# A Day in the Life of a 1950's Housewife  by Jane Bovary



## Meanderer (May 26, 2014)

"I confess,that in my darker days of struggle, I've thought about being a 50's housewife . Were they really Stepford-like, robotic creatures under the economic, social and political thumb? What would_ a_ day in the life of a 1950's housewife really be like.._? Cue music and fade-out for dream sequence...."

http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Day-in-the-Life-of-a-50s-Housewife

_


----------



## i_am_Lois (May 26, 2014)

LOL. Nothing like my own mother's 1950's daily routine.
Mom stayed at home. She never played tennis, Dad was able to handle getting his own breakfast & get himself off to work independently.
Mom got us kids up, dressed, fed & off to school.
She worked every day in the home.
Sundays she changed all the bed linens and washed the dirty ones.
Mondays she did all the household laundry.
Tuesdays she ironed all those clothes.
Wednesday the kitchen got cleaned, with her on hands & knees scrubbing then waxing the floor.
Thursday the house was vacuumed & dusted.
Friday she went food shopping.
Saturday seemed to be her only day off. We usually went to visit relatives on that day.


----------



## Mirabilis (May 27, 2014)

Lois, that was my mother until I started high school and she got a job.  Then she was so career-minded we hardly saw her unless she had a day off.


----------



## meg (May 28, 2014)

When I think of how hard my mother used to work...it makes me tired.....I just couldn't do all the things she used to.  No housework aids to talk about.  We did have a twin tub washing machine...but no fridge, no dishwasher, no floor steamer, no microwave....she did all the work AND had a job as well.


----------



## Capt Lightning (May 28, 2014)

Lois, my mother sounds a bit like yours  with a couple of exceptions....

1. Sunday morning was church - a bit of hellfire & brimstone from  Rev. Stewart. The thought of changing or washing clothes on a Sunday was virtually the work of satan.
2. The other days were not quite so organised, though she always shopped for food on Saturday along with my aunt.

She never went back to work .


----------



## CPA-Kim (May 28, 2014)

Totally different than my mom's.  My mother and father were up at 5:30.  They had coffee, then ate oatmeal/toast for breakfast.  Dad had to be at the post office at 7:15.  I got myself up at around 7:30 and was at school by 8:30 (only lived a block away so I walked.)  I came home for lunch.  During the mornings, my mother cleaned and cooked.  We ALWAYS had a nice lunch.  When I came home from school, there was always a warm cake, cookies or a pie (all made from scratch) waiting.  I had that with a big glass of milk, then went out to play until my father came home at 5:15 (he had a two hour lunch and came home ate, then took a 45-minute nap.)  Dad did 90% of the grocery shopping.  My mother would usually call him around 4 and tell him what she needed.  He would always decide on the meat.  We ate turkey and roasts a lot.  My mother did the dishes, washed the clothes, and kept the house spotless (we lived in an 8-bedroom home so it was no small task.)  My brother was 19 years older, so he was in the service by the time I was born.  We were both raised as only children in a very liberal atmosphere.  After dinner (I usually took up my plate and watched TV during dinner) we would watch TV or, in the Summer, go to the golf course and play.  My mother was an artist and would paint during the evenings and on weekends.  My father bowled, played golf, played softball and watched sports.  They played golf together in the Summer.  I would say my mother was pretty much in charge.


----------



## Meanderer (Jun 8, 2014)




----------



## Aunt Marg (Jun 16, 2020)

One thing is for certain... being a housewife back in the 50's, wasn't for sissies.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

When the children were hungry, you didn't run to McDonalds for a bag of hamburgers and French fries.
Babies wore cloth diapers with pins and rubber pants. Aside from mothers needing to know how to fold diapers properly so that babies surroundings stayed free of wetness, diapers needed washed daily, and those lucky enough owned a wringer washing machine, those who weren't were graced with the task of washing diapers by-hand on a washboard. Diapers were hung on the clothesline to dry, and you prayed diapers would be dry in time for the next round of changing. There was no running to the store for Pampers or Huggies.
Homemade baby food and formula was the norm.
When a child stepped out of line, a good old-fashioned spanking was administered. Time-outs didn't exist.


