It was still unusual for women to go to university, especially working class women. I am so sorry about this! Sweets and crisps (the only flavour available was ready salted) were treats rather than everyday foods. Moms today also spend half their lives driving kids around to school and numerous activities – this was just not done in the past. I was hoping to have this problem ironed out quickly, but it is taking a little longer than I expected. ?!? This is all very good, had much enjoyment reading this chore list but you didn’t say what they do in their free time just for there own enjoyment. These were purchased and cooked straight away as most people could not store them. Don’t ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment of integrity. This is not the perfect housewife cleaning schedule for today, but there are some ways I could tweak my own daily schedule to make my life slightly easier and to run more smoothly. Thank you so much for stopping by, you are right things have been a little quiet around here, but Yes, I am continuing! Sitemap Alcoholic drinks could be bought from the off-licence, often part of the local pub; again you would return the bottles in exchange for a few pence. Our medium-sized town had significant grocery stores, one was an A&P Supermarket. September 30, 2019 | 10:47am | Updated October 1, 2019 | 10:46am. The house itself was very different from that of today. Girls were trained to look after their husband, their children and the house. So I cheated and stuck to ironing a big pile of my spouse’s shirts for work, and all the kids clobber so I didn’t end up getting behind. My mother (born Oct 1951) had a list of chores she and her sisters did as children. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep my house in perfect order but we would love to have a big family,” she says. The second thing I noticed, was that in the 1950s housewife schedule she ate breakfast with her kids. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! I will manage the household finances frugally, and provide tasty full meals, complete with dessert DAILY. For cleaning, we had four or five choices – Lysol for disinfecting; pine-sol or lestoil for scrubbing floors or other messy jobs; windex for windows and mirrors; comet or ajax scrubbing powder for sinks and tubs, and liquid dish soap for doing dishes. This was the early 60s though. She did make us three hot meals a day and we walkied or rode our bikes everywhere. I do tons of dishes, laundry and ironing, but I love it and it’s helping to take care of my husband and that makes me really happy.”. No just popping the clothes into the machine and then into the tumble drier for the 1950s woman. My great grandmother was in her fifties during the fifties, and she already had many grandchildren who were her whole world. There’s nothing wrong with just sitting and colouring in a book, or reading or be outside just messing about in the garden. 9 pm was eventually time to relax, and this was spent listening to the Archers podcast. Your poster is printed with an offset lithography press with a coating to protect the inks. In the spring and summer I am out helping my husband with the crops, animals, and harvests, I deliver orders to stores, and also spend a significant amount of time running to get tractor parts and taking kids to sporting events. It’s easier for me to prepare the evening meal at midday because most of my evenings are taken up running the kids to sports or playdates and I prefer to give my kids a healthy homecooked meal whenever time allows. I have a couple copies and buy it whenever I see it in decent condition at thrift stores. I make sure everything is kept in its place,” she says matter-of-factly. Please help us improve LittleThings by taking our short survey. We all have to do what’s right for ourselves.”. On schedule issues, mom and dad expected all of us (3 children) to do chores, make beds, clean bathrooms, etc., though mom did to the lions share of the house keeping. Most left school and went straight into work until they married. So now, we get to the 1950s housewife’s free time, which she was expected to use to do the gardening or sewing. Even using green/environment friendly products and recipes. Now you’ve read all about a 1950’s housewife routine why not read all about what grandma used to keep in her cleaning kit! This routine is not my daily housework schedule on the days I’m at work. I couldn’t work out whether this 50s housewife enjoyed doing the gardening or sewing as a hobby. Fountain pens that had to be filled with ink had been superceded by click pens that came with an ink cartridge. But what women in the 1950s were expected to do for their husbands? Felt tip pens were a novelty just coming onto the market. You’ll notice from the 1950s housewife schedule that there is always plenty of jobs to do around the home. Then I read a post about homemade laundry soap written by Kadie over and Seven Alive who wrote this great tutorial for powdered laundry soap. This excerpt from the 1950s household seem to have meant a couple, since it had no children’s maintenance in it… The 1950's guide to being a perfect housewife could not be more different than today's modern attitudes. Learn how your comment data is processed. I remember when refrigerator magnets first became available. One thing that wasn’t mentioned is the amount of homework the three of them bring home every day, sometimes requiring at least an hour each per evening for them to get through. The boredom got so bad that at one point, I actually cleaned the house. I don't get up though, because my 1950s husband (whom I shalll call Mr. X) always … Traffic was light especially down residential streets so children played out in the street quite safely. how to batch cook all your meals for a week read this post. “When I look at everything that is happening in the world now, I feel like I belong in a nicer, more old-fashioned time,” she says. Ballet flats were popular, in all colors. 