ABSTRACT
Twist band's wife: 'My mother always went to work and we never had the love
-and-we used to come home to an empty house and-you know-everything was so different. I mean we used to come home and no mother there ... I used to have to bring all my other brothers and sisters up, and you know-I've ·always had to do it, and I've always had to do housework from eleven. I never seemed to have no break ... My mother was stricter than memy mother was strict. I'm not strict, but I like them to do as they're told, you know what I mean-let them go so far, and if you get really cross they know. But with the baby, now-well, my mother'll tell me to give them plenty of love. My mother always says the first year they want plenty of love, she's always told me that, "always love a baby"-so I think she must have picked us up when we was real tiny. She did when we was tiny, but not later on when you could remember, you know.' Factor's wife:
'I was spoiled-! had everything I wanted. What I didn't have was plenty of cuddling, and I make sure my children get that.' Toolsetter's wife:
'No, I'm not bringing mine up the same, because, er-1 don't think my mother had any love for children really, and children always know. I mean, to be quite honest, I didn't go in for my family (she has six) and I didn't want it; I think three's a nice family; but if you've got them, they're your responsibility, and it's up to you to share everything with them, sort of thing. Well, I don't think my mother actually did that really. We never
231 seemed to be ... she didn't starve us, we were well fed, and we were always clean and that; but it was always lacking that feeling of affection. Well, I hope that's not lacking here. I think I'm less strict with my children-well, I think that's just a movement of the times. (Do you think it's a good thing?) No, I don't really, but if the times move you can't stand still or go backwards. No, I don't really think it's a good thing, because I had far more discipline and I don't think it hurt me at all. I had far more smacks than these children ever get, but I don't think it did me any harm, it taught me manners and things like that, which I find it very difficult to teach children today. In fact I can't teach it to them; I find that when they get to secondary school, then they do do that for the teachers, you see, which they won't do for you.'
