Managing the Home

Photo from BHG

The local Dollar Tree store yielded several impressive books this week. I was surprised that books I had been wanting,which normally would have cost me ten to fifteen dollars elsewhere (even on the web), were brand new for only a dollar. One such book is called "Finding Betty Crocker" by Susan Marks, and the other was "The Business of Bliss" which was a publication of Victoria magazine. Both books made me feel right at home.

The era of Betty Crocker spanned from 1920 until the present time. One question that was posed to the Betty Crocker company, during wartime, was: "Please tell me how I am supposed to manage looking after four small children, keep the house clean, cook for my husband when he arrives home, and still be cheerful."

The Betty Crocker company bought a radio station and hired various spokeswomen to read questions and give answers. Homemakers were the greatest recipients of these broadcasts, because the radio helped them make connection with the outside world, a feature that was eagerly embraced by farm women all across the nation.

The answer that Betty Crocker (not a real person, but an industry), gave regarding the oft asked questions about managing the home, was as appropriate then as it will be today.

First, she said, get yourself dressed up, put on your makeup and arrange your hair nicely. Wear an apron to keep your dress clean, and put a pretty dish towel over your shoulder, so that you can reach up and wipe your hands or use the towel for any little spills, to dry a tea cup or take something out of the oven. Women wrote letters that were read over the radio show, saying that it did them no end of good to get dressed up in the morning, even with small children around, and even when they did not expect that anyone would see them during the day. No matter how late of a start you get, I think this is such an important step in homemaking. It gives the job a good beginning. It sort of makes you stand at attention when you look like you are prepared for company, or dressed to receive guests, even if you are not. If you never see anyone, at least you will have something to write about in your journal.

I am sure every woman develops her own preference and style of home making, and I have heard women talk about things that really work to get them motivated, to put them in charge of their homes, and to bring them the most satisfaction and happiness.

Getting out a favorite tea set and making hot tea, pulling out a pretty notepad and pen, and making a list of things to be done, is so important in getting ahold of the day. If your house feels very out of control, this step is even more important. The elegance and orderliness of this act seems to settle the mind. Once a list is made, it gives you a guideline to follow.

A common list to follow, would be something like this:

- personal appearance

-tea and list

-clean living area

-kitchen

-put in laundry

-clean bathroom

-bedrooms.

If you are particularly discouraged, dress up. This habit will bring some interesting responses, such as: "Mom is all dressed up. She must be going to clean house." When you are working, listen to pleasant music that paces you a little, but also is reassuring and soothing.

The job list does not have to be the same every day. Three are only a few main things that must be done, if you are pressed for time: the dishes washed, the laundry caught up, and meals. Children can always help with something, to save you steps and save you time.

Women with children need to incorporate the needs of the children into their homemaking and house keeping. Children will need to have their hands washed, or drinks of water, diapers and clothing changed. It is important to be available for those needs at the time they are needed, because that is one of the purposes of staying home. You can stop whatever you are doing, tend to a child, and then continue where you left off, whether it be cleaning the floor, washing dishes, or putting a room in order. Keep your list nearby or in your apron pocket and when you have been interrupted, say "Let me see...where was I? and look at that list." This will keep you from being so distracted that you end up wandering around in circles, never accomplishing anything.

In a normal home with children, it might be possible that you will only get one thing on your list completed, but that does not mean that you throw up your hands in despair and give up. Each day, you will get a little better at it, until you finally have the home in control. Children need to be "on your side" and need to know their mother's hopes. Tell them what you want to do, and ask for their help and their encouragement, so that you are all working as a team. If mother is happy, everyone will be happy.

Children need to be taught to do some things on their own, so that mother does not have to stand over them every minute, using up the time she needs to get the house in order. Some children can follow her around from task to task and watch her or help in a small way, and older children can do huge tasks such as vacuuming or cleaning a bedroom.

The other book that was purchased from the dollar store, "The Business of Bliss" was about having a business from the home, but I got a lot of ideas about it for homemaking. I observed that things that make a shop appealing are: soft sounds, pleasant scents, low, indirect lighting (in other words, not over head lights), and household necessities (furniture, dishes, etc) which were necessary but still beautiful. A shopkeeper with a home business chooses her own hours and if she is not feeling well, or has other things that need attention, she does not have to be open. She can choose what she wants to sell and what style she likes. I believe this feeling can be translated to the home.

When a person first enters their home, they should feel excited to be home. If a homemaker will teach her children to get the house ready for their father's arrival, she will never regret it. Instead of having the father come home and have to hunt for everyone, they can all be expecting him, having gotten the house cleaned up, their clothing neatened, hair combed, and greeting him at the door. This will set the tone for his arrival, which is something he will really look forward to.

If the beginning of the day is used to prepare for the end of the day, you will find that you can get a lot more accomplished. Just imagine what you want it to be like when your husband comes home, plan for it, and work toward that end. You will find that you accomplish more useful things during the day when you are acting as though you are expecting someone at a certain hour.

It was interesting that "Finding Betty Crocker" originally spoke to women at home whose husbands were overseas in the military. These women must have suffered extreme loneliness, yet they thought it was important that their houses looked nice, their children had good habits and learned to work, and that they, themselves were well dressed. The Betty Crocker radio shows tried to keep up the morale of these homemakers, stating in many broadcasts, that what they were doing was more important than any other type of work.

This book addressed the problem of the men being away for long periods of time,and that is something I will cover at a later date. There are many things that can be done during the times that husbands are away at work, or away overseas, that will make the wait seem smaller and the time more worthwhile.