4.) We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. However, I also love my job, so I’m not going to be giving it up anytime soon! Yes, her closet is full of “flattering” frocks she sewed herself, and the home’s decor is retro as all get-out, but it’s not “like it’s a museum,” Holte tells PA Real Life. The 1950’s housework schedule is written for a 50’s housewife who’s children are of school age. 15.) She gave me a link to where she…. There, they shopped, visited with neighbors, played pool (mainly the men), and then came home, made popcorn, listened to a weekly music show on the radio, and played games. Even though it was so much work to do, I loved the end results so I continue to do it now lol. She had several attractive but very practical “house dresses” she always wore, and on heavy cleaning days she wore a nice blouse and capries or womean’s bluejeans but took them of for a skirt and blouse or dress as soon as she was done. But make no mistake, Holte says, Lars is not a controlling hubby. Hi Ash, Four 100+ degree days. Consider changing into something more festive if the day dress is plain, Set out a tray with equipment for making cocktails, should “the Mister” want to serve drinks before dinner, Pour boiling water down the sink to ensure pipes are flushed, If necessary, pack the husband’s lunch for the next day. This story has been shared 104,930 times. 6.) These cookies do not store any personal information. I haven’t seen every many article this year. Minimize all noise. Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. If a woman says she wants to be a homemaker, we should not say that’s not right,” Katrina says. 104,930, © 2020 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved What Happened When I Tried A 1950s Housewife Schedule. Life in Post War Britain was very different from that of the 1920s and 1930s. 14.) Sometimes I fill this time by making the evening meals. Place rest of groceries or purchases in their proper place, Start advance food conditioning like crisping vegetables or thawing frozen foods, Handle weekly chore for the day (more on that below), Arrange the living room for evening enjoyment (such as “the Mister’s” newspaper, book, and cigarettes), Do a quick sweep of the floors and ensure entrance ways are clear, Freshen up before the husband returns from work. We did have supermarkets and automatic clothes washing machines. Clear away the clutter. Night-time routine was hot water bottles in the beds and undressing downstairs in the warm. My first thought, was, "What a pain!" I assume they probably just did more cooking, more gardening and probably some sewing. I am so sorry about that! “He grew up in a house where he helped his mom with the cooking and the cleaning, so he is not domineering in any way,” she says. “We have the idea today that we have to push our bodies to the limit, but in the 1950s, the attitude was simply that you had to take care of it,” she says. The first thing I noticed from the 1950’s housewife schedule, was that she got up before everybody else, got dressed, washed, and got herself ready. Wondering how to be a good wife? “I will then spend a good hour doing the laundry, dusting and sweeping. Housewives in the 1950s would have to return to school, bring their kids home, feed them, take them back to school and clear up, all within an hour at lunchtime. Take the kids to school. Secondary schools – even grammar schools – prepared girls for this life: lessons were given in cookery, household management, darning, sewing and even how to iron an shirt properly. She would pride herself on budgeting and keeping within the weekly allowance that she would receive from her husband. LOL Just try it! This also ensured that they had to be at home during the day for the kids. Wash and dry dishes, lay the dining room table for breakfast. I am undeterred by my previous attempt and trying this again! If no one else had emptied the wood pencil shavings recently, shavings began to spill out onto the toes of your shoes. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. There were three channels; that’s all. It is someone’s idea of what they thought it should be like. My first week as a 1950’s housewife went by so quickly! Parents today are much more hands-on with their children and spend much more quality time entertaining their children than they ever did years ago. The next thing that struck me, was that both my kids have school dinners, so, I have a whole hour mid-day that the 50’s housewife didn’t get! If you wanted to know the day’s news, you bought a copy of the day’s newspaper – morning edition or late edition, or you caught one of the news shows on TV or on the radio. The rag and bone man would buy your old clothes for a few pennies and mend your pots and pans when the bottoms went through. After the clothes had washed they were lifted out of the hot water with large wooden tongs, fed through the mangle and then dropped into the spin dryer. Your Ad Choices As I studied the 1950s housewife schedule I noticed that it didn’t vary too much from my daily routine, so I thought I’d give it a go on my next day off work. Also, laziness was a completely unacceptable behavior! I went to bed at 10.15 and enjoyed going to bed nearly an hour earlier than usual. Dinner would be on the table ready and waiting for the man of the house on his return from work. I can do what I want to now and run my house as I want to run it. Want to use LittleThings' editorial content? There was no way to put letters onto a page except by hand – a pencil or a pen. I’ll leave the baking to the 1950’s housewife! “I agree with old-fashioned values, like being a housewife, taking care of your family, nurturing the people in it and keeping your house in excellent condition, so everyone feels relaxed.”. Kids came home from school at lunchtime. Fauci quotes 'The Godfather' in response to Trump criticisms. Open up the blinds and windows. Please SHARE if you got a kick out of this blast from the past! Have dinner ready. Permanent press clothes hadn’t been invented. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.