--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We didn't have television in those days…" description: "\"We didn't have television in those days, and many people didn't even have radios. My mother would read aloud to my father and me in the evening.\" — Bev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/beverly-cleary-5332_evening_we-didn-t-have-television-in-those-days_1544054.jpg" --- # We didn't have television in those days, and many people… ![“We didn't have television in those days, and many people didn't even have radios. My mother would read aloud to my father and me in the evening.” quote by Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/beverly-cleary-5332_evening_we-didn-t-have-television-in-those-days_1544054.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/beverly-cleary-5332_evening_we-didn-t-have-television-in-those-days_1544054.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/beverly-cleary-5332_evening_we-didn-t-have-television-in-those-days_1544054.jpg) > “We didn't have television in those days, and many people didn't even have radios. My mother would read aloud to my father and me in the evening.” [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Before modern media, families relied on oral storytelling for shared experiences. **In simple terms:** Families used storytelling before TV and radio. Key Takeaway Encourage reading aloud together. Themes family storytelling media history tradition education Mood nostalgic reflective Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - family bedtime - school reading circles - community storytelling events Key Concepts Oral tradition intergenerational bonding literacy development Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate reading into busy schedules? - What stories resonate most across generations? A Different Perspective Modern distractions can reduce family reading time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evening/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Radio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radio/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) ## Related quotes > [My mother would read aloud to my father and me in the evening. She read mainly travel books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/my-mother-would-read-aloud-to-my-father-and-me-in-the-evening-she/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [Well, I'm directing a lot of television these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-kerns/well-i-m-directing-a-lot-of-television-these-days/) [Joanna Kerns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-kerns/) > [One of the big things in television these days is there's no main title sequence anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-m-lenkov/one-of-the-big-things-in-television-these-days-is-there-s-no-main/) Peter M. Lenkov > [You never know what's going to happen with television these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-warburton/you-never-know-what-s-going-to-happen-with-television-these-days/) [Patrick Warburton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-warburton/) > [And also there wasn't much money in television in those days anyhow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-henson/and-also-there-wasn-t-much-money-in-television-in-those-days-anyhow/) [Jim Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-henson/) > [“Everything you need to know about killing is on television these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-hillier/everything-you-need-to-know-about-killing-is-on-television-these-days/) [Jennifer Hillier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-hillier/) > [Watching television in those days was not the same experience as it is today. After years of listening to radio, we found the black-and-white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-funicello/watching-television-in-those-days-was-not-the-same-experience-as-it/) [Annette Funicello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-funicello/) > [I was raised on an Indian reservation, and I didn't see a television set till I was 10, so it's not a part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cree-summer/i-was-raised-on-an-indian-reservation-and-i-didn-t-see-a-television/) [Cree Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cree-summer/) > [Warner Bros. got into television very early, so I did a lot of television there. In the beginning, it was sort of okay to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-hopper/warner-bros-got-into-television-very-early-so-i-did-a-lot-of/) [Dennis Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-hopper/) > [I might have had trouble saving France in 1946 - I didn't have television then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/i-might-have-had-trouble-saving-france-in-1946-i-didn-t-have/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [“Doc didn’t have a television but he could predict that sort of thing. He just didn’t need one. He could always tell what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-schulman/doc-didn-t-have-a-television-but-he-could-predict-that-sort-of-thing/) [Sarah Schulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schulman/) > [The movie, if I recall, didn't have to do with the television show because there were concerns from everyone that they didn't want it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-selby/the-movie-if-i-recall-didn-t-have-to-do-with-the-television-show/) [David Selby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-selby/) > [I had - all my life, everybody who knew me thought that I would probably grow up to be a reporter, a newspaper reporter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-schieffer/i-had-all-my-life-everybody-who-knew-me-thought-that-i-would-probably/) [Bob Schieffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-schieffer/) > [I was inspired by a lot of people when I was young. Every band that came through town, to the theater, or the dance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quincy-jones/i-was-inspired-by-a-lot-of-people-when-i-was-young-every-band-that/) [Quincy Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quincy-jones/) > [We didn't have television until I was about eight years old, so it was either the movies or radio. A lot of radio drama.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hagedorn/we-didn-t-have-television-until-i-was-about-eight-years-old-so-it-was/) [Jessica Hagedorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hagedorn/) ## More by Beverly Cleary > [I particularly enjoy cello music because our daughter plays the cello. I have listened to her practice for so many hours that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-particularly-enjoy-cello-music-because-our-daughter-plays-the-cello/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I don't necessarily start with the beginning of the book. I just start with the part of the story that's most vivid in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-don-t-necessarily-start-with-the-beginning-of-the-book-i-just-start/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I think adults sometimes don't think about how children are feeling about the adult problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-think-adults-sometimes-don-t-think-about-how-children-are-feeling/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [What interests me is what children go through while growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/what-interests-me-is-what-children-go-through-while-growing-up/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I