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 17, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> When the children were hungry, you didn't run to McDonalds for a bag of hamburgers and French fries.
> *Babies wore cloth diapers with pins and rubber pants. Aside from mothers needing to know how to fold diapers properly so that babies surroundings stayed free of wetness, diapers needed washed daily, and those lucky enough owned a wringer washing machine, those who weren't were graced with the task of washing diapers by-hand on a washboard. Diapers were hung on the clothesline to dry, and you prayed diapers would be dry in time for the next round of changing. There was no running to the store for Pampers or Huggies.*
> Homemade baby food and formula was the norm.
> When a child stepped out of line, a good old-fashioned spanking was administered. Time-outs didn't exist.



My boys never wore anything but cloth diapers...I couldn't afford the new-fangled disposable diapers for either one of them. It was a huge amount of work but guess what? *They were both completely potty trained (by me, not them) before they were just short of two years old.*
Mothers are now too lazy to figure out the tricks of training a two year old because it's just too dang easy to keep on using Pampers. The name brand of "Pampers" should apply to lazy mothers who just can't be bothered and think it's reasonable to "request" their 4 yr. old to please not crap their diaper anymore.


----------



## JaniceM (Jul 17, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> My boys never wore anything but cloth diapers...I couldn't  the new-fangled disposable diapers for either one of them. It was a huge amount of work but guess what? *They were both completely potty trained (by me, not them) before they were just short of two years old.*
> Mothers are now too lazy to figure out the tricks of training a two year old because it's just too dang easy to keep on using Pampers. The name brand of "Pampers" should apply to lazy mothers who just can't be bothered and think it's reasonable to "request" their 4 yr. old to please not crap their diaper anymore.


I wouldn't go that far, but have you seen the newer commercials on t.v. for PullUps?  I haven't been around any little-bitty children for a long time, but some of the kids in those ads look like they should be in Kindergarten-  and yet they're not potty-trained?!?


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> My boys never wore anything but cloth diapers...I couldn't  the new-fangled disposable diapers for either one of them. It was a huge amount of work but guess what? *They were both completely potty trained (by me, not them) before they were just short of two years old.*
> Mothers are now too lazy to figure out the tricks of training a two year old because it's just too dang easy to keep on using Pampers. The name brand of "Pampers" should apply to lazy mothers who just can't be bothered and think it's reasonable to "request" their 4 yr. old to please not crap their diaper anymore.


OMG, same here, Kayelle... old-fashioned cloth diapers, pins, and rubber pants for all of mine, and happy to do so. 

Being a stay-at-home mom made using cloth diapers easy, and having grown-up changing baby siblings that wore cloth diapers, I had the whole process of changing, rinsing, soaking, washing, drying, and folding down-pat, long before I became a mom.

I commend you on the early training. I wasn't so lucky, but at least with reusable, washable cloth diapers, I didn't fret over diapering longer, because the cloth diapers didn't cost me a thing other than a little detergent every few days, which equated to pennies per wash-load.


----------



## jerry old (Jul 17, 2020)

Iron?  what is a iron?


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> I wouldn't go that far, but have you seen the newer commercials on t.v. for PullUps?  I haven't been around any little-bitty children for a long time, but some of the kids in those ads look like they should be in Kindergarten-  and yet they're not potty-trained?!?


I remember the uproar that disposable training pants caused back in the late 80's, when they first came out. My mom was mortified. In my moms day, training pants were cloth and reusable, she just couldn't wrap her head around disposable pants.

I put my kids through 100% cotton waffle-knit training pants, too. I remember how I would double-up the training pants (or soakers is what I called them), and then I'd top off the soakers with a pair of rubber pants.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

jerry old said:


> Iron?  what is a iron?


Now, now... I still iron to the day!


----------



## JaniceM (Jul 17, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> I remember the uproar that disposable training pants caused back in the late 80's, when they first came out. My mom was mortified. In my moms day, training pants were cloth and reusable, she just couldn't wrap her head around disposable pants.
> 
> I put my kids through 100% cotton waffle-knit training pants, too. I remember how I would double-up the training pants (or soakers is what I called them), and then I'd top off the soakers with a pair of rubber pants.


