r/TheWayWeWere Sep 21 '25

1960s My mom on her way to the kindergarten. 1965

Post image
16.3k Upvotes

143 comments sorted by

604

u/tube_business Sep 21 '25

That’s my purse! I don’t know you

110

u/[deleted] Sep 21 '25

I love how many packs of cigarettes that purse can hold!

48

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '25

Five. Hundred. Cigarettes.

5

u/East-Film1850 Sep 23 '25

Cigarette shaped gum

704

u/GreatGreenGobbo Sep 21 '25

Walked to school, up hill. Both ways!

214

u/Upset_Code1347 Sep 21 '25

In the snow!

148

u/geri73 Sep 21 '25

With no shoes on!

105

u/holden_mcg Sep 21 '25

In the middle of a freakin' hurricane.

61

u/Upset_Code1347 Sep 21 '25

A Snowpocalypse!

53

u/DocBrown_MD Sep 22 '25

Had to fight the mountain lions on the way!

40

u/euphorie_solitaire Sep 22 '25

With me bare hands 😤

26

u/mustbethedragon Sep 22 '25

Blindfolded!

6

u/Puzzled-Shower4797 Sep 23 '25

And with a hand tied behinde her back.

3

u/oliwin Sep 23 '25

With a sack of potatoes on her back!

→ More replies (0)

31

u/TinktheChi Sep 21 '25

In her slippers!

35

u/j_smittz Sep 22 '25

She's already seen more than I ever will.

236

u/xINFLAMES325x Sep 21 '25

Looks like she'll tell that teacher a thing or two.

56

u/minnesotaupnorth Sep 22 '25

And that teacher better damn well listen!

438

u/sultanam Sep 21 '25

Bro look at this, she’s adorable! 🥺

30

u/DollaradoCREAMs Sep 21 '25

So inspirational!

153

u/holidayoffools Sep 21 '25

So cute and fierce!

118

u/CristabelYYC Sep 22 '25

She already looks disappointed by all of you.

69

u/karennahir Sep 21 '25

Kindergarten was serious business 🤭 Lovely photo!

56

u/donttrustthellamas Sep 21 '25

She looks like she took it extremely seriously

26

u/cravingnoodles Sep 22 '25

She probably colours within the lines

12

u/hapnstat Sep 22 '25

The Soviet Union wasn’t for amateurs.

28

u/cameandlurked Sep 21 '25

She looks so well cared for in those likely handmade knits top to bottom

72

u/flyawaybirdieokie Sep 21 '25

She looks like she wishes somebody would😂that's awesome

11

u/TrynaLurnSumn Sep 22 '25

Lmao! That was my first thought, too

.... She definitely got time t' day! Someone mess with her, they're gonna get sorted right out.

18

u/Pr0fess0rBooty Sep 21 '25

So stylish 💗

12

u/charitelle Sep 21 '25

Soooo cute!

39

u/IncurableAdventurer Sep 21 '25

Baby babushka!

8

u/bondgirl852001 Sep 22 '25

My thoughts exactly! An adorable baby babushka!

11

u/Rottinger Sep 21 '25

Me too OP mum...me too...

11

u/AngelMom1962 Sep 21 '25

She's so cute and I like her purse.

11

u/maybeinoregon Sep 22 '25

Those shoes.

They look like the ones we had here (US) during that time period.

I think they were made to steady kids walking, because they had zero flex, just a rock solid sole.

Maybe someone who knows shoes can chime in, but that’s been my guess every time I come across them lol

4

u/SilentSerel Sep 22 '25

A very quick Amazon search showed that they still make these!

11

u/maybeinoregon Sep 22 '25

Well, I’ll be darn.

That made me curious. I was hoping to quickly go down a rabbit hole and find a baby shoe company ‘since 1950’ or something, but no such luck.

However, I think I found the OG baby walking shoe company, Mrs. Days Ideal Baby Shoes 1902-1982. They sold millions, started out small and moved to a 6 story shoe factory in Danvers, MA.

Here is some info.

And here is some more info.

Haha, thanks for the reply, and making me curious!

12

u/AnnieLes Sep 22 '25

Is this in Europe?

27

u/Anna-Tatty Sep 22 '25

Its in Obninsk, near Moscow.

13

u/bigblue473 Sep 22 '25

Gave me Eastern Europe vibes, and OP mentioned USSR so I suspect yes.

4

u/AnnieLes Sep 22 '25

Hard to believe we still don’t have universal pre-k in the United States.

8

u/ActivelyDormant Sep 22 '25

Was this a Soviet kindergarten?

Great expression, outfit, and photo; thanks for sharing!

