Motherhood was seen as a woman's primary goal in life. Her job was to raise clean, well-fed and well-behaved children by adhering to strict routines and principles. Plunket provided mothers with firm, no-nonsense advice. The 'twelve essentials' of baby management were published in Plunket books in the mid-20th century so mothers could have them on hand to refer to. The diagram emphasises warm, efficient mothering but warns women not to spoil their children – in the eyes of Plunket such treatment could be as harmful as neglect or cruelty.
Using this item
Royal New Zealand Plunket Society
Reference:
Helen Deem and Nora P. Fitzgibbon (editors), Modern mothercraft: a guide to parents, Dunedin: Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children, 1945, p. 35
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.
Add new comment