know that when I was a children's librarian, that was about 1940, boys particularly asked where were the books about kids like us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-know-that-when-i-was-a-children-s-librarian-that-was-about-1940/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I haven't been very enthusiastic about the commercialization of children's literature. Kids should borrow books from the library and not necessarily be buying them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-haven-t-been-very-enthusiastic-about-the-commercialization-of/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [“She was surprised to feel his hand on her arm and still more surprised-almost unbelieving-to see his fingers unclasp his identification bracelet and remove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/she-was-surprised-to-feel-his-hand-on-her-arm-and-still-more/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [“He seemed grown-up, compared to the boys at school, and although he was not handsome, or even particularly good-looking—there were still some scars on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/he-seemed-grown-up-compared-to-the-boys-at-school-and-although-he-was/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [The key to writing successful YA is to keep the adults out of the story as much as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/the-key-to-writing-successful-ya-is-to-keep-the-adults-out-of-the/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [In my grammar school years back in the 1920s I used my ten-cents-a-week allowance for Saturday matinees of Douglas Fairbanks movies. All that swashbuckling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/in-my-grammar-school-years-back-in-the-1920s-i-used-my-ten-cents-a/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [“Well, she thought, I'm certainly bright. She had wanted to meet a new boy and when she finally did meet one she didn't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/well-she-thought-i-m-certainly-bright-she-had-wanted-to-meet-a-new/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I wrote books to entertain. I'm not trying to teach anything! If I suspected the author was trying to show me how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-wrote-books-to-entertain-i-m-not-trying-to-teach-anything-if-i/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I had a bad time in school in the first grade. Because I had been a rather lonely child on a farm, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-had-a-bad-time-in-school-in-the-first-grade-because-i-had-been-a/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [“If there's one thing I can't stand, its a cheeky mouse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/if-there-s-one-thing-i-can-t-stand-its-a-cheeky-mouse/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I think the best teachers had a real interest in the subject they were teaching and a love for children. Some of the teachers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-think-the-best-teachers-had-a-real-interest-in-the-subject-they/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) [Explore all 94 Beverly Cleary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) ## More Evening quotes > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/the-evening-s-the-best-part-of-the-day-you-ve-done-your-day-s-work/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [I love to work in football, so for me it's not work. I'm not here first in the morning and last in the evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-farke/i-love-to-work-in-football-so-for-me-it-s-not-work-i-m-not-here-first/) [Daniel Farke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-farke/) > [Like the water of a deep stream, love is always too much. We did not make it. Though we drink till we burst, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/like-the-water-of-a-deep-stream-love-is-always-too-much-we-did-not/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [The sun, a red wheel, was sinking slowly in the west. Besides being spectacularly beautiful, the early-summer sunset was exceedingly soft and gentle: black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-yan/the-sun-a-red-wheel-was-sinking-slowly-in-the-west-besides-being/) [Mo Yan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-yan/) > [It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-man-is-immortal-simply-because-he-will/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [By the time they were pulling into the parking lot of the A&P, the mood was fading, the moment gone. Amy could feel it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/by-the-time-they-were-pulling-into-the-parking-lot-of-the-a-p-the/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [When I was very young my mother sang to me at bedtime and my dad would often play the banjo or fiddle in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-block/when-i-was-very-young-my-mother-sang-to-me-at-bedtime-and-my-dad/) Rory Block > [So great is the economy of nature, that most flowers which are fertilised by crepuscular or nocturnal insects emit their odour chiefly or exclusively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/so-great-is-the-economy-of-nature-that-most-flowers-which-are/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [I don’t know, I don’t know that I’m missing anything. I just think too much sometimes. Sometimes I’m even happy because I’m so engaged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-buckley/i-don-t-know-i-don-t-know-that-i-m-missing-anything-i-just-think-too/) [Jeff Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-buckley/) > [What truly gives me joy is when I get a letter from a young woman who says they saw a programme, then read a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/what-truly-gives-me-joy-is-when-i-get-a-letter-from-a-young-woman-who/) [Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/) > [...nothing wonderful lasted forever. Joy was as fleeting as a shooting star that crossed the evening sky, ready to blink out at any moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-wonderful-lasted-forever-joy-was-as-fleeting-as-a-shooting/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [I do a lot of writing in my capacity as the creative director for a marketing agency. These days, though, I'm trying to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-doescher/i-do-a-lot-of-writing-in-my-capacity-as-the-creative-director-for-a/) [Ian Doescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-doescher/) > [Tonight I have inundated you with the mystical kundalini. Now, of course, I'm moving into the supra-conscious; it's kind of a doubleheader this evening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/tonight-i-have-inundated-you-with-the-mystical-kundalini-now-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Can You see that as soon as the day breaks I think of You? As evening comes, I am near You. I am near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-galgani/can-you-see-that-as-soon-as-the-day-breaks-i-think-of-you-as-evening/) [Gemma Galgani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-galgani/) [Browse all 1,949 Evening quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evening/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We didn't have television in those days, and many people didn't even have radios. 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