The Wife's Job at Home - Doing my Part

Lately, I have been tired and not really trying hard enough. On the day I should have gone grocery shopping, I only bought a few things "to get by," because I didn't want the hassle of planning a list and buying what we needed. Was I lazy, tired or unorganized? Possibly a little of each.

My husband has worked in retail for almost all of our married life. Whether it was our own store we owned, or working for other companies, he knows a lot about getting a job done. When a store opens in the morning, the shelves need to be clean, well-stocked and everything has to be in its place. The aisles have to be clear of cardboard boxes and totes. The deli/ or kitchen area has to be prepped and ready for orders. In other words, all jobs have to be done!

I cannot tell you how many times my husband has come home from work, telling me how employees - slacked during their shift, killed time, and didn't bother to get all their work finished. This either leaves the burden on someone else to pick up the slack or causes an unorganized, chaotic situation.

Can you guess what I am about to say? What I do, as the wife in my home, is my part of the job in this marriage! Just like my husband must get all his work done at his job, I must get all my work done here at home.

If I leave a messy kitchen at night, when I wake up, I will face a nightmare. I will have to quickly clean before anyone can even have breakfast or make coffee. If I don't do the laundry, no one has clean clothes for work or church. I must do my job.

When I am feeling very weak or ill, I have learned to come up with the attitude of "do it anyway." Here it goes:

1. I am too tired to clean. "Do it anyway."
2. I am too bored to grocery shop. "Do it anyway."
3. I am in too much pain to wipe up the spill. "Do it anyway."
4. I don't want to get out of bed. "Do it anyway."

You see, we have so many excuses, so many moods, and so many valid reasons why we didn't do our job. But guess what? If I honestly cannot do my work, then it is my responsibility to delegate it to someone else, and make sure it still gets done.

I love the organized plan of our ancestor mothers. They had a day for each job. It went something like this:

* Monday -wash day
* Tuesday -ironing day
* Wednesday- mending day
* Thursday-shopping day
* Friday-cleaning day
* Saturday-baking day

I don't want to follow a rigid plan like that, but I do need to pick one day a week to do my shopping and make that permanent.

Can you just imagine if we were more focused on our job, and all the tasks that go into making a home, how much more organized and pleasant our homes would be?

Everyday, my husband goes to work. He does his job with dedication and pride. Why would I do any less here at home?

Blessings,
Mrs. White

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Find cleaning inspiration and encouragement in Mrs. White's book, "Gracious House Keeping."

"Gracious House Keeping: Advice, Encouragement, and Cleaning Help for the Christian Housewife."

Complete with Encouragement and Work Charts to cheer you along in your homemaking!

115 pages, paperback.

Encouraging you to be an Old Fashioned Housewife.

In this modern society, it is easy to forget our roots. We forget what a joy and blessing it is to be an old fashioned housewife. Women in the 1940's were dedicated to motherhood, homemaking, family and godliness. I would like to share a few historic photos with you. I found them through the Library of Congress.

Here are dedicated homemakers, in 1940, at a country fair. You can see them standing at a table, serving home-baked goods.

In the 40's, families believed in taking the time to pray and thank God for their food and blessings. In this photo, you will see men, women and children gathered to pray - in public, with great respect for God.

May I ask what has happened to our culture today?  May I venture to say that if more women had a deep love for home and homemaking, the family-unit and godliness would be more prevalent?

Here you will see a housewife putting up food, she canned, into her homemade pantry. This is in 1942.

A humble home, with humbly furnished rooms seems to be outdated. However, there was less debt, less consumption and more creating. The family worked extremely hard, but they had simpler lives. They had less distractions. More families attended church than they do now. More families stayed together as a strong unit and divorce was rare. If we could only strive to live a more simple, godly life, we would be greatly blessed.

I want you to love home. I want you to love the old paths and the old ways. I want you to keep it alive and pass this legacy on to your children and grandchildren.  There is a wonderful way to learn and be encouraged and that is through a precious magazine - The Good Old Days. (They offer a free sample issue for new readers.) They also publish a series of books full of remembrances of home life in the old days.

