General Chat

Ive got Maddy with me for the weekend....YAY. But................

Things have certainly changed from when her mum was a baby. Jen and me had a conversation about how she was as a baby, and what did I do. One of the things I did was to put her outside in her pram most days. Warmly wrapped up if it was cold, and not if it was nice. Jen was horrified, how could I do such a thing, wasnt I worried that someone would pinch her, and didnt she catch nasty colds ect... Felt like I had done the wrong thing, but luckily one of the neighbours had popped round to have a cuddle with Maddy, and leaped to my defence, as it was something we all did. And Im only talking about 1977 and not the dark ages.

I know what you mean, my oldest spent a lot of time in the back garden in his pram, that was in 1981, getting some fresh air in to him, but these days they think you are being cruel, children were able to throw off colds better in those days as well, nower days they spend all day inside and get a cold at the slightest thing. Bev

I note that you both refer to prams. Nowadays babes are often enclosed in hooded pushchairs/car seat carriers or slumped in buggies. I used to love to see mine stretched out in their prams, kicking their legs free in summer months or warmly wrapped in cooler times. I do understand that really cold air is not good for tinies' lungs but a walk with the pram used to be great. Gwyn.... who became a mum in the 70s

It seems like things changed some time from the early 80's how sad it is that children have to be kept inside for their own safety, they miss out on so much. Bev

Thank goodness I didnt mention the leaving of pram outside the shops. Jen would have blown a gasket. I also remember that when her little brother was born I bought a little seat from Mothercare that attached to the bottom of her big pram so that she could sit in it, with the new baby safely in pram. It was like a wee armchair with straps so that she didnt fall off it.

I rtemember leaving my sons pram out side the shop, I used to take my dog with me, and fasten her to the pram, she used to guard the pram with her life, he was her baby and no one was aloud to go near him, he was safer than most that way. Bev

I remember in 1971 taking eldest D to Sainsbury's in her pram. I was halfway home before I remembered I was supposed to have the baby with me.

Jim my mom did that with me, she walked to town to get the shopping, then when she came out of the shop, she saw the bus and jumped on it, when she got home she realised that I was still out side the shop in my pram, she had to jump on the bus back to town and get me...I wonder if she was trying to get rid of me at an early age or what.... Bev

I remember leaving my daughter outside a shop and when I returned her wee crocheted bonnet had turned round and was over her face. Rosalyn

My mum put me in the pram, shoved me in the garden and ignored me when I cried! Everyone in the street did the same. I used to put my boys in their pushchairs in the back garden BUT I never left them in the front garden or outside a shop. My mum left me in my pram outside the post office once and got halfway home before she realised! On another occasion, when I was a toddler, she started pushing my brother in the pram when she found herself clutching the handle as the pram rolled down the road. My dear little brother had managed to remove all the wing nuts holding the handle on! nell

Reading all your stories about babies and prams reminded me of when my eldest son was born in April 1959, wages were poor then in the building trade. On being asked to work all over the Easter weekend I jumped at the chance as we couldn't afford to buy a pram. I got paid 21 pounds for that weekend which paid for a new pram. Father-in-law was playing in a bowls match one Saturday so we all went to watch, my wife and I walked there pushing the baby in the pram. Coming home after the match my in- laws and my wife and baby got a taxi back and I was left to push the empty pram almost three miles home ! we lived in rented rooms at the time and the landlady was an old spinster, when it rained she would rush to put newspapers down in the hallway when we brought the pram in. And another thing which got on my wifes nerves, on leaving the baby in the backyard in his pram she would rush out on hearing him crying and pick him up. 'How Times Have Changed ????? I wonder what my grandchildren will think when they read my life story ?