General Chat

Dettol was THE thing years ago wasn't it? No matter what was wrong Dettol cured it, and if that didn't do it, use TCP:)) Where 3 or 4 things were needed years ago, it's now more like 24, it takes me 10 minutes to decide what toilet paper to get, years ago it was just Izal, if you were lucky that was, as the only alternative was newspaper:)))

Actually, I never had nits, either. I remember hearing about five or ten years ago from my mum that she went in the chemist and a woman with a child was in there. This kid was scratching its head like mad - turned out it had head lice - but my mum said the mother didn't want to pay about £8 for the proper lice treatment and left with a bottle of tea tree oil that was cheaper. I think tea tree works on lice but my mum couldn't believe this woman wouldn't pay the extra money to treat her kid's head lice. My sister and I were always playing in the garden and getting filthy as kids. She's got asthma but she was born with it. I've always been pretty healthy - it frustrated me so much that when I was ill, I used to try to spin it out to get more time off school. Never worked, though.

Too right Lynda about the Nits - grt neice has caught them at least five times since starting school (she's now 11) - during the last escapade she was staying with us and boy was it hard work, washing her hair (long, silky and blonde) every perishing night and using the stuff - not only the washing, but the drying!!! Apparently the school is supposed to send a letter home informing the parents of an outbreak, and thus I suppose ensuring that each kid is treated! - ha!!! God, my fingers were raw after dealing with her nits - lol I'm glad I only had a boy, with fashionably short hair whilst at school - he never had nits thank the lord - zits yes, but nits no! lol Jac

Hi Derek, in London we called her Nitty Norah:)) In the 80's when my daughter was at school they used have the nurse check heads, but by the late 80's the nurse didn't visit, due to the pc stuff, and of course the lack of funds. My Grandson doesn't have Nitty Nora come round either, so I expect she is a past luxury, although of course nits are probably more commomn now, than in the 50's

Does anyone remember the GREEN LADY? (School Nurse)! She used to visit the school every few month's. One by one we went into the room, she would check your hair for nits and the stick her hand down your pants to check for what? Nits/ crabs no idea!!!!!!...... Didn't see her wash her hands after each pupil!! Nowadays nurses & Doctors wash their hands in anti. gel as soon as look at you! Derek

Hi Jac & Derek:)) It seems to me that the folk who are fanatical about cleanliness, seem to be the ones who are constantly sick, with one ailment or another, they must wash so many germs away, they never get any resistance. As for milton, which I used, it smelt similar bleach, wonder what that did to our childrens stomachs? My Mum was one of 13, she was number 12, bet her bottles weren't sometimes washed out, or if so, just with water. I think we are a bit too clean now.

I was born at home same as my brother and two sisters in 1953, Bottles were cleaned useing salt and then washeed. Nappies were steaped in bleach and then washed (Terry;s) My daughter was born 1987 and we used Terry's, they saved us a fortune, today everything is throw away now there's no big hole's left to dump them (Dispoables don't rot they just sit in the ground)! We are too sterile nowadays causing infection in kid's. When I was a child I played out all day in the dirt (earth) with my Corci's and Dinkey's) I would shout to my mother for a Jam sandwich etc) she would thru it out in a paper bag. I would eat the sandwich with filthy hands, never affected me, didn't see a Doctor until I was 16. All this sterile stuff is pushed by the manufacture's. Money! Money!! Money.................. Derek

Oh this takes me back - I believe my mum used to sterilise things by boiling them (and told me to do the same when my son was born - I used Miltons!) I think Liz Woodford made a valid point about so much hygenic procedures used over the last twenty years - I'm sure I read fairly recently that kids today have so little resistance to things because they are not exposed to any 'dirt' (for want of a better word) in early life. Not that I would advocate dirty surroundings, unclean hands etc but I do sometimes wonder if a little 'dirt' at an early age didnt have the effect of 'toughening up' kids. what do you think? Jac (National Dried Milk baby from 1946)

