Mum - I think I have strained myself

I have a 1967 copy of a book on `Accidents to Children’. There is a section on injuries caused by the washing machine. There are graphic descriptions of children whose fingers, forearms and arms have been caught between the rollers of the automatic wringers supplied by many washing machines.

We are very grateful that our children are spared these horrors. We must all be grateful for the invention of the spin dryer.

We presume that common sense and common observation led us to expect that a child’s school achievement will be determined, to some extent, by the attitudes of the parents. It does seem likely that the attitudes will depend on material circumstances.

We no longer need to worry too much about a child suffering injury from a washing machine. The `material circumstances’ of parents may, however, supply more modern tools for little fingers to dabble in.

Repetitive Strain Injury from a keyboard is also to be feared – especially as the Eleven Plus examinations grow closer.