The books are what I want to talk about. I seriously want to ask Grammy if they were given to me as something funny to read or legitimate guides/advice. May I present to you:
Exhibit A - Date 1952First off, I looked up what Farex is...according to wikipedia it's flour mixed with vitamins. The book is basically a how-to on introducing foods, along with recipes for baby which incorporate Farex. I think it would be the modern day equivalent of rice cereal.
I haven't read the whole thing cover to cover, I'll admit it, but I did flip through the booklet. The recipes are 'Simple, appetizing Farex recipes for the family'...such things as Farex Meat Loaf, Farex Fruit Flan, Farex Apple Brown Betty, and let us not miss out on Farex Jelly Sponge.
I didn't think this book was too weird, until I saw this (click on them to read them):
If you read through it, the one thing that jumped out at me was the adding SUGAR to everything or the extensive uses of jams, jellies, and juices....all of which contain SUGAR! Hmmm....
Sugar is becoming more well known to be a major cause of obesity (at least I think I read that somewhere). I think I may have discovered the cause of increased obesity in the US...FAREX's Guide to Weaning. The baby boomer parents created an entire GENERATION of SUGAR ADDICTS!
Read over what the suggested things are for weaning...cow's milk, marmalade, jam and bread, honey...Makes me wonder what people will think about our parenting in 60 years.
Exhibit B - No Date
It's basically an advertisement for Dinneford's Magnesia...the pamphlet suggests that it be given to both mother and baby to help with keeping the bowels gently open.There are two things on this front page that caught my eye:
Under "during pregnancy": "You will win the approval of your doctor if you take an occasional tablespoonful or so of Dinneford's Pure Fluid Magnesia to keep the system gently regular"
(I'm all about pleasing my doctor and winning their approval!)
and under "After Baby is Born": "and you try to settle down to the routine of nursing, not forgetting your home duties as well...."
(Of course, let me pop out a kid and get right back to the house work!)
Ummmmm...........Wow! just WOW!
On the back of the pamphlet it has suggested treatments for which Dinneford's works wonders: Your child is teething....give'em Dinneford's; An infectious disease? "It is wise to keep the bowels gently open with Dinneford's"; Hiccups? Dinneford's! This stuff is magic! I wonder why it's not around anymore ;-)
Exhibit C
The last page of this little beauty is what REALLY caught my eye, "Suggested Articles Required at the Time of the Confinement for Mother and Baby." .....ummm :-|I know this is a sign of the times, but really? Confinement? Thankfully gone are the days of confinement and laboring alone in a room for days strapped to a bed.
I still want to ask Matt's grandma why she got these for me (I'm assuming at a garage sale), but I have no idea how to do that without seeming rude. If it was for a good laugh...awesome! But if she bought them in ernest and seriously I consider taking their advice....wow!
I thought you would all get a good kick out of reading these.
3 comments:
That is too weird! Things have changed a lot, I guess. I really hope that you were given them for a laugh. But who knows what goes through grandparent's minds? My grandmother gave me a copy of "What to Expect: Baby's First Year." (A second copy, and I was given the first one!) She was really excited about it and even read it before she gave it to me. I have not cracked it open, as there are so many better baby books out there.
Dinniefords isn't arround any more because it contained alcohol. No wonder it settled babies down LOLS!
But before we knock our mothers, we did survive and they managed the housework too!!
LOLS
Sally, I figured it had to contain something, especially when I read that they suggested it to settle your baby lol
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