Old style housekeeping question?

zarazara

I agree with Olliebeak

vivw_2

I think you may have slightly rose coloured specs on.
I was born in 1956 and we didn't get a car until about 1962. Holidays were UK seaside holidays under canvas or self catering chalets. My mum had 5 kids [ I am the eldest]and didn't have a washing machine until I was about to leave home. No television until I was 4 or 5. No central heating until I was 12 [1968] when we moved into a house with fitted carpets and central heating. Apparently I thought it was like like living in a hotel as it was so 'posh'.
I remember baths in front of the fire, little or no heating in bedrooms, ice on the inside of the window and paraffin heaters. My father was grammar school educated and had a white collar job

jay_dee

tattoed_bum wrote: »

a .
but i swear i have a clutter fairy that just appears and makes the place look untidy.

Unfortunately I'm the clutter fairy in my house - my lovely DH is the tidy one. He learned from his mum (I was frightened to leave so much as a dirty teaspoon in the kitchen sink at her house). As DH walks through a room, he picks up, straightens, tidies etc. I drive him mad with my untidy ways - he still loves me though!

Olliebeak

When I say 'relative comfort' I mean relative to the lifestyle of your peers around you.

Of course not every family in the 50's had a car and not all had a TV either - but neither were 'expected' by the entire family!

We did have a car, tv set from 1958, paid necessary bills, had enough to eat and a caravan holiday every other year at the seaside in grandma's caravan. My dad worked overtime - doing 7 nights a week - and they were good managers of money.

We didn't have a fridge, bathroom and foreign holidays.

My dad was able to keep our family in what was then considered a 'reasonably comfortable lifestyle' on his own wage as a lorry driver. When my parents were offered a council house, there was an indoor bathroom/toilet which they saw as the height of luxury.

Later when the youngest started school, mum was able to get a job that fitted in around school hours - 11am-3pm as a barmaid. She was only able to do this, as long as everybody in the family did their share to free up her time to go to work. Our family income went up, we were able to get a caravanette instead of a car which was no longer big enough for us all (2adults/4kids), buy a tent, have a camping/touring holiday every year - but still no fridge till 1971!

We had comfort - NOT luxury. Yes there was sometimes ice on the inside of the windows but our beds were lovely and warm - even if the top cover consisted of an 'army great coat' as a quilt.

vivw_2

You are very right in what you say, Olliebeak. We did think our lives were comfortable.

Primrose

I sometimes look back on those days with nostalgia and longing to get back to a period where peoples' values seemed more grounded and genuine. When I look at the materialistic money grabbing philosophy which seems to prevail in national politics, banking and the world of celebrity in particular it's hardly surprising that many of our young people grow up with no sense of civic responsibility at all. What lousy role models they have!.

vivw_2

Primrose wrote: »

I sometimes look back on those days with nostalgia and longing to get back to a period where peoples' values seemed more grounded and genuine. When I look at the materialistic money grabbing philosophy which seems to prevail in national politics, banking and the world of celebrity in particular it's hardly surprising that many of our young people grow up with no sense of civic responsibility at all. What lousy role models they have!.

:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T

sandraroffey

i was born in 1947. my dad was a mechanic and worked from 8 to 6, 5 days a week. 8 til one on saturday and sunday. we didnt have a car, a fridge, a washing machine, nor did we have a TV until about 1958 or a bit later and that was a manky old 9" screen, second hand from my uncle, and mum didnt even have a vacuum cleaner. i only had one new dress a year for when we went on holiday in caravan for one week. we did go most years, but i ,nor my brother and sister, didnt have a bike like all the other kids, nor all the latest stuff that was coming into play. my mum had the old old boiler and mangle in the garden!! it was a council house 'and we were very lucky to have it'.

things really have changed. my dad wouldn't allow my mum to go to work, not until my sister was about 11 or 12 and i had long left home by them. so when we came home from school,mum was always there, dinner was on the go and the place was spotless.

it was certainly a lovely way to live THEN, but my mum never had a spare penny. dad gave her what he thought was enough housekeeping money and she had to manage.and she had to pay everything out of it; rent, bills, food, clothes for us kids. now i look back, she had it hard and my dad was selfish. but it hink most men were then. they werent like men are expected to be now. thank heavens.

Caterina

The word is not housewife, or homemaker, the correct job title for what we do is: domestic engineer!

And this is what I would have had on my marriage certificate to indicate my profession, if that stupid of my DH did not break out in giggles when I said so! :rotfl: