"I know a mother of three small children who does all her own work, except for one day a week when a cleaning woman comes in. This young mother does the daily laundry, everything except sheets and heavy towels and her husband's shirts. her schedule is a tight one, but it leaves time to take the children out in the air daily, to go to church and other church activities, and to devote one evening a week to civil good. She dresses nicely, her children are clean and healthy and her house is reasonably well kept.
Mothers, distraught over the care of one child, might calm themselves and learn how this young woman takes care of three! She has cut down every necessary move to its irreducible minimum. True,she is somewhat like the old lady who, while she rested, rocked the cradle with one foot and peeled the potatoes. But after all, why not? I'd rather double up on efficiency and have time to go to a movie or a dance than scramble around though tasks that never seem to get done.
In order to keep her own clothes clean so that she always presents a neat appearance, she uses either aprons that are waterproof and cover her pretty well or the ones called carpenters' or butlers' aprons of striped denim that are strong enough to give real protection. they hang over the neck and are easily removed if callers arrive. For these years while the children are small she has decided n a very simple hair-do, something like a short feather-cut. She merely runs a comb through her hair and spends time on taking care of her skin.
She has taught herself to work with gloves on- not an easy thing to do- but worth learning even though one must pass through a clumsy period. She washes dishes with a dish mop instead of a cloth, thus keeping her hands out of water as much as possible, since they get plenty of wetting doing the laundry."
:Most women who wear themselves out doing housework the hard way will tell you that they simply can't work with gloves on, that they simply can't iron, polish silver, or do other chores sitting down. No wonder they get worn, scrubby and old before their time. A thirty-five cent pair of gloves with give from one to two weeks of hard wear and sometimes they can be salvaged after that.
There's no sensible reason why a woman can't dress herself smartly, and stay looking that way while she takes care of a seven-room house and three children- if she will use her head. If she's rather feel sorry for herself than to plan her time, her clothes and her work, that's just her loss."
How to Live Beyond Your Means
Margery Wilson
1945
4 comments:
Emma,thank you once again for this post as well on Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan. I have gleamed alot of helpful information from this post as well. I have some simply rubber gloves that I have not even thought about wearing them while washing dishes or even putting the clothes in to wash. Now I will start using these rubber gloves more often.
Thank you,
Mrs.Garcia
I like the bit about the apron. Mommylife is having an apron contest of sorts to inspire women to bring back the apron. I'm thrilled.
Hi Mrs. Garcia!
Rubber gloves are on my shopping list! I have noticed that my hands are getting much drier and more rough! I think that it is becsause of all of the hand washing I do after changing the baby's diapers!
Thanks for mentioning the apron contest on MommyLife, Lauren... I will definitely check it out:)
Emma
This is just what I needed to read today. Stop feeling sorry for myself and make an effort to look nice/keep my home neat. I don't even have any children yet!
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