Following mumsnet survey-"modern parents have no stamina" but did 1960s parents have a much easier less hands-on time?

[Evenhope]

Comment posted in Telegraph about the results of mumsnet survey
"When I was young there were no washing machines, tumbler driers, dish washers, refrigerators, freezers, central heating or convenience foods. Very few could afford motor cars or holidays. Our mothers just got on and looked after the house, cooked the food, hand washed the clothes and brought us up. I can?t remember my mother moaning about how hard she worked. The modern parents have no stamina.
Posted by WHG on November 18, 2007 10:44 AM"

How many of us born in the 1960s and 1970s actually feel our mothers had an easier job? They weren't expected to be involved in our school life (we were allocated a place- no choice); they didn't ferry us around everywhere and we played out on our own.

I agree with your mother then MB. I don't think it's a competition either. Children play outside less because of traffic rather than parental pressure.

My parents weren't really involved in school. They assumed the professionals knew what they were doing and left it to them. They didn't even go to parent-teacher meetings for me (I think they did for my siblings who were more problematic).

The closest my mother got involved in the life of the school was in making costumes when the need arose.

Anyway, don't most of us just buy the same things every week anyway. There might be dozens of fruit juices in the shop but I only ever buy at most two kinds. And fruit juice in the 1970s was appalling stuff.

TSAP,what were you eating then that was exotic?>
Sounds very interesting..

I don't buy the same things every week. There's no pattern to what I cook, but if there were, it would probably take at least 3-4 weeks to replicate.

Juice in the 1970s was Rise & Shine. , and then you would only be allowed a 2oz glass at a time.

Rise and Shine. That was it. Disgusting stuff. Juice served as a starter.

..and it was considered a viable starter in a restaurant when served in a smeared Duralex glass on a paper doily.

I think I can still hear the R&S jingles

The 70s were a terrible decade.

For all of the 70s I was only ever in Britain in the winter.So...for all of you who think the 70s were grim,imagine only remembering it in the context of icy weather.

God it was awful

The drink wouldn't even be chilled.

I remember our local chippy would serve you fizzy drinks (in 2oz Duralex cups), and they would take the bottles off the shelves about the friers.

I definitely think past mothers had it easier. Seven days = seven dinners, on a cycle which never, ever changed. No after-school activities. No involvement in school full stop. No competitive parenting. No helicopter parenting. No co-playing. No I must be a really cool mum who doesn't look like an old bag.

Don't get me wrong, my parents were brilliant, but there was none of this current angst about whether one's children are happy, is one doing enough to help them at school, are they at the right school, will they be all right in the future, will they be able to afford a house, are we good enough parents? (And I subscribe to all of these!)

Were you here for the blackouts, moondog?

I know. Ice was a luxury back then.

We just ate standard polish food, so we had a soup before every meal and a side salad which my friends used to think was very posh. Lots of beetroot soup, goulashes, tripe soup which I used to love but cannot imagine eating now, once a week we always had veal which was breadcrumbed, stuffed cabbage leaves (Golabki) which I loved and still cook, bigos was a staple, every friday it was fish, for some reason we had chilli once a week as well which is also a weekly staple in my house. I can remember eating pasta before many of my friends as well although we had it with a kind of ghoulash or in soup.

NKF, I don't think that parenting should be a competition either.

My mother was lucky because Alpha Mummies didn't exist in the Rhondda in the 1960s!

Do you think Alpha Mummies actually exist nowadays? Outside the lifestyle pages of Sunday newspapers? Personally I think of them as a media creation.

Sounds great TSAP.
Science,as I remember it our entire six week visits were one big black out.

I remember coming to boarding school at the age of 11 and being blown away by the fact that it was light when we had lights out in the dorm.

Oh yes, and no endless ferrying of children to and from activities. I went to Brownies (walked there and back), Chapel Youth group (walked there and back), swim club,(walked a good 2 miles there and then back again) and later youth club. Granted that was 3 miles and too far to walk, so we went on the bus!

So when I did activities my parents had spare time. When My kids have activities it generates more work for me.

I agree NKF.
I don't know anyone who isn't just making it up as they go along and I mix with a pretty broad cross-section of people.

My mum says the years she spent as a SAHM were the happiest of her life. My life now as a SAHM is very similar, and also very happy years. As a SAHM I do similar things that she did thirty odd years ago - I walk everywhere, go to baby and toddler groups, shop in the local shops and cook similar things to her but probably a little more exotic - more asian food.

In terms of housework, clothes and homes were probably less clean then they are now - I remember she did clothes washing just once a week and mostly clothes were 'spot' washed - which I have to say is far more environmentally friendly and better for the clothes themselves.

Hygiene standards in the home seem to be far higher now, so high that most of my friends have cleaners as they want immaculate houses but do not have the time to clean. Fortunately, I have lower standards

Another similarity between my mother and I is the amount of voluntary work we do - we both really enjoy it and get satisfaction out of it.

The main difference I feel is that it was accepted to be a SAHM thirty years ago. There is far more pressure on me now to be a WOHM.

Same here Moondog.

Belgo,I think people and houses are dirtier actually. Yes,people wash clothes more often but nonone seems to d othe really deep down cleaning that our older female relatives specialised in. (Apart from moi of course.)

If I could afford to be a SAHM my life would be much easier and I would be realtively stress free, however the cost of living nowadays means that is not a choice open to me.

But thinking back to my mum she always worked albeit part time and we were poor but we could still afford a nice house and go to good schools. I know that if it were today on a comparable income we would be in a crummy flat going to a sink school.

moondog - my mum didn't do the 'deep down cleaning' that you speak of - she used to give it to her mum to do