THE 1990s mother, whether she works full time at home or combines full time work outside the home with home duties, tends to look back on a wonderful bread and dripping era when motherhood was so much easier. A time when the kids didn't make constant demands for new toys, clothes etc, when the streets were safe, when life was simpler. Back to the days of no disposable nappies, no washing machine, no central heating, no cars...

Motherhood From 1920 To The Present Day, edited by Vivien Devlin disentangles the myths and reality of motherhood as it has changed this century for women in Britain, using the voices of mothers born between 1902 and 1977.

A lot remains static. Your typical 1990s feelings of failure, guilt and loneliness emerge as common from the outset. The sense of inadequacy derives largely from an inability to achieve the standards of the prevailing fashion for mothering.

Some child rearing practices have changed mothers in the 1990s tend to consult more with their children but it is possible to read from beginning to end and not realise you have spanned a century.

The one thing that shines out as of paramount importance to mothers across time is routine.

"Babies and young children had a good daily sleep a walk was taken every afternoon. Tea time was followed by play and reading time" Violet Stevenson Hamilton, born 1902. "Routine and discipline were important" Mary Anderson, born 1934. "We have a fairly strict routine" Andrea Duffin, born 1970.

Fathers are not really expected to help out until they marry (or co habit with) mothers born in the 1960s. With the occasional exception "my husband often washed nappies after a very long day on the farm" (Mary Sparrow born 1921) fathers have little involvement, and indeed most mothers born prior to the 1960s feel it is anything from madness to remarkably selfish of mothers to expect them to.

Over the century, modern conveniences give mothers freedom from the kitchen sink, although most cloth nappy mums look back with nostalgia rows of virgin white nappies flapping about on the washing line were a great source of pride. But new hassles appear to ensure that today's mother does not lead an entirely easy life.

Mentions of choice come to the fore. The recognition of a mother's wish to fulfil herself outside the home, coupled with external factors from single parenting to the need to keep up with the increasing demands of a consumer society give rise to the thorny issue of working mothers. Predictably, how this is viewed depends a lot on the generation and the experience of the mother in question.

The changes which have taken place are largely materialistic. Mothers generally have more, and their children tend to demand more. But in essence, being a mother the frustration, anger, worry, guilt feelings of failure, the pride, joy and wonder has not changed at all.

It comes as no surprise when you get to the end and read "It always strikes me how alike we are as mothers. We feel the same responsibility and love for our children the role of motherhood then was, really just the same as it is today.