British Mothers Research Articles

Divergent rhythms of motherhood. Patterns of paid and unpaid work and domestic outsourcing among mothers in the United Kingdom and Western Germany

Objective: This article investigates class differences in mothers’ daily organization of paid and unpaid work, and how they are associated with domestic outsourcing in the United Kingdom and Western Germany. Background: Operating hours of schools and daycare facilities often conflict with long working hours in high-skilled jobs and nonstandard working hours in low-skilled jobs. However, little is known on whether advantaged mothers rely on domestic outsourcing to resolve such scheduling conflicts, and how disadvantaged mothers reconcile their daily care responsibilities with paid work, depending on the welfare state context. Method: The study uses sequence and cluster analyses on time-use data to identify typical patterns of paid and unpaid work (N=1,947). Regression models predict how these patterns differ by the mothers’ education and household income, and how they are associated with outsourcing housework and childcare. Results: In both contexts, disadvantaged mothers were more likely to have unpaid workdays rather than nonstandard workdays. However, British advantaged mothers were considerably more likely to outsource childcare to pursue standard workdays. By contrast, the pattern of partial workdays in the morning, combined with more unpaid work allocation, prevailed among Western German mothers. Conclusion: In the United Kingdom, more market-oriented as opposed to conservative family policies, stronger labor market deregulation, and more consistent policy incentives for domestic outsourcing seem more effective than in Western Germany in promoting advantaged mothers’ careers. However, this comes at the expense of greater class differences in how mothers organize their time.

Affective Taxonomy Domain Development for Improving Elementary Student Behaviour with English Mother Tongue Interaction

Affective Taxonomy Domain Development for Improving Elementary Student Behaviour with English Mother Tongue Interaction

Postnatal depression in British mothers of African and Caribbean origin: a randomised controlled trial of learning through play plus culturally adapted cognitive behaviour therapy compared with psychoeducation.

One in every three women worldwide experiences postnatal depression after childbirth, with long-term negative consequences on their children. The mainstream mental healthcare provision for British mothers of African/Caribbean origin is mostly unsuccessful due to a lack of culturally appropriate care. The study adopts a mixed-methods randomised controlled trial (RCT) design. A 12-session (60 minutes each) of online Learning Through Play plus Culturally adapted Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (LTP+CaCBT) intervention was employed for treating postnatal depression in comparison with psychoeducation (PE). Participants aged 19-53 were screened for depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). N=130 participants who scored >5 on PHQ-9 were randomised into LTP+CaCBT (n=65) or PE (n=65) groups. N=12 focus groups (LTP+CaCBT, n=6; PE, n=6) and n=15 individual interviews (LTP+CaCBT, n=8; PE, n=7) were conducted, transcribed verbatim and analysed. Satisfaction with intervention (LTP+CaCBT, 72.9%; PE, 65.2%); retention rates (LTP+CaCBT, 91%; PE, 71%); reduction in postnatal depression was higher in LTP+CaCBT on PHQ-9 Md=1.00 with z= -4.046; compared to PE, Md=1.00 with z= -1.504. Both groups showed reduced levels of anxiety on GAD-7 with no significant difference. Emerging themes from the qualitative findings showed increased positive moods, reduced worries about parenting difficulties and the facilitative role of remote intervention. LTP+CaCBT intervention is culturally appropriate and acceptable and reduces postnatal depression in British mothers of African/Caribbean origin. A fully powered RCT is recommended to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of LTP+CaCBT, including the child's outcomes compared with routine treatment as usual. www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04820920.

Gift Giving in Enduring Dyadic Relationships: The Micropolitics of Mother–Daughter Gift Exchange

Abstract This article investigates the dynamics of long-term gift exchange between British mothers and their adult daughters, delving into the processes behind dyadic gift giving. Through 54 comprehensive interviews, we elaborate the micropolitics that characterize these dynamics. Micropolitics refers to the subtle, everyday interactions, including gift exchange, that shape the ongoing negotiation of roles and the management of conflict or consensus within relationships. The study uncovers how these micropolitics manifest through four distinct processes of gift exchange: confirming, endorsing, connoting, and commanding. Gifts emerge as key instruments in this negotiation, serving as a medium for the reciprocal regulation of role behavior concerning gender, identity, and both endo-dyadic (within the dyad) and exo-dyadic (outside the dyad) roles. In contrast to previous research that adopts a synchronic (snapshot) approach to gift giving, our diachronic (over time) perspective emphasizes how power dynamics, intent, and identity politics evolve to sustain and transform relationships. Our findings illustrate the important communicative and power-laden processes of gift exchange in enduring relations, explaining why even unwanted gifts can have significant bonding value. Our study offers fresh perspectives on the continuous evolution of relationship and role dynamics, as viewed through the practices of gift exchange.

