per a request from my Homestead Binder entry:
I have re-typed this article in its entirety from a blog entry found on 6/8/06 on homesteadblogger.com/godfreyhomestead/16487
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Moms in pioneer days may have had it better.
By: Jennifer Adkins
I’ve just started reading to my kids some of my favorite childhood stories, Laura in galls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prarie” books. I’m enjoying them even more this time around.
Reading about how pioneer families lived, or seeing the kitchens of yesteryear on display at the Huntington’s Heritage Farm Museum and Village can sure make today’s mom feel grateful for indoor plumbing, dishwashers, and electric lights.
Even though those hardy pioneer moms must have had a challenge getting their chores done without modern conveniences, I’m not sure today’s homemakers necessarily have it easier.
Laura says her moms’ chore schedule followed the old expression, “Wash on Monday, iron on Tuesday, mend on Wednesday, churn on Thursday, clean on Friday, bake on Saturday and rest on Sunday.”
I think I could live with that.
Take laundry for example. It must have been tough having to wash all of your family’s clothing by hand. But then again, each family member only had one or two changes of clothes and you were only expected to wash them once a week.
Compare that to sorting, washing, drying, folding and putting away dozens of items per day. No easy feat even with a washing machine and dryer.
Pioneer women not only had to churn their own butter, but they had to grow and preserve much of their own food, and cook it over and open fireplace or primitive woodstove.
Maybe so, but their families probably did not expect gourmet fare. I’ll bet kids ate whatever mom cooked without complaining, since Happy Meals were not a viable alternative. And Mom only had to “grocery shop” a couple of time a year.
I’m sure living in a tiny log cabin made for crowded conditions, but it had to be much less work to keep it clean. If your kids only owned one or two toys a piece, they wouldn’t be cluttering up the place.
And though it may have been no fun to use an outhouse on a cold winter night, at least Mom never had to scrub a toilet.
The most remarkable thing about the 19th century chore list, though is “rest on Sunday” can you imagine such a luxury today?
Jennifer Adkins is a Huntington resident and stay-at-home mom of Andrew, 8, Emily, 5; and Aidan. You can contact her by e-mailing jsadkins1@hotmail.com
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