Jill Clendon

Intergenerational Connections and Motherhood: a Social History of New Zealand?s Child Health and Development Book Jill Clendon

The Well Child/Tamariki Ora Health Book is a small booklet given to New Zealand mothers on the birth of a child. Although use of the book has decreased since it's inception in 1920, it is frequently kept within the family and handed on from mother to child. Utilising an oral history approach, this book traces the development of the Plunket book over time and explores the experiences of a group of 34 women and 1 man reflected on their ownership of,or involvement with, Plunket book. The latter is an effective clinical tool for mothers and nurses. Nurses use it as a tool to help develop a relationship with a mother and her family,and to identify and build on strengths. Mothers use it as a tool to link past with present,to maintain kinship ties across generations,to deal with change intergenerationally,and in a manner that contributes to their self-identity as woman and mother. Nurses and other health professionals should continue to use the Plunket book as a clinical tool mindful of the fact that the book remains in use beyond the health professional's immediate involvement with the mother and child,playing an important role in the context of the New Zealand family across generations.