I know the 1980s are where it's at. Neon jelly shoes, big belts and Wayfarers. But really, when you were there first time round, doesn't it make you shudder, just a little bit?
For me it's all about the 1970s and I don't think I'm alone. Here's my evidence.
Exhibit A: Mums born in the 1970s are proud of their domestic skills. Rather than feeling like we're setting the feminist world back 50 years, we stitch, bake and plant knowing our grandmothers gave us the choice to do so. Each button sewn or cake mix whipped is infused with the knowledge we learnt it from our family, and our identity feels a little stronger for it every time. For 'makers' of any kind, a chance to spend more time hands-on helping little ones plant, mix, stick, build and glue makes it that bit more special.
Exhibit B: Our choices of partner, while we're busy channelling Barbara from The Good Life. Not Jerry, the reliable, high earning business man in the pinstripe who's barely ever home, but Tom, the happy-go-lucky, not so affluent but chirpy and supportive other half about the house. There are times a pinstriped affluent husband really would be useful, but give me the chilled out, cheeky, creative one who is present during our child's waking hours, any day.
Exhibit C: Clothkits and Maxi-dresses. It can't be coincidence that Clothkits recently relaunched the brand that set homes across the kingdom cutting and sewing round ready-made outlines of perfect little skirts, pinafores, pants and dolls.
Luckily they have updated their designs but some of the classics remain. Meanwhile Maxi-dresses are the item to cover all clothing situations. Long and floaty enough to cover 'motherly' curves; swish and sexy enough to take you from your own Flake ad sitting in a poppy-strewn garden, through to a stream of summer weddings.
Exhibit D: The recent mourning of heroic TV creator Oliver Postgate. He who created iconic 1970s favourites such asBagpuss, Ivor the Engine and The Clangers. When he moved on to that blue string pudding in the sky, a nation of mums born in the 1970s remembered everything we loved about being children, and harnessed that world to pass on to our children.
So space invaders and jumpsuits, compete with that, I dare you!