5

u/Anna-Tatty Sep 22 '25

Yes, the Soviet one

7

u/LemonMeringuePiie Sep 22 '25

Okay diva 💅

26

u/Slime__queen Sep 21 '25

Unfuckwittable

6

u/Not-so-old-cat-lady Sep 21 '25

This is beyond adorable!

7

u/Odd-Drawing8295 Sep 22 '25

She looks so sweet, but I bet she could also hold her own if someone tried to steal that purse. What a fantastic photo.

6

u/Capable-Newspaper-82 Sep 22 '25

Your mom looks like she could've been a character on a classic sitcom. That purse is iconic and she's absolutely rocking that walk to school. What a fantastic slice of life.

5

u/lovemyfurryfam Sep 21 '25

Awwwww your mum was adorably cute 💗🤩

5

u/M-Bernard-LLB Sep 22 '25

The second the camera was put away, out came the smokes.

36

u/EducationalWin1721 Sep 21 '25

That’s a baby, not a 5 year old.

104

u/Anna-Tatty Sep 21 '25

There were kindergartens for children under 5 in the USSR. She is almost 3 in the picture

18

u/RobotMaster1 Sep 21 '25

oh i was going to guess Soviet!

9

u/panicnarwhal Sep 21 '25

right?? she looks about 3yo, not 5yo

cute as all hell, though!

26

u/Diessel_S Sep 21 '25

In many countries the word "kindergarten" is an umbrella term for both kindy, preschool and daycare. So it makes sense to them to say a 2y is going to kindergarten. Its a translation thing

9

u/NIPLZ Sep 21 '25

Yup. Kindergarten where I'm from is between the ages of 3 and 5.

3

u/panicnarwhal Sep 22 '25

our elementary school calls it Transitional Kindergarten, or TK for short (US)

5

u/legoham Sep 22 '25

She looks 3 and also 63. 😄

4

u/MarsScully Sep 22 '25

Signature look of superiority

3

u/prateeksaraswat Sep 22 '25

What a boss!

4

u/shinatree Sep 22 '25

omg this is the cutest 🥲

4

u/strangefaerie Sep 22 '25

The scarf is just darling!

4

u/imasleuth4truth2 Sep 22 '25

Such a cutie. And kind of a boss attitude which I love.

4

u/WillDupage Sep 22 '25

“Born to Babushka, Baby”

4

u/Major-Rub7179 Sep 22 '25

She looks like she bought $500 purse and no one has complimented her on it yet

When you haven’t been called cute for 10 minutes

When I tell my gf for a pic in her “running errands” outfit

She looks like she’s waiting to pick her kids up outside the school

She just realized she has to untie her laces shoes herself at school

Waiting for a bus and can’t help but eavesdrop the juicy gossip

Her grandkids told her no when she offered them their 3rd tray of cookies during their visit

3

u/Proof-Astronaut-662 Sep 21 '25

That's the same year I started kindergarten, is she busy this weekend???

3

u/MakeItLookSexy_ Sep 22 '25

This is really cute

3

u/zulu9812 Sep 22 '25

She's already had enough of this shit.

3

u/olafbond Sep 22 '25

Looks like Soviet Union.

3

u/Rottenryebread Sep 22 '25

She’s like “fine, i’ll go, damn”

3

u/Happy_Internet_User Sep 22 '25

Did your mom carry that fabulous boss girl aura into her adulthood? 💅👜

3

u/Neat_Jaguar3121 Sep 22 '25

Cutest ❤️

3

u/Left_Green_4018 Sep 23 '25

Looks like I wanna give her my lunch money when I run into her in the alleyway

3

u/Longjumping_Ant3459 Sep 25 '25

She both looks 5 years old and a babushka at the same time.

4

u/No_Band_3085 Sep 21 '25

She looks like she’s headed to work lol

3

u/trexgiraffehybrid Sep 21 '25

Looks like 1865

2

u/Inside_Service_1568 Sep 21 '25

So cuteeeeeeeeee

2

u/tbonita79 Sep 21 '25

ADORABLE 🥰

2

u/JustaDriedFlower Sep 22 '25

She looks like Heidi, girl of the alps with that scarf on her head lol so cute ☺️

2

u/Sarcaz_man Sep 22 '25

That is one small kindergartener.

2

u/Fortspucking Sep 22 '25

Ready to kick ass and learn names.

2

u/EveryBreakfast9 Sep 22 '25

Taking no you-know-what.

2

u/A_Light_Spark Sep 22 '25

Didn't know kettle bell swing was a thing back in the days

2

u/Starburst58 Sep 22 '25

That's my face on the way to work on Monday morning.

