Mumsnet through the decades

[jollyhollyday]

Got me thinking what would the messages be like on here in different decades. What would a 1950s woman post on here? What problems would a 1930s mother have? How different or how similar to current posts?

They'd ask about contraception, how much 'housekeeping money' they should expect from husband and wouldn't use the F word.

Probably stuff like “My Neighbour Doesn’t Scrub her Step Should I shame the Filthy so and so?” Or “Which Kinema is the Best for a Click?”

Is Dr Spock a good parenting book.
How to keep my Terry nappies looking white

Ha, I love this.
If I think back to my lovely early 1920s born nan, it would have been "AIBU to think some women actually deserve a good scolding for cheeking their husbands/not having dinner on the table" and "AIBU to think that women should NOT wear trousers".
She was surprisingly progressive about us 'youngsters', but goodness me, some of the snippets she shared of life in the 30s and 40s. What makes it even better was that her husband was apparently the kindest gentlest man you could meet (like my own dad), but she would love to wax lyrical about subservient housewifery when the mood took her!

1930s: AIBU to be worried about my daughter reading too much? I heard that it can ruin her eyes and she doesn’t pay attention to anything I ask her to do! Her sewing is completely neglected and I fear she’s becoming a slattern! All she wants to talk about is her latest boarding school novel and I think some of the content is thoroughly unsuitable for decent young things! The stories sometimes feature girls who don’t do their prep or play tricks on one another!

1940s: AIBU I can’t cope with all these evacuees! I know I should keep mum but really, they’ve sent me six children! I’m 55 and alone in this massive house, I can’t be doing with six strange children in my house. They haven’t even arranged my new ration book so we’re eating a lot of carrot soup from the garden! And the things they come out with, I never heard such things! The youngest one is seven and he told me at breakfast that milk comes from the milkman. I had to explain about cows! Do they simply drag them up in London?

Great idea for a thread OP!

I love reading the threads from the 2000s. Things like ‘why do problem families keep having kids?!’ and discussions about which areas/schools are least ‘chavvy’.

We’ve definitely moved on (at least publicly) from these concerns.

Pregnant mum in the 60’s -
how many fags a day do you think will help keep the baby small enough for pushing out ?? 😃

late 1980s: AIBU to think interest rates are going a bit crazy? Not sure if we should buy a house right now. 👀 Followed by a bunfight about Margaret Thatcher, with some saying it’s all her fault and others saying she singlehandedly saved Great Britain.

70’s mum :

What would you suggest would be good for kids party ??
pinky and perky album on the stereo, pass the parcel and musical statues ??

AIBU that every Sunday goes like this -
cleaning, ironing
roast chicken dinner
pick of the pops on the radio
bath the kids - all in same water
sit in nighties and watch TV - not songs of praise -
sandwich and Battenberg cake for tea
kids to bed before the 9 o’clock news
cup of tea and fags

1970s: AIBU to report my neighbour for watering her garden, when we’re all queuing for the bloody standpipe due to the drought? I don’t know for sure that she’s actually watering her garden but her grass is green and mine is yellow.

Followed by lots of people calling the neighbour fit to burn and telling OP to report, and that one poster telling her “keep your beak out”. Then by page 5 someone will have created an entire compelling story for why the neighbour desperately needs to water her lawn and there will be someone suggesting OP should be kind and give the neighbour her own water to chuck on the lawn.

I hope this new Baird Television that everyone is talking about doesn’t catch on.

70’s mum -
anyones kids been on Jim’ll fix it ??
mine are dying to go on, I’ve posted about 5 letters in so far ….. 😬

1950’s

what should I pack for my 2 week stay in hospital after giving birth?