On Laundry Thoughts:

I think a lot while doing household drudgery. I was doing the laundry the other day and added a few things that hadn’t been used for a very long time. Baby things.

While laundering them I was remembering things from both my children’s and my childhoods. Stories mostly, and the unending need to teach children at any and all opportunities.

This lead to the changing times. How the stories read to me were so vastly different then the ones my mother grew up with and how the ones available to my children were a change yet again.

I had the opportunity as a child to read the books my mother still had from her childhood. And my mother and I would often discuss these changes.

While my mother thought that all things being painted as beautiful was great. I felt it a shame that children were being sanitized by stories where all ended good each and every time and caution was rarely, if ever, taught.

I offer you ‘Struwwelpeter‘. Or ‘Slovenly Peter’ the English translation.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12116/12116-h/12116-h.htm

And the Wikipedia info here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Struwwelpeter#Stories

Life was I little more Gothy for kids back in the day.