65. "My wife DOES NOT WORK!" About young mothers!

I read an interesting article on Facebook, and copied it to be used on my blog.   We raised our children in the late 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's mostly.  We lived in a neighborhood where most mothers didn't work.  We had 9 children, but in our neighborhood our neighbor to the left had 9 children, the neighbor on the right had 7, and the neighbor across the street had 10.  (Of course this was during the same years we were having our family.)  Also in the same ward a neighbor half a block away had 10 children, and another half block south another family had 9, and over a street another ward member had 10 children.  One of our daughters had 22 girls her age in the ward!  

                 Wayne and me on our honeymoon, in September, 1955, in Zion's Canyon.

So our large family wasn't unusual.  Our children played together a lot, and it was safe in those days -- we could let them go to a nearby field, and play for hours and not have to check on them.  It was a different era!

This article below is humerous, but also quite true, at least it could have been true when we were raising our children!  Can you imagine how hard it is for a wife and mother who actually does work outside the home, and does all this too! 

------------------------------------------------

My Wife DOES NOT WORK !! 

Conversation between a Husband (H) and a Psychologist (P): 

P : What do you do for a living Mr. Bandy? 

H : I work as an Accountant in a Bank. 

P : Your Wife ? 

H : She doesn't work. She's a Housewife only. 

P : Who makes breakfast for your family in the morning?

         H : My Wife, because she doesn't work.

P : At what time does your wife wake up for making breakfast? 

H : She wakes up at around 5 am because she cleans the house first before making breakfast.

P : How do your kids go to school?

          H : My wife takes them to school, because she doesn't work.

P : After taking your kids to school, what does she do? 

H : She goes to the market, then goes back home for cooking and laundry. You know, she doesn't work. 

P : In the evening, after you go back home from office, what do you do?

          H : Take rest, because i'm tired due to all day works.

P : What does your wife do then? 

H : She prepares meals, serving our kids, preparing meals for me and cleaning the dishes, cleaning the house then taking kids to bed. 

Whom do you think works more, from the story above??? 

The daily routines of your wives commence from early morning to late night. That is called 'DOESN'T WORK'??! 

Yes, Being Housewives do not need Certificate of Study, even High Position, but their ROLE/PART is very important! 

Appreciate your wives. Because their sacrifices are uncountable. This should be a reminder and reflection for all of us to understand and appreciate each others roles.

To finish this article, I want to include part of a journal I made when I had 8 children from ages 8 months to 15 years, in 1971.  I wrote quite a bit one day when I was overwhelmed, and I wrote things that I wanted to be able to remember years later.  When reading this last night, I actually thought, "How did I ever do it ? ! ?"

   This picture was taken coming out of the hospital where our first born, Wayne M. was born in July, 1956.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is what I wrote in a journal in 1971:

     I want to remember how it is to not have money to get fresh food, apples, bananas, etc.  to skimp and eat same things over and over, and be so hard up we write a check or 2 or 3, and hope they don’t get to the bank before we can deposit more.–to remember for the children to want allowances or to earn money even and us not have any to spare for it–-no money for vacations or shows, new clothes, etc., to buy as much as I can from the As Is, and Deseret Industries and still go with out all but necessities. 

    To remember needing money, not being able to pay all bills each month, charging when necessary–Remember about having a big argument about spending $4 to go to Saratoga when we owed lots of bills.  Be understanding of children being dirty, not cleaned up, remember when mine were. 

   Not get my feelings hurt if not invited somewhere (a certain wedding etc.) and realize there may be a mistake or a reason.  Not feel hurt if there are certain times our children may not be able to come see us, help us, etc., realize they may be so very busy with their own families and children. 

    Remember to take food to a mother who has a new baby – is ill while expecting – has a lot of children and some are ill, – try to help them if possible – ironing – or just tending their children while they do their own work.  Not be onery or critical of my husband as we get older–-alone or in front of anyone –  Remember when 1st married I wasn’t used to housework – how things were cluttered and dishes not done regularly. 

 Then with 1, 2, and on up – when babies were a year or under, or I was expecting and didn’t feel good, or children or I were ill – the house simply didn’t come first – remember days things were so very cluttered, and sometimes dirty, couldn’t change beds, or babies often enough – sink sometimes went days before I got to bottom of it (sideboards cluttered for days, washing behind and had to hunt for socks, shoes, ironing behind) Days when children quarreled with each other and I also argued and quarreled, and kids were embarrassed to bring friends home. 

 I want to remember when so bogged down with crying babies – children , and not enough help to take care of their needs and house too– and how it sometimes makes me critical or onery with kids who don’t help enough, or quarrel and tattle.  When I’m so busy and may be tired and sick and have to take care of babies, children, even when I don’t feel well enough to. 

     I want to remember to not be critical of another’s house – and remember circumstances may be the reason things are disrupted.  Many times my house was clean and no one came and dirty and several came!   I want my children to enjoy having me come and remember to let them know if we’re coming, or not expect to see things all in order, and not feel critical of such a situation and not embarrass them by giving an idea I don’t feel it is clean enough. 

     Remember morning sickness and be compassionate of anyone with it.  If ever any misunderstandings result between me and grandchildren or married children I want to be 1st to go and apologize, in person if at all possible.   Don’t criticize my children, married now I’m thinking) to anyone else–they remember it long after I’ve forgotten the trouble. 

 Remember some of my children weren’t trained until 3 – close to 4 years, and had a battle a long time.  Call my children often – not wait for them to call me (They could have sickness, be busy, etc.) and write once a week to those away from me–-Write letters to each grandchild, and encourage them to write. 

Yes, times are different, we do e mail and Facebook mostly, instead of handwritten letters.  We don't even talk on the phone as much, because people want to text.  I personally don't know how to text!

But the needs of young parents, especially mothers, are still the same!  I would love to be of more help to some of my posterity -- now it's mostly my grandchildren having babies.  But they live far away from me! 

                     

Pal, and Wayne M. when he was around 2 months old.  We didn't know what the future would bring!  But we were thrilled to be starting our family!