Mainly because this isn’t the 1950s! It’s impossible to actually become a 1950s housewife. Posts may contain affiliate links. What a housewife endured to me was awesome and I won't say 1950s wife because there are still present day housewives that still live this way. I've actually done it before (sort of) and enjoyed but unfortunately it didn't stick. As a result, some people have religious reasons why they like the lifestyle of a 1950s housewife. Yeah, I think so. By the time I got downstairs David had started the coffee and was eating his usual bowl of cereal. With all the men back, many women were pushed out of the workforce and were back at home (though some women did manage to keep their jobs, with women making up a third of the workforce in the 50s). At 9:45 I got busy on the housework. A regular household cleaning routine is a good idea. I realize that what we saw on television was an idealized view – I’m sure that most housewives didn’t always vacuum in high heels and pearls. This is an aspect of life during that time that’s heavily reflected in many Victorian Era home management books- where the emphasis is less on “doing yourself” and more on “management of staff”. In part because I didn’t want to want them to laugh at me and in part because I wanted to gauge their reactions without any prior knowledge of what was going to happen. So, keeping all that in mind, here is how my day went: Morning:  amzn_assoc_title = "LWD Retro Recommendations"; This could be fun! 😉, Your email address will not be published. “I’m looking for people to participate in a huge book exchange. Please see our Disclosure Page for more information. Not that you should ever do anything just because of what other people may think. A Cultivated Nest makes no claims of “expert status” and the owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the use of the information found on this website. In the same month Betty Friedan's seminal book, The Feminine Mystique, turns 50, the 1950s housewife has made a rather ironic comeback on catwalks and in … Cooking. However on the other side of the coin, she didn’t have Noon: David called just before he left work. I do try to keep an orderly home, prepare decent meals, look attractive and in general, be a good wife. We had both been wanting to see the movie “The Blind Side” and he had recorded it the other day. Take the 28 day challenge and relive the role of a 1950s housewife! I also decided that a little less time on the computer might be a good thing, especially in the evenings. I say to each is own, and as a present day housewife David usually gets in the shower first thing and most of the time I go downstairs to make coffee for him, tea for me and lunches for David and Chris. Retro ads and illustrations always make 50s people seem so happy (and stylish)! I got to wondering what it would be like to spend a day as a 1950s housewife and figured, what the heck, let’s give it a try. October 20, 2010 By Deanna Piercy 2 Comments. Minorities and people with lower incomes had a much wider variety of lifestyles in the 50s, but this traditional conformity was supposed to be the ideal. I think all of us have a little bit of 1950’s housewife in us because home blogging is inherently about nesting! A Cultivated Nest is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. They take pride in keeping their home neat and tidy and cultivating a safe, loving environment for their family. I named my blog because this is something that appeals to me as well. Or maybe you find a way to make money from home. At the end of the day, this arrangement is about partnership. What some call a boring, by-the-book life others call relaxed and simple. Their wartime efforts can often still be applied to our lives today to help us save money. I need a new robe. I put on a comfortable cotton dress, something my grandmother would have referred to as a “housedress”. Next up was a trip to town to run a few errands, including something David had asked me to do. I had time to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies, bake part of them and also put potatoes in the oven to bake. 5. Your email address will not be published. David is supposed to get off work at 4:30 but that almost never happens. I swept the front porch and walkway, cleaned the glass storm door, dusted, vacuumed and mopped the entryway. But I do tend to put off actual cleaning on a daily basis in favor of wearing myself out by trying to do it all at once. Women Are Household Slaves, 1949.pdf - Edith M Stern Attacks the Domestic Bondage of Women The prosperity of the 1950s made it possible for a home to be Edith M. Stern Attacks the Domestic Bondage of Women The prosperity of the 1950s made it possible for a home to be a castle in new ways, and most Americans assumed that each castle would have its queen. At 8:30 I decided I’d better get busy. Being a housewife is now a choice. #1950s #housewife The Little Women Guide to Homemaking Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women over a hundred years ago, but the novel has timeless wisdom for modern-day homemakers! Everyone is familiar with the image of a perfect stay-at-home wife, ready for her husband while the house is clean, the children tended to, the meal is ready, and on top of all, she looks spotless in a nice dress and a pair of heels, tidy hair, and make-up. Before David came upstairs I had the bed made, my teeth brushed and had put on a bit of Shalimar perfume. Copyright © 2021 Nest Media LLC | All Rights Reserved, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, & Disclosures, 30 Foods You Should Make Instead of Buy », How Simple Living Can Make Your Life Better, 10 Mind Blowing Command Hook Hacks You Need To Know. Holte’s typical day starts at 6:30 a.m., when she wakes up and lays out Lars’ clothes before preparing his breakfast and packing his lunch. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; A Cultivated Nest is also a participant in the Etsy affiliate program via Awin. Evening: The day didn’t start out according to plan. Chris went to the other room to watch the baseball game while David and I watched the movie and enjoyed our tea and cookies. Whether you've made it a personal goal to be more like one of them, your own mom was one, or you've learned a few things from the generations before you, there's a good chance you're more of a '50s housewife than you think. Take the 28 day challenge and relive the role of a 1950s housewife! If you do it, I'd love to hear how it goes. 2. What some people call conformity, others call comforting structure. I also didn’t want to carry things to such an extreme that David would think I’d flipped my lid.