Mystery productivity surge in so-called 'women's professions'

[Threadworm]

From Sky Breaking News:

"There was a staggering productivity upturn this morning in all workplaces traditionally associated with a preponderance of female staff. Office managers all over the country have commented on a mass clear-up of overflowing intrays.

"In a separate development, teachers and nursery staff have been shocked to observe normally scruffy and late-arriving children attending school punctually, with neatly brushed hair and the right packed lunch.

"A mumsnet spokeswoman said, 'It broke, alright? Normal lack of service will be resumed shortly.'"

Guffaw!

Was dangerous though. I caught up with a few e-mails but they started to get a bit Mumsnetty. I found myself writing at tedious length about the similarities between parenting a toddler and governing a central bank (re moral hazard). That kind of nonsense is normally strictly reserved for the boards. You can take the woman out of mumsnet, but you can't take mumsnet out of the woman.

and i thought it was just me having to get on with my housework and get my kids up this morning!

I spent the time idling around Project Gutenberg for 19th century bf/weaning advice ('no solids till teeth appear' seems to be the consensus up to at least 1890)

Mrs Badger, that sounds fascinating. And a classic example of "you can't take mumsnet out of the woman". Have you got a link?

lol

I feel as though my arm has been reattached

The Young Mother - Management of Children in Regard to Health. 1836

The Maternal Management of Children, in Health and Disease. by M.D. Thomas Bull 1840

The Care and Feeding of Children - A Catechism for the Use of Mothers and Children's Nurses 1907

(obv there is a lot of bolleaux in there as well)

Oh my god Mrs B these are great. They need their own thread in Breast and Bottle Feeding. The 1907 one all seems quite sensible. But I love this sentence in the horribly censorious 1836 one:

"Many young mothers seem to consider themselves as licensed, during a part of their lives, not only to eat immoderately, and even to gluttony, but also to swallow almost every species of vile trash which a vile world affords."

Yes! I certainly did.

oh the 1836 writer is nuts

ranting about bread

Mrs B - have you discovered a very early edition of the Daily Mail??

actually it's more likely the Daily Mail is a relic of the 1800s...