A typical day of a 1940’s housewife
The 1940’s was great era for fashion and glamour, and during the war – it seemed to herald a new age for women’s freedom, but from 1946 – women who were starting out as a housewife for the first time, discovered that there was a strict gender biased code which dictated that the model wife was expected to effortlessly fill the roles of glamorous mum, cook, laundress, cleaner, dishwasher, nurse and finally hostess.
Effectively – women were demoted from home manager to labourer . This nightmarish Pleasantville – Stepford Wife scenario was to remain well into the 1960’s.
See the Concise Illustrated History of 1940s Women’s Fashion – 1940 to 1949
6.00- Nurse baby
6.45- Fix breakfast for herself and John
7.15- John and Marjorie enjoy time alone before wakening kids
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| A typical 1940s breakfast – Life |
7.45- Breakfast for all
8.00- Husband John to work
– wash dishes -clean downstairs-call grocers
9.00- Bathe baby – make beds – clean upstairs
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| Making the beds -1946-Life |
10.30- Nurse baby
11.00- Fix lunch
11.30- Lunch for Shaun and Rusty
12.00- John home – Lunch
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| 1940’s Lunch at home -image-Life |
1.00 – John back to work – naps for the boys – wash dishes – nap for Marjorie
2.30 – Nurse baby
2.45 – Clean living room
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| Housechores -1940’s -Life |
5.00- Fruit juice for baby – fix supper
5.30- Supper for Shawn, Rusty
6.00- John home – baths for Shawn and Rusty.
6.30- Shawn and Rusty in bed
7.00- Dress for dinner – yep – you dressed before cooking the meal.
7.15- Cocktail with John
7.30- Fix dinner
8.00- Dinner with John
9.00- Wash dishes
10.30- Nurse baby
10.45- Personal bath – luxury !
11.00- Bed
And just to put it all in perspective – here’s an amazing picture – again courtesy of the fabulous Life archive.
Housewife Marjorie McWeeney stands amongst a symbolic display of a full week’s housework for a typical 1940’s housewife. Labour includes 35 beds to be made, 750 items of glass & china, 400 pieces of silverware to wash, 174 lbs. of food to prepare, and 250 pieces of laundry.
It’s a wonder she has time to put on her makeup.
Images courtesy of Life Magazine
You can download beautiful original vintage 1940’s make-up and beauty guides now.
I love the time for a bath and a cocktail!
I do think that although we have dishwashers and technology, there are some new tasks replacing the old ones. Checking emails, online banking. Plus these days it's seen as more important to spend time with your children and play with them for their development and emotional wellbeing, not just sticking them in a highchair or play pen for hours on end. Plus we're more safety conscious. I prefer not to clean the toilet with strong cleaners with a baby in tow!
I do think we can learn some things, like letting children learn to help with chores and entertain themselves for some of the day.