It’s officially flu season, and that might have you thinking about those days when staying home from school was really something special.
Nobody enjoys being sick, but anyone who grew up in the 1980s knows there was something strangely magical about the rare chance to peek behind the curtain of that elusive “weekday life.”
Home Sick Nostalgia
READ MORE: 14 Things That’ll Take You Back to a Wild ’80s Halloween
Back then, a lot of moms were still home during the day, making the whole experience much less stressful for everyone. The house seemed to have a different vibe — quieter, less frantic, and bathed in soft weekday light that looked totally different than Saturday morning light. You can’t explain it, but it’s true.
The Unmistakable Comforts of a Sick Day in the ’80s
You might hear the vacuum in the distance, overhear your mom talking to the doctor’s office, smell lunch being made. It was like you were getting to see how the world worked when kids weren’t supposed to be around.
Many of those memories are tied to food. We all knew there was only one soup that was acceptable — keep reading for that. And then there were the TV programs you could only catch on weekdays, which gave being home sick an almost summer vacation kind of vibe.
That’s why the nostalgia hits so hard — it takes you right back to a time when you felt cared for, cozy, and protected.
LOOK: Remember Staying Home Sick in the ’80s? These Memories Hit Hard
Remember the orange popsicles, Bob Barker on The Price Is Right, and Campbell’s Chicken & Stars soup? Here’s what it was like to be home sick from school in the 1980s.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
Only True MTV Kids Can Name These ’80s Music Videos From One Freeze-Frame
How well do you really remember the music videos that defined the ’80s? We’ve grabbed a single freeze-frame from 11 of the decade’s most iconic videos. Scroll slowly and see how many you can name before peeking at the answers.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