Wine-Mom Culture, Alcohol Use, and Drinking Motives: A Descriptive Study and Cross-Cultural Exploration of American and British Mothers

Objective: “Wine-mom” culture, which promotes the idea that women should use alcohol to cope with the stressors of parenting, is pervasive in modern society, yet remains an under-researched variable in the context of women’s alcohol use. The present investigation was a descriptive study and cross-cultural exploration (United States vs. United Kingdom) of the association between wine-mom culture (perceptions of wine-mom culture and related behaviors) and various alcohol-related outcomes, parenting experiences, and drinking motives. Methods: This study included 233 American and 233 British mothers recruited through Prolific. Participants completed the study questions/questionnaires in Qualtrics; they completed nine items measuring their perceptions of and engagement with wine-mom culture, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, the Parental Stress Scale, and the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised, along with questions about their alcohol use and parenting experiences. Results: Our results indicated that although American mothers were more familiar with wine-mom culture than British mothers, the correlations observed were similar for both groups. Some of the wine-mom culture variables were associated with problematic alcohol use and parenting stress. Additionally, wine-mom culture-related behaviors had moderate to strong positive correlations with drinking to cope motives. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that future research should examine the role of wine-mom culture in the perception that alcohol can—or should—be used as a form of self-medication. Other future directions and considerations for this area of study are discussed.

Mother–Child Conversations of Latina Immigrant and U.S.-Born Mothers in the United States

The present study examined heritage culture influences on the roles of adult and child in the conversations Latina immigrant mothers in the United States have with their young children. Spanish monolingual Latina mothers ( n = 17), Spanish-English bilingual Latina mothers ( n = 30), and English monolingual European American mothers ( n = 22) were recorded in toy play interaction with their 2.5-year-old children; the bilingual Latina mothers were recorded twice, once interacting in Spanish and once in English. Analyses of transcripts of those conversations revealed that the monolingual Spanish-speaking Latina mothers talked more and asked fewer questions of their children and their children talked less compared with the monolingual English-speaking European American mothers and their children, consistent with differences that have been observed between mothers in Latin America and in the United States. The Spanish and English conversations between the bilingual mothers and their children similarly differed in the ratio of adult to child speech, although the Latina mothers’ English conversations still differed from the English conversations of European American mothers. In addition, the ratio of mother to child speech in the immigrant mothers’ Spanish language conversations declined as their years of U.S. residence increased. These findings argue that children of Latina immigrant mothers in the United States are socialized to talk less (and listen more) in conversation with adults compared with children from European American families. These findings also provide new evidence for cultural frames as the mediators of cultural influences on behavior and for language priming of cultural frames.

Exploratory RCT of a group psychological intervention for postnatal depression in British mothers of South Asian origin – ROSHNI-D

BackgroundPostnatal depression (PND) is a global public health problem. There is a high prevalence of PND amongst ethnic minority women and major ethnic inequalities in mental health care in the U.K. Language and cultural barriers pose a significant challenge for access to timely treatment and interventions for British South Asian (BSA) women with PND. MethodsThe study, carried out in Manchester and Lancashire, England, was a two-arm single-blind exploratory randomised controlled trial. BSA women (N = 83) having a baby <12 months were randomised either to the group receiving the culturally adapted Positive Health Programme (PHP) (n = 42) or to the group receiving treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 41). Follow-up assessments were at 3 months (end of intervention) and 6 months after randomisation. ResultsUsing an intention to treat analysis, there was no significant difference between PHP intervention and TAU groups in depression measured using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale both at 3 and 6 months follow up. Using modified intention to treat analysis, women who attended four or more sessions showed significant reduction in depression in the PHP group compared to the TAU group and the greater number of sessions attended was associated with greater reductions in depression scores. LimitationsThe sample was relatively small and the study was conducted in one geographical area in Northwest England; hence, these results may not be generalizable to other regions and populations. ConclusionThe recruitment and trial retention figures highlighted the ability of the research team to engage with BSA women, having implications in planning services for this group. Trial registrationClinicaltrials.govNCT01838889.

