If Mumsnet existed in the 1950s, what would be posted about?

[supersun23]

I was just wondering this....

My DS 8 was caned at school today for talking and messing. Teacher told me I need to give him a good beating tonight to make sure it doesn't repeat. I think he has been punished enough and I think the teacher is an arrogant bully, but I know if I tell DH he will beat him as he thinks to not do so will disrespect the school. AIBU to not tell DH about DSs naughty behaviour and just tell DS to pretend his Dad hit him? Teacher will probably ask tomorrow.

@TheShellBeach thank you. Yeah, I had a mate who was totally addicted since the 50s til this day. But I think they excasserbate dementia sadly. Horrible isn't it?

My dad died in 1973 and we just took the tablets, because our family friend, who was a doctor, brought them round.

I loved the amylobarbitone! I was so disappointed when they ran out and our own doctor wouldn't give them to us. But he did give us more nitrazepam, whenever we asked for it.

Absolutely shocking.

Have I been unreasonable? I told the doctor I was pregnant. I'm a midwife so I do know a thing or two about these things. He told me that I was neurotic and it was my nerves and to go home and relax with a cigarette. A few weeks later I miscarried and put the foetus in a jam jar and walked into his surgery and slapped it on his desk.

(True story, my mum).

Christmas isn't far off now and I've been dropping hints all over the place! Would it be too awful of me to ask for a new hoover as well as that set of Pyrex oven to table ware that I've had my eye on all year?

They didn't have 20p in the 1950s.

Patterns would have been about 6d (2 and a half pence).

Your weekly shopping could almost be done for 10 shillings (50p) so there's no way a pattern would have been 4 shillings.

My doctor has prescribed my friend this new medication called purple hearts. Have you heard of them? What do they do?

😥your mum was not bu

I love my job in the civil service.

But we're getting married soon and of course I'll have to give it up.

I feel sad about that, I worked hard at school and enjoy having my own money even though of course I couldn't have a mortgage of my own.

My fiancé says I don't need to work.

I wondered if a little job to get some pin money might be possible but he got quite cross and said no wife of his is going to shame him by making it look like he can't support his family.

And that anyway I'll be quite busy enough looking after his house and the children when they come along, and his mother when she comes to live with us.

I must keep reminding myself I'm the lucky one as my friend who's a secretary at the office is sharing a flat with two other girls in Shoreditch and that must be awful.

Mustn't it?

They're brilliant!
They stop you eating!

And they keep you going when the housework gets too much for you. If you've got a huge pile of ironing, and you're tired because you've been dusting and polishing all day, a purple heart will give you a boost.

You'll have the cleanest house in the street and you'll find that your neighbours are jealous of how much weight you've lost!

One of my friends says they keep her awake all night, so I gave her some of my sleeping pills. Job done!

We're so lucky to live in an age where this stuff is available.

Ladies, I've got an important question.

Are you all going to get your children vaccinated against polio? My mother says vaccinations are dangerous, but so is polio! Not to mention diphtheria.

My three year old daughter has ears that stick out a bit, i sellotaped them back at night for a couple of nights and now she's woken up with a massive rash/boils behind her ears. My husband thinks I'm a fool. WIBU? So as not to drip feed it's 1954 and I'm in Africa with no air conditioning.

(Actually done by my nana to my mom)

I've got some paper dress patterns from the 1950s, the cheaper (Simplicity) ones are one shilling and threepence, or one shilling and sixpence, and the more expensive ones (Vogue) are three shillings and sixpence or three shillings and ninepence.
They all include a basic dress plus various different necklines and sleeves, so you got two or three different dresses from the one pattern.

Most of the womens' magazines offered occasional free patterns, which were a diagram with a grid, which you enlarged onto unused wallpaper or similar.

Goodness, that's more expensive than I thought.

I'd like to recommend a book to all the ladies in this thread. It's called Dear Mrs Bird, by a lady novelist called A.J. Pearce.

If you haven't read it, and you are enjoying our chats here you are in for a treat as it is an absolute delight. You can request it at the library if they haven't got it in.

I so enjoy reading and I know it's a mad idea but wouldn't it be nice to have some sort of club for lady readers, where we could meet and chat about the books we like over a cup of tea.

I realise that looking after our men and keeping the house ship-shape (not to mention ourselves!) and preparing three meals a day make it hard to find the time for that sort of frippery but sometimes being at home by myself the whole time can feel a bit lonely.

I do enjoy all my household responsibilities so please don't think too badly of me but the real reason I'm trying to save up for a twin-tub washing machine is I think it might give me a free half hour in the day where I could sit down and read my book.

I haven't told my husband (can't believe I'm telling you!) but AIBU to think like this?

I'm a Back-Street Abortionist AMA.

Do you worry about going to prison?
What method do you use, knitting needle, hook or carbolic soap water? I've heard a very hot bath after drinking a great deal of gin can bring on a miscarriage.

It seems I've got Christmas on the brain now! And my mind's been turning to decorations this evening. After all that cotton wool, glitter and glue last time I've decided to keep things much simpler this year and just go for paper chains and candles everywhere. Very tasteful I think! But no drawing pins on the picture rails this time round - I'll just be using sellotape, or maybe a spot of flour paste. Fingers crossed everything stays up!

I use a Higginson's Syringe. I've already been in Holloway twice.

By mistake I served up spaghetti that had only been boiled for 35 mins. Will there be any lasting damage?

Don't serve foreign food!

Buy British! You're a traitor. What did we fight the war for?

Am I being unreasonable walking my 7 year old to and from school. He says that all his friends walk on their own and I'm treating him like a baby?

I used to walk to school and shops and round the estate etc when I was 5+ in the 90s

According to MN 25 yrs old is the minimum to be out unsupervised..😉😂

You just have to look at any thread where the OP admits to being a sahm to find out what the 50s would look like.

Toys on the floor?
Dinner obviously thrown together or slightly burnt?
Expecting husband to not make passive aggressive comments and help pick up toys or lend a hand at bathtime?

• Clearly, the OP is a lazy, ungrateful hussey who should be a lot more appreciative of her Man, and should be putting in far more effort.