Blessings,
Mrs. White

 - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

The Maid Was Here

A Maid Watering Flowers, painting by Franck Antoine Bail.

 

I woke up cheerful and happy this morning. It is a beautiful day. I put on my cutest outfit - A skirt, heels, apron, etc. and got to work. I have a radio in my kitchen. I turned on a cassette tape of some old-southern gospel music and enjoyed tidying my kitchen. I started to remember my work as a maid when I was a teenager. We would go into a house and methodically clean an entire house in 2 hours. These were gorgeous houses in nice neighborhoods. I loved cleaning those homes. But you see, they were not dirty! Everything was clean when we got there. Our job was not to get rid of clutter, or wash dishes. We did not have to remove carpet stains or wash windows. Our job was simply to do the basic deep cleaning, once a week, in order to maintain a house.

Here is what we did:

Kitchen-
Wash sinks and counters. Polish the outside of appliances (stove, fridge, toaster oven, coffee maker, dishwasher). Polish table and chairs. Wash the floor.

Bathroom -
Scrub tub, toilet, sink, vanity. Wash mirrors. Wash the floor. Straighten towels. Fold the toilet paper. (This was a triangle shape at the edge of the paper roll, facing out - it left a message to say - the maid was here.)

Bedrooms-
Dust and polish all furniture. Make beds or change sheets (if these were left out for us to do). (We would fold, and tuck in, the ends of pillow cases just like they do in hotels.) Vacuum carpet.

Hallway -
Vacuum carpet.

Living room / Den / Sunroom, etc -
Dust, vacuum.

The very last thing we did was vacuum the living room carpet, as we backed out of the room. You could see neat lines in the carpet and no footprints. (This was another sign to say - the maid was here.)

So this morning, as I cleaned my kitchen and bathroom, I remembered my days as a maid (from the ages of 15 - 17). I loved my job. I loved cleaning. To have an orderly, neat home, is such a blessing. When I finished my housework this morning, I could almost sense the cheerful "rainbows" which came from the awe and wonder of a tidy house. I walked out of the rooms, and nodded my head in approval and thought - The Maid was Here.


Blessings,
Mrs. White

 From the Archives -

Old Time Manners - Waiting for the Door to Be Opened.  

A Simple Life - How to Stop Buying Things that Clutter up the Home. 

Ration Books from 1942 and helpful advice - Adapting to the High Cost of Living.

 

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

 

Find cleaning inspiration and encouragement in Mrs. White's book, "Gracious House Keeping."

"Gracious House Keeping: Advice, Encouragement, and Cleaning Help for the Christian Housewife."

Complete with Encouragement and Work Charts to cheer you along in your homemaking!

115 pages, paperback.

How a Godly Mother May Guide an Imperfect Family

Sunday dinner, 1942, Connecticut (LOC)

So many mothers have trials and sorrows. They cry out to God because of wayward children. Or, perhaps they shake their head in despair when their young child continues to do wrong. We need a country of strong, encouraged mothers. We need Mothers to understand that all children, all people, have a sin nature. Our families will be imperfect.

Whenever you see a lovely family of Bible Hugging children- know you are only seeing an image. Those children still sin and give their parents trouble. Perhaps they bicker, or disobey, or even lie. But they love their Mother and they love their Bible. It doesn't mean they are going to be perfect. Let's get that clear, first off.
 
Children silently observe all that Mother does. They know what she is really like. It cannot be hidden in the home.  Mother, we need to know we cannot do any of this alone. We need our dear Lord and I will tell you how to find strength from Him.

1. Strive to live a simple, unworldly life. Find time for recreation for the sake of the body, but it must not be the consuming of one's life.

2. Read the Bible more than any other reading material. Read it to ponder. Read it while praying. Read it while weeping. Read it for strength.

3. Pray with all thy heart and soul and strength. Pray diligently throughout the day. Pray for each child by name. Pray for courage. Pray for faith and love of God's holy way. Pray about everything.

4. Live out your commitments without wavering. Do what you promise to do, even if it causes you pain, exhaustion and suffering. You will be a shining example of a dedicated, responsible soul if you can be trusted to keep your word.