Cloth training pants weren't as do-able with wall-to-wall carpeting...


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

Kayelle. What about homemade baby food and formula? Did you go the route of homemade as well?


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> Cloth training pants weren't as do-able with wall-to-wall carpeting...


That where the rubber pants came in extra handy!


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 17, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> My boys never wore anything but cloth diapers...I couldn't afford the new-fangled disposable diapers for either one of them. It was a huge amount of work but guess what? *They were both completely potty trained (by me, not them) before they were just short of two years old.*
> Mothers are now too lazy to figure out the tricks of training a two year old because it's just too dang easy to keep on using Pampers. The name brand of "Pampers" should apply to lazy mothers who just can't be bothered and think it's reasonable to "request" their 4 yr. old to please not crap their diaper anymore.


By the way, before anyone thinks I had the "benefits of being at home to train them", let me explain further since I'm on a "diaper rant" .

My very young husband and I had our first child in 1965. We could barely make the ends meet on his wages and I wanted to be able to raise my own child at all costs.
 I found a way of doing both by *working *taking care of other little ones while their mothers wore panty hose and high heels to work.
  I even washed their diapers (extra $$) and hung them all on a huge 6 line clothesline. That was tricky, but doable if it didn't rain. That's a whole nutter story. 
 Anyway, at one time I had 4 under four years old and I potty trained all of them too.  It was exhausting but I loved all those little ones.  When my own son started kindergarten I went back to school myself at the local college. 

I remember those days with a happy heart for a job well done.


----------



## jerry old (Jul 17, 2020)

I have a memory of ironing:  
Aunt's dead beat spouse ran off, leaving her with no job
skills and three small kids.  She took in ironing, had a hunched back in her late forties,
could have been certified as a hunchback in her fifties as she continued to iron.
Wrinkle free (Perma press) cut into her income by late sixties but she  continued ironing.


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 17, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> Kayelle. What about homemade baby food and formula? Did you go the route of homemade as well?


Actually I nursed my first son till he was "tippy cup" trained , which was about the time the potty training started at 18 mo. My day care moms provided the formula bottles and Gerber jars of baby food. I was too pooped to go the homemade baby food route. 
You also mentioned plastic pants over the cloth diapers...oh yeah, they all had to be laundered too, but not for each changing.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> By the way, before anyone thinks I had the "benefits of being at home to train them", let me explain further since I'm on a "diaper rant" .
> 
> My very young husband and I had our first child in 1965. We could barely make the ends meet on his wages and I wanted to be able to raise my own child at all costs.
> I found a way of doing both by *working *taking care of other little ones while their mothers wore panty hose and high heels to work.
> ...


I can so relate, even though I had my kids almost 20 years later than you did, but it was the same story in our house (my childhood home). My folks were poor and mom used to take-in neighbourhood children (mostly babies/toddlers) and care for them, and I remember her babysitting baby cousins all the time in our home.

LOL! Yes, line-drying and rain never made for a good pair! 

Love your story! Thanks for sharing!


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

jerry old said:


> I have a memory of ironing:
> Aunt's dead beat spouse ran off, leaving her with no job
> skills and three small kids.  She took in ironing, had a hunched back in her late forties,
> could have been certified as a hunchback in her fifties as she continued to iron.
> Wrinkle free (Perma press) cut into her income by late sixties but she  continued ironing.


Ironing truly was part-and-parcel to traditional homemaking back in the day.


----------



## JaniceM (Jul 17, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> Actually I nursed my first son till he was "tippy cup" trained , which was about the time the potty training started at 18 mo. My day care moms provided the formula bottles and Gerber jars of baby food. I was too pooped to go the homemade baby food route.
> You also mentioned plastic pants over the cloth diapers...oh yeah, they all had to be laundered too, but not for each changing.


If you mean "sippy-cups," I never heard of anything like that when my oldest was little.  I bought a couple for my youngest, though, who wanted no part of them-  went directly from bottles to cups/glasses.


----------



## JaniceM (Jul 17, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> Ironing truly was part-and-parcel to traditional homemaking back in the day.