IN THE ANGST OF THE INVISIBLE EXISTENCE: MIRRORING THE EXISTENTIAL DILEMMA USING BODILY METAPHORS IN THE SELECTED POEMS OF JAYANTA MAHAPATRA AND KEKI N DARUWALLA

Indian English poetry since the culmination of the colonial phase took a decisive and deliberately marked shift from the slavish imitation of the romantic writers like Keats, Byron, Shelly, and Wordsworth to a more progressive and experimental style with methodical and thematic innovativeness. It was known as post-independence poetry which heralded the arrival of a new way of composing poems with an indigenous ‘Indianness’ essence, sabotaging the strong clutches of its colonizer’s English mother tongue. Some of the greatest contributors include Nissim Ezekiel, Dom Moraes, P. Lal, Adil Jussawalla, A. K. Ramanujan, R. Parthasarathy, Gieve Patel, Arvind Mehrotra, Pritish Nandy, Kamala Das, K. N. Daruwalla, Shiv Kumar, Jayanta Mahapatra, Meena Alexander, Agha Shahid Ali, Vikram Seth, Manohar Shetty, etc. A large section of poetry produced by these avant-garde writers was based on raw human experiences and expressions with overtones of psychoanalysis, existentialism, surrealism, etc. Another major experimentation conducted by the modern Indian poets was the incorporation of symbols and metaphors, which made an allusive reference to the unvoiced pathos of the survival guilt of the modern Indian man. With the emergent uncertainties and disillusionment of the post-independence scenario, themes like an identity crisis, alienation, feminist concerns, Marxism, etc were projected as close allies with the existential concerns of the era. Using Foucault’s discourse of society on ‘subject’ and ‘power’ in the molding of the individual’s self, the present study marks an attempt to demonstrate how the two selected poets Jayanta Mahapatra and Keki N Daruwalla try to reflect their existential concerns and post-colonial ‘angst’ by meticulously employing differently disabled bodily metaphors.

A comparative study of the work–life balance experiences and coping mechanisms of Nigerian and British single student-working mothers

PurposeRecent gender-related research has focused on how gender affects work–life balance (WLB), particularly whether men and women have similar difficulties balancing work and family demands. However, to broaden WLB research beyond its concentration on employees to a different population, this study investigates the WLB experiences of single student-working mothers.Design/methodology/approachThis article uses a qualitative study using three focus groups to compare Nigerian and British single student-working mothers' WLB experiences and coping strategies or mechanisms adopted in these two contexts.FindingsThe findings indicate that, regardless of nationality, single student-working mothers are affected by inter-role conflict, role ambiguity, role strain, role overload and external role pressures, which make achieving WLB a herculean task. Nevertheless, given the different political, economic and socio-cultural landscapes of the two countries, the extent to which the aforementioned factors impact single student-working mothers varies and influences the range of coping mechanisms adopted in the two contexts.Practical implicationsThe insights gleaned from this study suggest that there are huge challenges for single student-working mothers in terms of achieving WLB due to their status as students, workers and mothers. Combining these roles negatively affect their WLB and level of productivity and effectiveness, at home, at work and at university. This poses significant implications for human resource structures, policies and practices. The authors suggest that single student-mothers should learn from their counterparts' experiences and coping mechanisms, and that organisations and government should also provide adequate support to help them combine their challenging roles. This would ease the tension associated with combining multiple roles and enhance their well-being and WLB.Originality/valueThe study calls for a re-examination of WLB policies and practices at organisational and national levels to ensure that single student-working mothers are well supported to enhance their productivity and WLB.

Hanif Kureishi’nin Varoşların Budası Adlı Romanında Etnik Karikatürler ve Ulusaşırı Kimlik

This study focuses on comic ethnic caricatures in Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia (1990) and argues that the construction and deconstruction of these caricatures transcend the concept of identity. Kureishi’s novel narrates four years in the life of Karim, who is born to an Indian father and an English mother. Karim’s identity conflict due to his mixed racial background prevents him from fitting in the British society. The novel revolves around Karim’s and other immigrant characters’ identity conflicts in the tense political and social climate of 1970s Britain. As the novel is narrated from Karim’s perspective, his humorous perspective of the world produces comic characters, which are particularly caricatured versions of ethnic identities. This study argues that the shifting direction of humour generated by the construction and deconstruction of comic ethnic caricatures exposes the transnational sensibility of ethnic identities in The Buddha of Suburbia.

