7 year old left alone in house and allowed to cook supper

[FrannyandZooey]

I have been meaning to post something about this for a while but another thread this morning reminded me of it. In the Milly Molly Mandy stories (written in the 20s and 30s), MMM has an idyllic childhood, enjoying things such as fishing for tiddlers, raising an orphaned hedgehog, watching the blacksmith in the forge, etc etc. She seems to me to be between about 5 and 8 years old, although I would be interested in people's opinions of this.

Obviously a lot of the things she does were once safer, or regarded as a lot safer. I imagine children could wander about freely because there was less traffic, also I think the community as a whole would regard children's safety as a joint responsibility so if you got into difficulty a friendly adult would help you out. We have more awareness of 'stranger danger' these days although I don't know whether there is in fact more danger around. Probably.

However some of the things she is allowed to do would just be totally taboo today. She stays in by herself with Little-Friend-Susan one evening and they fry up onions and all sorts of things (although they are notably not allowed to use the bread knife, which has made a great impression on ds :))

I also find it interesting that although she is allowed more or less to get on with her life without much adult interference, she does is only given her own bedroom at this age and previously slept in her parents' room.

I am just rambling now but I wondered what other people thought about this, and whether there is any way to give our own children more of a Milly Molly Mandy type of childhood?

Can't find the Aurora ones on eBay or Amazon

Well, a little bit, perhaps, edam, yes :)

You are right about the parents needing to be absent, of course. I am just reading a great book about E. Nesbit's stories and it talks about how cleverly she gets the parents out of the way each time. In the first 2 of the psammead / phenix stories she goes to quite some trouble to get of them each time the children need to be undisturbed, but in the 3rd she just sends them away right at the beginning. The book critiquing her says you can almost hear her rubbing her hands with glee :)

sorry, that's "get rid of them" and "phoenix"

Have you read E Nesbit's autobiography? Wonderful. And written in a style that an eight year old could understand. She travelled around Europe because her sister was ill and needed a healthier climate. Almost robbed and killed by brigands!

Oh wonderful thread.
Devoured Nesbit and MMM and NLS books.
Yes,adults considered a necessary nuisance.
Actually,my 7 years at boarding school were like this.
Not one noteworthy episode features and adult.
We lad a very complex double life.
As they entered a room,it was as if we removed our characters.....

What's it called Edam??

Have I spelt phoenix wrong again? It just looks wrong now

Edam, no, I haven't. I am enjoying this one, it's the Noel Streatfeild book "Magic and the Magician".

Difficult to think of ones for three year olds...

The Velveteen Rabbit

Mrs Pepperpot

\link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/203-8941764-9861505?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=blended&field-keywords=edward%20ardizzone%20little%20tim\ Edward Ardizzone Little Tim books}

for older The Minnow on the Say, The Borrowers

I think being a child is often like that, Moondog. A result of adults being too authoritarian I think.

but Franny might not like Tim All Alone

synopsis

Tim arrives home after a long holiday to find that his parents have vanished. He is determined to search, if necessary, the whole wide world, until he has found them.

Handily just found it in a bookcase a few feet away from the computer. Is called Long Ago When I Was Young, with intro by Noel Streatfield just to add to the appeal. Lovely line drawings.

Pub. Beehive Books, part of Macdonald & Company, first 1966, my edition 1987. Not sure if they stil exist, address is the building where I use to work and they certainly weren't there in '97 when I joined that company. ISBN 0 356 13274 9.

Ooh zippi

no I dont think that would be a favourite for us.

They have a few of the Nesbit book on Amazon, edam. I may have to get that one too (this thread is costing me a fortune :))

Thanks Edam.
And dear Noel contributing..

Feeling very happy that I found it so fast and could quote ISBN and all. And strangely pleased that the publishers were in Greater London House - I've got a very tenuous connection with E Nesbit, hurrah!

there you go, franny

\link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140309357/qid=1149411444/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i3_xgl/202-6461819-1635028\Aurora}

they're going for £30 on ABE! Jesus!

I quite like the Little House on The Prairie stories but haven't tried ds on them yet.

Think he'd like little house in the big woods at least.

another book I loved when I was little was

\link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0752849743/qid=1149411558/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/203-8941764-9861505\ the little princesses}

Oh gawd

I have bought edam's book

and Timothy and whoever

and Aurora thing

and another Noel Streatfeild I found on the way

and now I must go and have a little lie down and nurse my bank account back to health

3Fillyjonks - have read all 3 of the early Little House On Prairie books to dd1 and were fantastic - real insight into a completely different way of life - Laura only had a paper doll to play with for ages and the look of horror/admiration on my then 8yr old daughter's face was sublime . Great chapters on slaughtering the pig and helping with all the related chores - drooling over the roasting pigs tail etc, going to The Store for the first time, bears, snow etc. Loved them and can't wait to read to dd2 once we have finished all of Mary Plain books - has nobody heard of Mary Plain??? She is not always pc, but can be soooo funny.

Teddy Robinson - like Little Pete, have vague recollection so they may be hidden at my mother's house somewhere.

EmmyLou-every time I see your name, I think of Emmylou Harris and that bloody sad song about babies needing shephards! (that song annoys me, the guitar riff appears simple but in fact it is beyond me)

Can you link to this Mary Plain? I never know what people mean when they say "not pc". My dad says it and it means "in praise of the KKK". My friend says it and it means "venture capitalist".

Oops sorry F&Z. Out of interest, how much is the E Nesbit autobiog? Mine was £8.99 (actually a present from my mother).

Edam - £4.50, but it may not be in such nice condition as yours

I am also interested in Mary Plain and Little Pete. I am staying far away from any pig slaughtering though [appalled]

nah, don't keep them away from pig slaughtering, that book made me the vegetarian I am today.

Mine was bought brand-new, when published (as I say, present from mother) so not suprised it is cheaper second-hand. I never seem to have the sort of books that appreciate in value! Signed copy of John Simpson's auto-biog, anyone?

D'you know 3FJonks - don't know why i chose this nickname (well, i do, but explaining might blow my cover). Every time I use it i think of crinolined (sp?) gowns and ringletted hair - like a cross between an 1860's Dolly Parton and Nelly the nasty girl in Little House on the Prairie (TV show, not book of course). Don't know the E-L Harris song, should i wish that I did? Anyway, in future please envisage EmmyLou as a cross between Dr Tanya and Nigella Lawson with a dash of Abbie from ER and my alter ego will be satisfied.

I think of horses with you threefillyjonks

The not v 'PC' in Mary Plain refers to (in the Macca and Mills kind of way) to a character called The Fur Coat Lady and also when Mary finds herself accidentally parachuted (she calls it parabella-ed) onto an island with black children who say 'wol-wol' etc. It's 1930's stuff and reflects the ignorance of the times i suppose. Its onlt in the one book (of about 10 that i've got). Mary does have somefantastic spoonerisms and turns of phrase and still makes me laugh. I'm blathering on as I don't know how to do links but look up at Amazon (then buy from your local independant bookseller of course).

Author is Gwynedd Rae and the books should be read in order but doesn't matter too much if you don't. The first one isn't as funny as the rest and always skip the chapter about her dreaming about a robin in book 1 as its a bit too weird...but the book where she goes to live in England with The Owl Man and her twin cousins come to visit is a good one but the bit when they first arrive makes me weep every time like "Daddy - my Daddy!" in the Railway Children (film).