Weird me, maybe, but I actually enjoyed ironing.


----------



## Pepper (Jul 17, 2020)

I remember coming home from elementary school and my mother would be ironing and dancing to American Bandstand.

I loved ironing my father's pocket handkerchiefs.  He always looked so nice in his suits.


----------



## JaniceM (Jul 17, 2020)

Pepper said:


> I remember coming home from elementary school and my mother would be ironing and dancing to American Bandstand.
> 
> I loved ironing my father's pocket handkerchiefs.  He always looked so nice in his suits.


I remember my older brothers' school clothes-  in that area anyway, boys didn't wear t-shirts and jeans to school, but nice slacks and shirts.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> Actually I nursed my first son till he was "tippy cup" trained , which was about the time the potty training started at 18 mo. My day care moms provided the formula bottles and Gerber jars of baby food. I was too pooped to go the homemade baby food route.
> You also mentioned plastic pants over the cloth diapers...oh yeah, they all had to be laundered too, but not for each changing.


I nursed my first two, not fulltime, but nevertheless, they were nursed, but by the time baby #3 came along, I opted for the bottle, and the rest is history.

As for the rubber pants, I hand-washed those (mostly) and pinned them on the line to dry, and as you say, the washing and changing of the rubber pants didn't take place after each changing, just when the pants needed to be changed, and into the diaper pail they went with the diapers.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> If you mean "sippy-cups," I never heard of anything like that when my oldest was little.  I bought a couple for my youngest, though, who wanted no part of them-  went directly from bottles to cups/glasses.


Tippy-cups, training-cups, sippy-cups... they were sort of hit and miss in our house. Had a couple that went straight from bottle to cup/glass as well, and as for the plastic trainer-cups, their time was short-lived in our house.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> Weird me, maybe, but I actually enjoyed ironing.


Not weird at all! I so happen to enjoy ironing as well!


----------



## Sassycakes (Jul 17, 2020)

My Mom was a stay at home Mom. My Dad worked 2 jobs when extra money was really needed. My brother was 13yrs old when I was born. my Sister is only 2yrs older than me. I was 5ys old when my brother go drafted during the Korean war. He had just gotten married when he got drafted. My Mom always cooked home made meals. She would wash cloths every Saturday and Iron every Sunday.After my brother got out of the Army he moved back in our house with his wife. They then had a son and a year and a half later another son.That's when I got the name Auntie Barbara will do it. I watched the boys everyday after school. My Mother never made my sister-in-law do anything, I still remember my Mom washing the diapers and hanging them on the cloths line. We never had take out food until I was about 13yrs old. My brother and his family lived with us for 6yrs until he saved up enough to buy a home.He never paid a dime for anything when he lived with my parents.My Dad even bought him a car.I don't know where my Mom got all the strength to do what she did. She was amazing.


----------



## Pepper (Jul 17, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> I nursed my first two, not fulltime, but nevertheless, they were nursed, but by the time baby #3 came along, I opted for the bottle, and the rest is history.


For her third son, my sister bought a contraption that held the bottle to his mouth while in his crib.  I thought that was disgusting, and wouldn't you know, he grew up feeling unloved.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

Sassycakes said:


> My Mom was a stay at home Mom. My Dad worked 2 jobs when extra money was really needed. My brother was 13yrs old when I was born. my Sister is only 2yrs older than me. I was 5ys old when my brother go drafted during the Korean war. He had just gotten married when he got drafted. My Mom always cooked home made meals. She would wash cloths every Saturday and Iron every Sunday.After my brother got out of the Army he moved back in our house with his wife. They then had a son and a year and a half later another son.That's when I got the name Auntie Barbara will do it. I watched the boys everyday after school. My Mother never made my sister-in-law do anything, I still remember my Mom washing the diapers and hanging them on the cloths line. We never had take out food until I was about 13yrs old. My brother and his family lived with us for 6yrs until he saved up enough to buy a home.He never paid a dime for anything when he lived with my parents.My Dad even bought him a car.I don't know where my Mom got all the strength to do what she did. She was amazing.


Love the Auntie Barbara name! 