Designing a blended learning environment to enhance low achieving students' Tamil language learning

Although Singapore's bilingualism policy encourages students to be bilingual in both English language (EL) and mother tongue language (MTL), due to the EL being widely used across nations, there are notable changes in the usage of MTL among the younger Singaporeans. This deterioration of MTL proficiency among the low-achieving students (LAS) students enrolled in the normal technical (NT) stream in Singapore is evidentiary. Perhaps, language learning may be transformed into a more exciting and engaging approach for the LAS with the help of ICT and the integration of blended learning. The goal of this study was to design a BLE for LAS to help them improve their Tamil language proficiency. In this study, 11 secondary level LAS who attend a specialised school for normal technical students will assess their Tamil Language learning skills through educational design research.

The Impact of Maternal Parenting Style on Sibling Relationships: A Transnational Study on Two-Child Families of China and the United Kingdom

This study, through a survey of two-child families in China and the UK, aimed to explore the differences, similarities, and associations between sibling relationships and maternal parenting styles from a transnational point of view. A total number of 107 mothers (UK: N = 55; China: N = 52) with two children were administered through a battery of online questionnaires respectively. Results showed no significant differences in the quality of sibling relationships between the two countries. Conflict and competitive behaviours among siblings greatly outnumbered warmth-related ones for both countries. In terms of maternal parenting style, permissive and authoritarian parenting styles were more dominant in both China and the UK compared with the authoritative style. However, British mothers tend to be more authoritarian than their Chinese counterparts towards both older and younger children. Although significant transnational correlations were found on the associations between maternal parenting style and the quality of sibling relationships, the authoritative parenting style was found to be more conducive to reduce the conflict behaviours between siblings in the UK, while the authoritarian parenting style turned out to be more effective among Chinese mothers. The above findings deepen our understanding of the association of parenting styles with sibling relationships. Implications on parenting practice to improve the quality of sibling relationships are also offered.

AN ANALYSIS OF INTONATION PATTERN IN THE PRE SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHER’S TALKS

This study examined the intonation pattern errors occurring in pre-service English teachers’ talks and investigated the causes of the errors. This research used three instruments to gain the data: documentation, observation and interview. Then, the collected data were analyzed using Roach, Wells Haycraft theories and PRAAT software analysis. The participants of this study were 8th semester students in English Language Education Study Program at one of the private universities in Yogyakarta. Three recordings of pre-service English teachers’ talks were transcribed by unitizing schemes, sampling plans, recording/coding, reducing data, abductively inferring contextual phenomena, and narrating the result information of the data collected. The results showed that two kinds of intonation patterns occurred in pre-service English teachers, falling and rising. The speakers’ dominant error was final rising in WH-question sentence type. The errors were caused by the physical impediment, inability in manipulating the pitch voice, and inability to keep the level tone stable. In addition, it was also due to the pre-service English teachers L1 mother tongue. This study gave information of pre-service English teachers’ ability, obstacle, and the causes of errors in producing intonation tone. It can be a reference for pre-service English teachers to look for pre-service teachers’ ability in mastering pronunciation especially intonation.

Disparities in the timing of antenatal care initiation and associated factors in an ethnically dense maternal cohort with high levels of area deprivation

BackgroundLate access to antenatal care is a contributor to excess mortality and morbidity among ethnic minority mothers compared to White British in the UK. While individual ethnicity and socioeconomic disadvantage are linked to late antenatal care initiation, studies have seldom explored patterns of late initiation and associated factors in ethnically dense socially disadvantaged settings. This study investigated disparities in the timing of antenatal care initiation, and associated factors in an ethnically dense socially disadvantaged maternal cohort.MethodsA retrospective cross-sectional study using routinely collected anonymous data on all births between April 2007—March 2016 in Luton and Dunstable hospital, UK (N = 46,307). Late initiation was defined as first antenatal appointment attended at > 12 weeks of gestation and further classified into moderately late (13–19 weeks) and extremely late initiation (≥ 20 weeks). We applied logistic and multinomial models to examine associations of late initiation with maternal and sociodemographic factors.ResultsOverall, one fifth of mothers (20.8%) started antenatal care at > 12 weeks of gestation. Prevalence of late initiation varied across ethnic groups, from 16.3% (White British) to 34.2% (Black African). Late initiation was strongly associated with non-White British ethnicity. Compared to White British mothers, the odds of late initiation and relative risk of extremely late initiation were highest for Black African mothers [adjusted OR = 3.37 (3.05, 3.73) for late initiation and RRR = 4.03 (3.51, 4.64) for extremely late initiation]. The odds did not increase with increasing area deprivation, but the relative risk of moderately late initiation increased in the most deprived ([RRR = 1.53 (1.37, 1.72)] and second most deprived areas [RRR = 1.23 (1.10, 1.38)]. Late initiation was associated with younger mothers and to a lesser extent, older mothers aged > 35 years. Mothers who smoked during pregnancy were at higher odds of late initiation compared to mothers who did not smoke.ConclusionsThere is a need to intensify universal and targeted programmes/services to support mothers in ethnically dense socially disadvantaged areas to start antenatal care on time. Local variations in ethnic diversity and levels of social disadvantage are essential aspects to consider while planning services and programmes to ensure equity in maternity care provision.

