Remembering all that mum did during my childhood
Kath Williams has worked in sales, education, social work and programme writing. She is currently living in Nelson, New Zealand, with her partner, Peter, working in mental health and has begun her next book, “Growing up in the 1970s – Life after High School”.
“Were you born in a tent?” Mum would say.
My reply would be, “No.”
Mum would then say, “Well, shut the door behind you.”
Having an enquiring mind as a child growing up, it was natural for me to ask questions, and after asking the ‘why’ questions for what must have seemed like an eternity, the final answer would always be mum’s, “Because I said so, that’s why.” End of question time!
I bet all this sounds so familiar to my generation who grew up in the 1960s. I can still hear my mum saying it to me today. We didn’t always get on with our family, but when times were hard and we needed each other, family were always there.
Family in the 1960s was all about growing up as a unit. As a family, we ate together, we laughed together, we cried together, we argued together and we loved together. Our mums were the centre of our world. In my Facebook group I Remember When - Growing up in the 60s in Taranaki a place where people can share memories about the 1960’s, Warren Sole describes his childhood as: “LOVE... we had bucket loads of it from our mum! And we worshipped the ground she walked on. It certainly made me who I am today and I wouldn't change it for the world... Mauriora Kautou.”
Why just mum? Well, back then dad was the breadwinner. He went to work and bought home the wages, or as we used to say, “Dad bought home the bacon.”
Another group member, Jacky, said her dad used to joke and say, “Mum had to stay at home to make sure the house didn’t burn down.” It never did. The ‘breadwinner’ back in the day was for those people who didn’t work but would attend contests in which the prize was always bread.
This photo is of my Dad when he worked as a Linotype Operator at the Hawera Star, then at the NZ Herald.
Many mums also worked part-time though. Some children simply got left on their own to fend for themselves while mum went off to work. Sharon’s mum “cleaned the National Bank, and she would bike to work.” Sharon added, “But I was under 10 and she would leave me and my brother home by ourselves until Dad came home.”
Mum did everything. Mum was “the chief cook and bottle washer”. Mind you, that soon changed, because when we were old enough, one of our chores was to wash the dishes, dry the dishes and put them away. Most nights, my brother and I could be heard complaining, “Mum, I did them last night. It’s not my turn.” Mum would then have to sort out who did what again!
And it is true. Mums really do have eyes in the back of their head. While my brother and I argued over whose turn it was, and I pulled out the usual ‘poking tongue out, making faces at him’ routine, Mum, without moving a muscle would say, “If you keep making faces like that, the wind will change and your face will stay like that.” Hmmm, “What wind?” I would say.
Mum: “Don’t answer me back, and don’t use that tone with me, young lady, just do the dishes. NOW!”
Discussion ended. Mum: 1, Me: 0! And then being a girl, I did what all girls did for years, I sulked.
Mum did the raising and bringing up of the children and dad paid the bills and ruled the house with an iron fist, as the saying goes.
Did your mum have to work to help support the family? What was your childhood like? Share with us in the comments below.
Find more information at Kath Williams’ website here.
If you have a story to share please get in touch at melody@oversixty.com.au
Related links:
Why decluttering the family home can be a bad thing
A walk down memory lane: Growing up in the 1960s
A day in the life of a pioneering family in Australia