Same story in my home, mom was a fulltime stay-at-home mom/homemaker, no take-out food (ever)... all meals and baking from scratch, being the oldest I was the second set of helping hands and household babysitter, and diapers were hung on the line.

I still view learning how to care for baby siblings and cousins as being the best prerequisite to motherhood that any prerequisite ever was or could be.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

Pepper said:


> For her third son, my sister bought a contraption that held the bottle to his mouth while in his crib.  I thought that was disgusting, and wouldn't you know, he grew up feeling unloved.


Hate to hear that Pepper. 

I'm no angel in the category of bottle-propping, as I remember doing it, not all the time, but definitely on occasion, but I had no special contraption to aid me in the propping.

I'd prop the bottle using a stuffed animal or two, a pillow, part of the blanket, then go about doing whatever else I had on the go. Do remember checking on baby often when I propped, and I remember my mom propping the bottles of baby siblings.

I do think propping was more common back in the day.


----------



## peppermint (Jul 17, 2020)

We walked to school...If it was raining Mom would take me and my cousin to school....
When I came home from school, I had chores....Take the dog for the walk....
If it was nice outside, Mom let me go outside to play with the kids on the block....
But I did stay on the block...I knew that the time my mom was cooking dinner....I had to help Mom set the table and after dinner
I washed the dishes...The only time I didn't wash the dishes, My Dad would put the barbeque on and make his stakes or hamburgers...
He never wanted me to help him...He let me go out to play until  it was time to come into the house....
I never had to wash clothes....But I did get the clothes when they dried on the lines outside....
I never had to iron....
I had more duties in the house then my brother's....Ha Ha Ha....They always had baseball or whatever they had to go to after dinner...
And always on the weekend they both had someplace to go....  I still have the duties in the house....It's only me and hubby, and he
is great with helping....


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

peppermint said:


> We walked to school...If it was raining Mom would take me and my cousin to school....
> When I came home from school, I had chores....Take the dog for the walk....
> If it was nice outside, Mom let me go outside to play with the kids on the block....
> But I did stay on the block...I knew that the time my mom was cooking dinner....I had to help Mom set the table and after dinner
> ...


Your post brings back so many memories for me, too!

Helping set the table, doing dishes, washing laundry and hanging it, along with taking it down and folding it... and heaps of baby care, having baby siblings in the home for years.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> I remember my older brothers' school clothes-  in that area anyway, boys didn't wear t-shirts and jeans to school, but nice slacks and shirts.


Boy, have times ever changed. I remember, too.


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 17, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> *If you mean "sippy-cups," I never heard of anything like that when my oldest was little*.  I bought a couple for my youngest, though, who wanted no part of them-  went directly from bottles to cups/glasses.


Nope, they were deffinately called "*tippy* cups". I can't even find a picture of one now. They had the function of a sippy cup, but they had a round bottom that was weighted and couldn't be turned over on the highchair tray. Dang, I can't believe they don't make them anymore.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> Nope, they were deffinately called "*tippy* cups". I can't even find a picture of one now. They had the function of a sippy cup, but they had a round bottom that was weighted and couldn't be turned over on the highchair tray. Dang, I can't believe they don't make them anymore.


Like this, Kayelle?





And the double-handled ones, too!


----------



## Lewkat (Jul 17, 2020)

Mirabilis said:


> Lois, that was my mother until I started high school and she got a job.  Then she was so career-minded we hardly saw her unless she had a day off.


OOPS, for a moment I thought this was meant for me as I, too am Lois.  lol, not so, and glad I did not respond.


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 17, 2020)

*That's it for sure Marge!! *I completely forgot it was called "tommee tippee".  One of my day care babies was a Tommy.


----------



## Lewkat (Jul 17, 2020)

My mother was nothing at all like what was described here.  My dad got us up and out.  But, my mother spent a lot of time baking and cooking.  Dinner was always on the table at a certain time and we behaved like angels at the dining room table or were banished to eat in the kitchen alone.  My mother made certain that we took care of ourselves which included personal hygiene, keeping our rooms neat, ironing and mending our own clothes, etc.  Did us good for we all did well on our own.