Early Graders’ Learning in Mother Tongue: Parents and Teachers’ Perspectives

Comprehending the learning process in bilingual situations mostly depends on how the general public perceives the status of local and national languages. As such, considering the Ghanaian language policy which requires that both the English language and learner's mother tongue (MT) be taught as subjects in the classroom and employed as medium of teaching at various levels of the educational ladder, this study explored the perceptions of parents and teachers on the use of MT medium of instruction (MOI) in early childhood education (ECE). Using pragmatist paradigm, the mixed method approach and concurrent embedded design were employed. Questionnaire and semi-structured interview guide were used to seek data from 492 respondents in multilingual Ho in the Ho municipality of Volta Region of Ghana. Data was analysed using means and standard deviation, and themes. Findings revealed that notwithstanding their acknowledgement of MT in ECE, both keyholders disapproved MT MOI and commended the use of English or a blend of English and MT as MOI in Primary 1-3. The study therefore recommends that cultural and linguistic diversities of pupils should be considered in determining the language of instruction and communication in ECE. Broader and more engaging conversation is also recommended to inform more inclusive and effective language policy in ECE.

Prenatal Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Epigenetic Alterations at Birth Among Children Born to White British and Pakistani Mothers in the Born in Bradford Study

ABSTRACT Prenatal socioeconomic disadvantage (SD) has been linked to DNA methylation (DNAm) in adulthood, but whether such epigenetic alterations are present at birth remains unclear. We carried out an epigenome-wide analysis of the association between several measures of individual- and area-level prenatal SD and DNAm assessed in neonatal cord blood via the Infinium EpicBeadChip among offspring born to mothers of White British (N = 455) and Pakistani (N = 493) origin in the Born in Bradford Study. Models were adjusted for mother’s age, ethnicity, and education level as well as cell-type fractions and then for maternal health behaviours and neonate characteristics, and last, stratified by mother’s ethnicity. P-values were corrected for multiple testing and a permutation-based approach was used to account for small cell sizes. Among all children, housing tenure (owning versus renting) as well as father’s occupation (manual versus non-manual) were each associated with DNAm of one CpG site and index of multiple deprivation (IMD) was associated with DNAm of 11 CpG sites. Among children born to White British mothers, father’s occupation (student or unemployed versus non-manual) was associated with DNAm of 1 CpG site and IMD with DNAm of 3 CpG sites. Among children born to Pakistani mothers, IMD was associated with DNAm of 1 CpG site. Associations were largely unchanged after further adjustment for maternal health behaviours or neonate characteristics and remained statistically significant. Our findings suggest that individual- and area-level prenatal SD may shape alterations to the neonatal epigenome, but associations vary across ethnic groups.

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on breastfeeding during and at discharge from neonatal care: An observational cohort study.

ABSTRACTImportanceDuring the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) lockdown, changes in the visiting rules in neonatal units might have affected the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding.ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of the implementation of the COVID‐19 lockdown in the UK on mother's own milk (MOM) feeding in hospital and at the time of discharge in two UK neonatal units.MethodsRetrospective cohort study using routinely recorded data from electronic patient records. Data were retrieved from two neonatal services in the UK East Midlands region. Adjusted logistic regression was used to compare the odds of MOM feeding before, and after the implementation of the UK lockdown.ResultsAmong 2073 infants, after adjusting for maternal and infant characteristics and underlying trends over time, there were no differences in the odds of infants receiving any MOM during admission; any MOM at discharge or exclusive MOM at discharge before and after the imposition of the lockdown. Infants with birthweight <1000 g were three times less likely to receive any MOM at discharge compared to those with birthweight >2500 g (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.22–0.50). Younger mothers were less likely, and Black British mothers more likely, to be feeding MOM to their infants at discharge, while women in the least deprived Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintiles were 2–4 times more likely to do so, compared to those in the most deprived IMD quintile (adjusted OR 2.78, 95% CI: 1.97–3.90).InterpretationDespite the difficulties faced during COVID‐19 pandemic‐induced restrictions, infants in the participating neonatal units continued to receive MOM in similar proportions as before the pandemic.