Crumbs things took ages to change didn't they??? I'm an 80's child and my brother was a 90's child. Mum used the same toweling nappies on both of us but did get some extras for my brother plus Rubber pants to put over thaen but the elastic would cut into him. The nappy bin (blue with lid) lived in the downstairs loo and filled with nappiesan and were mashine washed then boiled on the hob in an old pan then tumble dried / drip dried depending on the weather. Disposables were used as going out nappies on my brother or if I changed him first thing in the morning as I refused to use the nappy pins (I was 7 when he was born) as my nan had pinned a nappy to my uncle and I didn't want to repeat that. Bottles went in to a milton tank and rinsed before use (didn't do him any harm). both of us were on solids really early - mum put a 1/4 rusk in my bottle and I was on cooked dinners by 3 months old, brother was being weened at 3 months. When brother was little I would climb up to the cupboard above the work top get him a bickypeg and push ribbon through the hole, help myself to a Farleys Rusk and then jump down and tie the picky peg to my brother. I remember mum giving my brother multivits and orange liquid that he hated, she'd use the dropper to squert in in his mouth then clamp his mouth shut pinching his nose if he didn't swallow - it wasn't bruttal like it sounds honestly. I've spent some time recently on childrens wards and a baby unit. Childrens wards still use milton tanks but steam sterilisers are coming in slowly, the baby unit uses steamers for quickness, disposable bottles and loads of cotten wool for bottems. The Nurses and Midwives still make you prove you that you can look after a preterm baby before you can take them home - inc bathing, feeding, making feeds, sterilising bottles, nappy changes....

I don't know why but it crossed my mind that maybe they were trying to pickle him! My gran was tiny - smaller than me and I'm five foot nothing - but she had all seven of them at home on the farm. As far as I know, she didn't give birth in hospital once and all of them were fine. Shame she probably wouldn't be able to do that these days.

Vinegar was used for everything. Could do another thread. lol Hilary. xxx

Lynda, I can still remember the banana shaped glass baby feeding bottles with a teat on both ends lol! Know one of my friends mother's used to boil up a large pan of water and submerge them in that, as well as rubbing salt on them. Of course being glass, you had to be careful they didn't overheat in case they shattered. Jen

I'm a lot later than most posters, but my mum put us in disposables and terry nappies in the 80s and for years afterwards, we had a box of leftover Napisan in our garage. She's still got a thing about terry nappies. I'm going to use them when I have kids. I can't believe disposables take so long to decompose (and apparently the same goes for those things you need once a month if you're female). I'm so pleased somebody knew about Bickie Pegs! My mum used to sellotape them to my babygro, then go off to do something else and would come back to find me and the sellotape but no Bickie Peg. Took her ages to realise the two labradors were coming up and pinching them from me. They dressed babies so nicely in the past! I've got photos of my dad and his eldest brother (who died as a baby) and they've got little knitted jumpers and tiny little socks and shoes with buttons on. I suppose babygros are more practical but they must have taken so much time dressing them fifty or sixty years ago. My dad, youngest of seven, told me he was born a week late, at home in 1951 and he came out all wrinkly because of this, so they washed him in vinegar, I think it was. Still haven't fathomed it out - does anyone have bright ideas.

Mum had a list with what she needed to take into hospital when she gave birth to me in 1944, this included a Gas Mask!! I'm sure I used to clean teats with salt, and brush the inside of the bottled with a bottle brush before putting into Milton solution. This was late 60's early 70's. Made up baby milk (truefood was the brand I had) and kept a days worth in the fridge to reheat as needed with bottle standing in a jug of boiling water. Tried disposable nappies once they were awful, nothing like todays which are excellent. We used platic pants over the nappies. Zac cream for bottoms. Gripe water for colic

Yes I remember my Mum rubbing salt into the teats.....one on either end of a banana shaped bottle..... Don't know about sterilising though....

Oh! just seen the dates. Never mind, lots of different people on boards now, maybe they can add as well Lynda. Hilary. x

I was a 50's baby but I don't remember any bottles at all. 6 of us & all breast fed. Can remember though that my dad worked at a big factory & he used to get cod liver oil capsules & cod liver malt cheap from the factory. The factories in them days were very family orientated. We used to have family sports days & christmas parties. I had my 1st in 1974 & detested Paddi-pads. Horrible things. Only used them once. Hilary. x

Thought this worth a nudge, to go with June's 50's thread, some good stories on here to read.

Fascinating, all your memories! My son was born in 1977 and I struggled with terries and bottles every day, as was working part-time and had to deliver everything clean to childminder every morning. With a poor sleeper as well, how DID I do it - and work!!!! Lily

I bought a pile of secondhand terry nappies when expecting my son in 1982 - didn't have a washing machine so used to soak them in napisan or similar, then wash by hand in the bath. Now and again I would take a bundle to the launderette. My son never had nappy rash, and was walking at the age of 10 months, despite the bulk of the nappies. I still have the nappies ready for a grandchild?! I breast fed him for ages and he has only had the usual childhood ailments like chickenpox and mumps despite having all the jabs. I am sure all this hygiene malarkey makes kids less able to resist germs. Obviously I was and still am careful about handwashing after using the loo and before eating but otherwise he certainly 'ate a peck' as the old saying goes. He's now a sturdy 5ft 10' tall 22 year old and lovely.