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 17, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> I wouldn't go that far, but have you seen the newer commercials on t.v. for PullUps?  I haven't been around any little-bitty children for a long time, but* some of the kids in those ads look like they should be in Kindergarten-  and yet they're not potty-trained?!?*



Yep, exactly my point Janice! Two years ago when my youngest grand child was 4 yrs old, I told her mother I wouldn't be changing her "Poopie PullUps" anymore because I've never in my life changed a 4 yr old, and I wouldn't be doing it now. Guess I didn't make any points with my DIL, but I've always "told it like it is" and I told my son the same thing. He forgave me, but I don't think she did.


----------



## peramangkelder (Jul 17, 2020)

Since the advent of disposable nappies and their long term implications such as land-fill etc....'nuther story
Huz and I were discussing at what age are most kids 'toilet trained' at least during the day?
Thankfully my 2 were both okay by the time they started school at age 5
However they did have the occasional accident at night
They wore cloth nappies because disposables were too expensive
My grandfather was fascinated by the kids Tommee Tippee cups because of the weighted bases


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 17, 2020)

Sassycakes said:


> My Mom was a stay at home Mom. My Dad worked 2 jobs when extra money was really needed. My brother was 13yrs old when I was born. my Sister is only 2yrs older than me. I was 5ys old when my brother go drafted during the Korean war. He had just gotten married when he got drafted. My Mom always cooked home made meals. She would wash cloths every Saturday and Iron every Sunday.After my brother got out of the Army he moved back in our house with his wife. They then had a son and a year and a half later another son.That's when I got the name Auntie Barbara will do it. I watched the boys everyday after school. My Mother never made my sister-in-law do anything, I still remember my Mom washing the diapers and hanging them on the cloths line. We never had take out food until I was about 13yrs old. My brother and his family lived with us for 6yrs until he saved up enough to buy a home.He never paid a dime for anything when he lived with my parents.My Dad even bought him a car.I don't know where my Mom got all the strength to do what she did. She was amazing.


*Our lives were much the same Sassy.*

My half brother was 15 when I was born and when he was drafted to the Korean War he was eventually the youngest Master Sergeant in the war at 19 yrs. old.  I was then 4 yrs old then and my mom and his wife and baby were on an early TV talk show with none other than the very young *Betty White.  *

My dad invited all the customers in from our "Mom & Pop" grocery store, that was attached to our home, to come in the house and watch the show on our brand new Television. My mouth hung open watching them there. They were making a sound recording to send to my brother. I remember my Mom saying that when he got home they would have the table decorated in blue ribbon. I didn't understand until he came home and the welcome table had lots of "Pabst Blue Ribbon" beer.  

That's where the similarities with our brothers ended. He bought a *brand new* two bedroom "tract home" intended for returning service men on the GI Bill.  I grew up and found out he paid $9,000 for that lovely house here in California where I still live. He and his wife raised four little kids there with two bunk beds in the kids room. He also was educated on the GI bill and ended up making a very good living until he died at the age of 43. He was my childhood hero, and I still miss him.

My mom and dad worked hard together in the little grocery store and I was raised as an only child. I was very happy to have both my terrific parents at home all the time.  I didn't have them long enough though, as I was a late in life child and both of them were gone by the time I was 43. Mom was active in the private school I attended and often delivered groceries to the convent. They were both the best parents a kid could wish for.


----------



## peppermint (Jul 17, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> OMG, same here, Kayelle... old-fashioned cloth diapers, pins, and rubber pants for all of mine, and happy to do so.
> 
> Being a stay-at-home mom made using cloth diapers easy, and having grown-up changing baby siblings that wore cloth diapers, I had the whole process of changing, rinsing, soaking, washing, drying, and folding down-pat, long before I became a mom.
> 
> I commend you on the early training. I wasn't so lucky, but at least with reusable, washable cloth diapers, I didn't fret over diapering longer, because the cloth diapers didn't cost me a thing other than a little detergent every few days, which equated to pennies per wash-load.


