouths of NHL players.
My dad was in toy sales, Matchbox for a long time, so we got to test out some of the new toys before they were on the market.
 

scott43

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My mother was a teacher and head of the discipline committee at my high school. I had the privilege of her knowing if I did anything wrong before I did it. Also, rides to school on really crappy weather days.
Yeah my mom was a secretary at our school..every day I was sent into the hall for disrupting the class and every day she saw me while delivering the mail!
 

coskigirl

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My best was getting to live in Chile for a year. I still have dear friends from that time in my life and consider Chile my second home country.

This was the privilege I did not appreciate. I'd lived on three continents and spoke three languages by the time I was eight years old. People always ask if we were military (we weren't). But I do consider the experiences a gift (now that I've settled in one place and stayed for 25 years).

I moved a lot as well and get that question every time I tell people where I've lived. It's so tiresome.
 

Jilly

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My Dad worked at a hardware store. One of his jobs was buying the toys for the next holiday season. I got to test out a lot of Barbie stuff. Mom was nurse....didn't get a day off from school sick unless I was in the hospital. Dad eventually transitioned into commercial hardware and started his own business....which I now run.
 

SBrown

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I was a military brat, too, but we didn't live anywhere exotic. We did move to CO twice (and stayed put the second time), so that is the one I like best. Second best was the prices at the commissary and BX -- I could get Ralph Lauren Polo shirts for soooo cheap there in junior high!
 

SBrown

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So many things that I did not appreciate. One material thing my father brought home when he was a graduate student (in late 60s-early 70s) was stacks of computer cards and computer paper that my siblings and I colored on.

Oh wow ... I had forgotten about that, but yes. I loved pulling the edges off.
 

slowrider

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Dad owned a mechanic shop. That gave me a good understanding about how vehicles worked. I also knew I didn't want to work on them as a career. Instead I drove. It will be fun they said...
 

KevinF

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Oh, where to begin? My dad worked at Penn State University as a chemistry professor. Among other things:
  1. We made home made ice cream using liquid nitrogen
  2. Dry ice bombs
  3. Home made fireworks (aka, thermite). First time Dad stuck a piece of magnesium into the mix and handed me the torch. So I light the magnesium which burns blindingly bright and then it really goes off. Look at YouTube videos of thermite reactions. I'm surprised I didn't singe my hair off (or worse).
  4. And, best of all, PSU acquired various personal computers in the late 70's, early 80's. TRS-80's, Apple II's, IBM's, etc. Every weekend for probably years my brother and I would camp out at PSU's computer labs and taught ourselves programming. Dad acquired an Apple IIe for home so that we just needed to go downstairs instead of get driven to the labs. I was devouring every book I could find on Apple II architecture and assembly language programming. My high school and collegiate programming courses were a joke; the proverbial 10,000 hours was well underway long before I was formally taught anything. I remember being amazed when I learned that I could do for a living what I had already been doing for the past 5, 10 years. :thumb:
 

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