ABSTRACT
This chapter develops the concept of the ‘alert assistant’ within the context of the work of mothers, using it to explore the often invisible but essential work carried out by them. The reproduction of gender was seen to be produced through the mother-child relationship, with the child’s sense of gender identity being developed between the ages of 18–36 months. In contrast, girls individuation patterns involved identification with their mothers, and consequently with the roles of their mothers. The majority of mothers interviewed appeared to accept that their child’s health was their 24 hour a day responsibility, and few seriously questioned their husband’s/partner’s minimal role in relation to health care. The same dilemmas Ribbens identified, such as how far to push children, and the paradox that ‘training for independence’ is seen as another form of dependency need to be managed by mothers, were also seen in this research.