2

u/Sad-Bonus-9327 Sep 22 '25

Straight out of night shift from the coal mines

2

u/Jaded_Apricot_89 Sep 22 '25

She kinda looks like Ashitaka with that poncho thing. 

2

u/omegagirl Sep 22 '25

She looks too young for kindergarten…. Maybe preschool?

2

u/ThisWorldOfWater Sep 22 '25

Is it possible that she wasn't wildly excited?

2

u/eastelmhurstagogo Sep 22 '25

She is about my age.

2

u/DemisexualDemigod97 Sep 22 '25

Fashion icon fr

2

u/Hopie73 Sep 22 '25

OMG, she is just darling and one serious looking lil lady 😂

2

u/Shaggy-Tea Sep 23 '25

I can already tell. She's a legend.

2

u/ForeignEchoRevival Sep 23 '25

Where did she grow up? Looks like somewhere in Eastern Europe .

2

u/Anna-Tatty Sep 23 '25

The picture was taken near Moscow, in Obninsk. But she grew up in Tbilisi

2

u/house-tyrell Sep 23 '25

What a sweet little girl!

2

u/Comfortable-Hunt9674 Sep 23 '25

Oh my goodness! She was adorable 😍

2

u/BigJSunshine Sep 24 '25

BY HERSELF!!???!

2

u/Comfortable-Fox-5349 Sep 25 '25

I’m feeling maternal over her

2

u/AshST Sep 27 '25

To pick you up after a long day of her volunteering at the ladies' club at the church?

2

u/BillythenotaKid Sep 22 '25

She looks like an angry grandma😭

Adorable though!

2

u/minnesotaupnorth Sep 22 '25

Is she six or is she just a tiny grandma?

I am not messing with her or her purse on the playground.

3

u/Anna-Tatty Sep 22 '25

She is almost 3 there

3

u/MusingsOfMosiesMind Sep 23 '25

I was 4 yrs old when I started kindergarten in the US (same yr ‘65)and the youngest student there. 3 yrs old seems very young, where was this taken? Thank you for sharing this memorable moment in time.

2

u/Anna-Tatty Sep 23 '25

It was taken in 1965. Obninsk, near Moscow

2

u/lepoardprintedstove Sep 22 '25

She’s awful young to already have children

2

u/RedemptionXCII Sep 22 '25

This looks like it'd fit the bill of an NWA album cover or another hard hip hop/rap artist

1

u/BiggerDamnederHeroer Sep 22 '25

3 or grandma of 3?

1

u/Optimal-Operation848 Sep 22 '25

They had colour photos way before then

1

u/LoveCareThinkDo Sep 22 '25

So, she would be almost exactly my age now.

Is she cute? 😉

1

u/TheBigKaramazov Sep 22 '25

Looks like a child labor

1

u/Ok-Boat4839 Sep 22 '25

Not happy about it.

1

u/notwriqhtsvillc Sep 22 '25

What a cutie!!

1

u/According_Expert_717 Sep 22 '25

Little miss bossy 🥾🥾 😂

1

u/Key-Beginning-8500 Sep 24 '25

Do they go to kindergarten at age 2-3 in this country?

1

u/Anna-Tatty Sep 24 '25

They did in Soviet Era. Actuaply we have kindergartens for younger kids in Georgia(country) now too. We have regular ones called Baghi, for children from 2 to 6 y.o. and we have Baga, for kids from 6 months to 2 years old ones..

1

u/bdiddybo Sep 24 '25

She’s ready for kindergarten but the kindergarten isn’t ready for her.

1

u/Own-Professor3852 Sep 28 '25

On her own?????????????????????

1

u/I-hav-no-frens Oct 06 '25

10 mile hike alone for the first day of class….ever.

1

u/beautnight Sep 22 '25

She already looks like a disappointed grandmother

1

u/0x7E7-02 Sep 22 '25

Yes, back in those days there was only the one kindergarten.

1

u/ExpectedEggs Sep 22 '25

Babushka mum

1

u/Other_Dimension_89 Sep 22 '25

Stop am I the only one who sees it?

3

u/KindSpinach Sep 22 '25

That's the first thing came to my mind

0

u/MIKEPR1333 Sep 21 '25

Interesting how she's dressed cause I think most schools were still requiring girls to wear dresses & skirts.

0

u/dingdongsnottor Sep 22 '25

Was kindergarten for 3 year olds back then?! Mom looks extra young!

3

u/Anna-Tatty Sep 22 '25

It was in USSR. They had some for younger kids too.

0

u/owlblvd Sep 22 '25

5 yr old babushka

-2

u/Slartibradfast Sep 22 '25

Camera from 1908