Yes, My son is 54 years old....It never bothered me that I had to do laundry, diaper the baby, wash diapers...
We didn't own a house, we were in a house and rented....Until my husband took his job to Ohio....We were
lucky to find a little home...We also have a daughter....Came back to NJ and bought a house here.....
But, hubby had to drive 2 hours to NYC...For many many years.....
So kids are all grown with their kids.....We both had jobs....We both have pensions....Never thought at 20 years old
getting married that ever would happen....We persevered....55 years....


----------



## Kayelle (Jul 17, 2020)

peppermint said:


> Yes, My son is 54 years old....It never bothered me that I had to do laundry, diaper the baby, wash diapers...
> We didn't own a house, we were in a house and rented....Until my husband took his job to Ohio....We were
> lucky to find a little home...We also have a daughter....Came back to NJ and bought a house here.....
> But, hubby had to drive 2 hours to NYC...For many many years.....
> ...



I hope that means you still have each other Peppermint! My late husband and I married as 19 yr. old teenagers (and not even PG as we used to say) lol.  We were married for 42 years, when he died way too young when we were 61. I'm now very happy with my Bowmore of 12 years....... I'm a lucky (blessed) woman to have married two men I love, and love me back.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> Yep, exactly my point Janice! Two years ago when my youngest grand child was 4 yrs old, I told her mother I wouldn't be changing her "Poopie PullUps" anymore because I've never in my life changed a 4 yr old, and I wouldn't be doing it now. Guess I didn't make any points with my DIL, but I've always "told it like it is" and I told my son the same thing. He forgave me, but I don't think she did.


Good on you, Kayelle, for putting your foot down.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

peramangkelder said:


> Since the advent of disposable nappies and their long term implications such as land-fill etc....'nuther story
> *Huz and I were discussing at what age are most kids 'toilet trained' at least during the day?*
> Thankfully my 2 were both okay by the time they started school at age 5
> However they did have the occasional accident at night
> ...


Gosh, I'm thinking back to my old babysitting days.... a long time ago... the 1970's, but I seem to recall the magic number being around age 2 to 2-1/2 years. Seemed by age 2-1/2 years, diapers, at least daytime diapers were all but a thing of the past. Now, nighttime diapers, well that's a different story. I do remember diapering older ones at bedtime (for the night), but if my memory serves me well, nighttime diapers didn't last long after daytime dryness was mastered.

Now, back in my babysitting days everyone used cloth diapers, and wet cloth diapers would have made for one uncomfortable little bottom, add in the fact that mothers grew tired of washing, drying, folding, and pinning, and toilet training happened earlier.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> *Our lives were much the same Sassy.*
> 
> My half brother was 15 when I was born and when he was drafted to the Korean War he was eventually the youngest Master Sergeant in the war at 19 yrs. old.  I was then 4 yrs old then and my mom and his wife and baby were on an early TV talk show with none other than the very young *Betty White.  *
> 
> ...


Absolutely love the story. 

So sorry to hear of your loss, Kayelle.

Your mention of bunk-beds sure did flood my mind with great old memories! I seem to remember everyone with young children had bunk-beds! So super-duper popular they were!

Thank you for the walk down memory lane!


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

peppermint said:


> Yes, My son is 54 years old....It never bothered me that I had to do laundry, diaper the baby, wash diapers...
> We didn't own a house, we were in a house and rented....Until my husband took his job to Ohio....We were
> lucky to find a little home...We also have a daughter....Came back to NJ and bought a house here.....
> But, hubby had to drive 2 hours to NYC...For many many years.....
> ...


I could have written your post, Peppermint! 

Same! Absolutely loved being a mom, and that included all of the little things (and big things) associated with.

Extending a congratulations to you on your long and happy marriage!


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jul 17, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> I hope that means you still have each other Peppermint! My late husband and I married as 19 yr. old teenagers (and not even PG as we used to say) lol.  We were married for 42 years, when he died way too young when we were 61. I'm now very happy with my Bowmore of 12 years....... I'm a lucky (blessed) woman to have married two men I love, and love me back.


I gave a LOVE to you, Kayelle, even though my heart bleeds for you. 

Hugs to you, and so happy that you found Bowmore!


----------



## Meanderer (Jul 18, 2020)

Strange 1950's prediction.....


----------