5. Work hard. Work with whatever you have been given to do. Work with all your strength and might- whether it be in your housekeeping, cooking, mothering, gardening or what have you. Do it with pride and commitment.

6. Talk about God with your children.  Tell them about your prayers and the answers when they come. Show your children your total trust and faith in your Heavenly Father. Do this in normal, daily life- as things come up - rather than in forced conversations.

7.  Offer Grace and Mercy to your children. Do not hold grudges. Forgive at once! Forgive even if they are still acting up! Forgive, smile, show compassion and love them with every bit of your strength.  Forgive them over and over and over again - without end.

8.  Speak life into your children.  Lift them up. Praise them and tell them how much you love them and are grateful for them.

9. Do good things for your children. Make an effort to cook their favorite meals and make home a special place they want to be. Make a pleasant and loving home for your family.  Do good things for them, unconditionally - even if they are acting troublesome. Show them love through your actions.

10. Live out a godly life before them. Pray openly. Read your Bible openly. Sing hymns or listen to gospel music openly. Go to the Master and fill your heart with love and holiness and then face your family, fully equipped to minister,while doing your homemaking tasks.

11. Confess your faults. If you are in a bad mood - tell them you are sorry. If you made a foolish decision- repent of it. Show them that none of us are flawless, but God has great mercy and we can only cling to him as the source of our hope.

12. Never bend. Know what your convictions are and do not change them with the times. Do not try to join in sinful, worldly living just to be friends with your children. You are the Mother. You are the example. You must stay strong and live out a godly, holy life before your family. Do not bend to their childish, immature worldly whims. I cannot stress this enough. Children will grow up, remembering your example. One day they will cling to the old ways and realize it was your source of strength.  Long after you are dead and gone, dear mother, they will remember your strong character and godly ways. Don't underestimate the power of a committed, godly life. 

13. Realize that money and things are never going to be more important than one's convictions. If you are seeking money at the expense of your family, or at the expense of your moral values - pray and find a way to drop it as quickly as possible. Nothing is more important than the salvation of the souls of your children. Do not let money, things, or the world's standard of life destroy your only chance of bringing up godly children.

 I want to paint an image of what this looks like in an old fashioned home. Mother has her daily duties. We thank God for her work, because it gives her something important to do. She cannot spend all day wasting time on television, constant eating and lounging. She needs to be about the Master's business - and that is the keeping of the home. She should pray for love for her job, so that it will shine through and bless those around her.  I can see her right now, washing clothes, hanging them on the line. I see her humming and smiling while she makes supper.  Now she is reading the Bible and sharing a verse or two that has blessed her. All her worries are cast on the Lord in prayer. She goes about her daily life, unhurried, and in peace.   The children feel safe and secure because they know Mama is there.


 Dear ones, our daily religious duties are an obligation. We do them whether or not we feel like it. It is what helps keep us on the straight and narrow. If we follow our own way, our own desires, we will be led astray. Perhaps we don't want to go to church. This is an enormous struggle in many homes. We don't want to go. But if we go out of obligation and gratefulness to God, we are setting an amazing example to our children. 

We, as mothers, will have children of all ages, at all stages on their religious journey. Some have been saved, some are struggling in sin, some are confused, and some are under the chastening hand of God. We need to be there, praying, smiling, encouraging and seeing them through these rough years. We may be weeping now, as we work in the harvest fields, but in the end, we will rejoice, bringing our sheaves with us. All that matters, at the end of it all, is not the fun we had, or the worldly things we indulged in, or the money we earned. What matters is walking through the pearly gates, with the souls of our beloved children following us into heaven.

Blessings,
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Old Fashioned Living - Retirement Planning for the Poor.

Wisdom from Colonial Days  - To Earn and Not to Spend.

Taking Care of the Family - A Covered Bridge and Graceful Living in Rural Vermont. 

 To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Learn How To Manage Money on a Small Income, with this helpful book:

- It is an honor to be the bookkeeper for the house! - 

Find detailed instruction and inspiration in budgeting on a small income, along with a method for keeping a handwritten ledger, with lots of thrifty ideas, in Mrs.White's book:

 -An Old Fashioned Budget: Humble Financial Management for the Christian Housewife. 

 Paperback, 77 pages.