Encountering the Colonial Relationship and Existential Uncertainty in Andrea Levy’s Small Island

For West Indian colonials whose cultural traditions are colored by the idealizations of a colonizing British mother country, discovering one’s place in familial and national structures involves making real and imagined journeys to that mother country. In Andrea Levy’s Small Island, two Jamaicans, Hortense and Gilbert, grow up in early twentieth-century, colonial Jamaica and later immigrate to WWII-era England. Through their narratives of both places, Levy demonstrates how the dynamic of the colonial relationship—the values and hierarchies inherent in the relationship between the mother country and her colony—impact mother-child relationships, self-understanding, and identity. In this article, I assert that the existential uncertainty that the colonial relationship creates—the desire and unpredictability of human relationship and the ensuing ambivalence about psychological survival—consistently holds in tension two important concepts: help and humiliation. The structure, pressures, and oppressions of the colonial system in Jamaica and England lead Hortense and Gilbert to either experience or inflict scenes of humiliation that arise from making relational sacrifices.

Homework in a bi-national family: The mobilisation of others in resolving language-related epistemic issues

This study adopts a conversation analytic approach to present a close analysis of the sequential organisation of a parent-child homework activity in a Swedish-English bi-national family. Families formed within migration contexts are increasingly common in an ever-globalised world, but current research has not fully investigated how parent-child homework practices are affected by parents who possess differing levels of expertise in the societal language. This article examines a number of episodes where the progressivity of a homework activity is halted due to language-related epistemic issues. More specifically, these halts in progressivity are caused due to the homework tasks being written in Swedish in combination with the English mother's lack of language expertise in Swedish. The episodes exemplify how these epistemic deadlocks are resolved through the mobilisation of a more knowledgeable party, the Swedish father, who orients to translation as a trouble resolution tool which facilitates epistemic progression and the progressivity of the homework activity.

City Boy Talks To Trees, and: Roofing

City Boy Talks To Trees, and: Roofing Raymond Antrobus (bio) City Boy Talks To Trees For Mimi Khalvati Look at that tree, said Mimi, look at that tree and write about it.But Mimi, I don't know the name of that tree.I can describe it but can't distinguish it: tall, brown, burstingwith leaves like a loaded wallet,autumn's green and yellow receipts.Mimi, is it against my nature to notice the tree; who am Ito rustle in the wind? Mimi, my best memoryof a tree is the one that grew at the backof my mother's garden; it might've been a young Oakor a Sweetgum? My mother came back from the market with ropeand asked my father to tie it around the thickest arm;the knot was the seat for my sister and meso we could swing. Mimi, we sat on that knot and launched ourselves,held our whole face and both arms and feet against itand Tarzaned into the air. That branch held us all summer,my parents months from their second separation,my sister a year from running away from home, callingthe house, hanging up on mum's new boyfriend.When I finally answered, you know none of this is your fault?I sat on the staircase with a rubber pad on the receiver so I could listenthrough hearing aids; that one bit of her voice entered mewhile I stared out the window at that tree.See Mimi? I don't know what I'm saying; I don't knowwhat I'm hearing. I'm just rustling in the wind. [End Page 118] Roofing When I asked my mother what I waslike as a baby, she said the roofneeded fixing—memory like a tilethat slips, falls slant.You were born she repeatsand I just needed that roof fixed.Nothing is fixed. Every dayis different, quiet baby,loud baby, you can't pin downa single trait to claim the wholeself. What about whenyou were pregnant? Did I kicka lot? Did Dad singto me in the womb?My mother driftsinto what she calls incidents,times my father got drunk,volatile and prone tofumes and furies when anything might slip—tongue, temper, tile. [End Page 119] Raymond Antrobus Raymond Antrobus was born in London to an English mother and a Jamaican father. He is a Cave Canem Fellow and the author of The Perseverance (Tin House, 2020) and All the Names Given (Tin House, 2021). He divides his time between London and New Orleans. Copyright © 2022 University of Nebraska Press