Decades Old Words Of Wisdom For Mothers #MustRead


While at the book store picking up, “Darth Vader and Son” for the hubs, I came across “Don’ts For Mothers 1878.”

Of course, I picked it right up.

Not five pages in, I was laughing out loud and cheering. The book is packed full of advice that's been passed down for hundreds of years, but in some very strange way, it's all still incredibly relevant.

  I present, my favorite bits of advice (Read: Can't. Stop. Laughing.):



Pregnancy:

  • Don’t employ the common sort of female midwife. Their ignorance is the cause of many fatal accidents.
  • Don’t forget that in 19 cases out of 20, no assistance whatever is necessary to a woman in labour, only good sense enough to leave nature to do her own work.

Ablution- (bathing and cleanliness)

  • Don’t bathe your new-born babe on cold water. It frequently produces stuffing of the nose or looseness of the bowels.  (bahahahaha!!  I’m sticking Ollie in a cold bath next time it’s daddy’s turn to bathe him!)
  • Don’t, however, run into an opposite extreme. Hot water weakens and enervates the babe and thus predisposes him to disease. Luke warm rain water is best to wash him with. (So should I wait until it rains, fetch the water and put Ollie in immediately?  I’m terrible I know.)
  • Don’t feel it necessary to wash your babe’s head with Brandy. (Damn! And I just bought a huge bottle for us both to wash with.  Brandy? Really?)
  • Don’t let a babe’s clothes to become wet with urine. Children can be taught cleanliness, by putting a vessel under their lap when there is a sign of evacuation and will soon be not content to do without it.  This practice may be begun at five or six weeks. (Seriously? The first sign usually comes in the form of a fountain shooting up.  Anything under his lap will be the only dry thing around!)

Diet-

·      Don’t gorge the babe with food, it makes him irritable, cross and stupid; cramming him with food might bring on convulsions.

·      Don’t neglect to be sure a child eats salt with his dinner. Let a mother see that advice is followed, or evil consequences will inevitably ensue. (My doctor has told me twice to make sure I don’t give Ollie salt.  Uh oh, evil must be on it’s way!)







Two confused parents=One amused baby Hopelessly we are trying raise a baby who is clearly smarter than both of us. April is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her work has been published in over ten countries and four languages. From books to newspapers, to print/online magazines and everything in between, you can find her work. For more on April, Visit AprilMcCormick.com