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Vintage Wisdom for Modern Mums

May 31, 2013

I consider myself to be a modern woman in so many ways. I benefit from near equality in the workplace, the right to vote, and the ability to be financially independent. However for the last couple of years I’ve been a full-time stay-at-home mum. I have to say that having worked up to 60 hours a week as a visual merchandiser before having kids, being a full-time mum is by far the hardest work I’ve ever done. But also by far the most rewarding.

I believe in putting 100% into everything I do, and that includes my work at home. It’s a role that makes me look back to women of the past and their roles as wives and mothers. This is with a very nostalgic outlook and as with all nostalgia it is of course through very rose-tinted specs!

Wife

I am very lucky to have the choice to stay at home and for many women of the past being a housewife  was their only option. However our foremothers had so many amazing skills, that I definitely aspire to. I would love to be able to cook, sew, garden, clean and raise my children and still have time to look amazing.

Laundry

On the whole I think I do pretty well and I don’t believe any mother should put herself under too much pressure, but right now I’m a mum on a mission. It’s good to have goals in life no matter what you do and in an ideal world I would like…

  • A perfect home (nearly perfect!)
  • Well behaved children
  • To prepare lovely home cooked meals every day
  • To look and feel fabulous
  • To be able to sew lovely things for me and my home
  • To grow my own vegetables in the garden

I think I might be a feminists worst nightmare, but at the moment these are my aspirations and there’s no reason why I can’t achieve them all. My life is full of other stuff and I am lucky that I also have so much time for my own hobbies and interests. It’s really important to me to make time for reading, going to the gym, visiting museums, seeing friends and spending loads of time with my children.

Sometimes it’s hard to achieve everything but I’ve set myself a few goals to make life easier…

  • Always clear out what we don’t use or need – I love having a good clear out – less stuff means less tidying and more time to spend on the things I love.
  • Get more sleep – I’m terrible for staying up too late and not having enough energy the next day.
  • Eat well – again being healthy and drinking enough is great for having the energy to do everything.
  • Night time beauty routine – looking after yourself is really important to feel good and having a routine before bed with sleep. Long gone are the days of cold cream and rollers before bed but maybe ladies of the past had the right idea.
  • Get time to myself – Having a break and getting out of the house for a bit is so important. everyone needs a change of scene. Being a mum is a 24/7 job and a little time out can work wonders.
  • Having an organised home – If everything has a place it’s so much easier and quicker to keep it tidy. I’ll be sharing some of my organising tips on the blog later in the month.
  • Spend less money – cutting back on little things can help pay for big things like home improvements and holidays. In the 1940’s and early 50s British women had to live through rationing and often had to grow their own vegetables. Being more careful about wasting food and making everyday things last longer are useful skills to refer back to, especially given the current financial situation.

I’ll be working on sticking to my goals over the next month and see how I get on. I’ll also be sharing some of my ideas, tips and projects on the blog as well as a little wisdom from mothers of the past, so come back soon!

For more vintage wisdom check out Ms Fairchild’s Charm School one of my favourite blogs.

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  • Reply
    Miss Fairchild
    June 1, 2013 at 12:35 pm

    I don’t think this is a feminists worst nightmare at all. I consider myself a feminist and I believe that the big part about feminism is choice. Being a mum is the toughest job in the world, we are raising the next generation – what could be more important than that?

    All of those goals are awesome – and I know you can do it (well everything except the perfect home, I am in my 13th year of parenting and I would advise you to give up that one 😛 )

    You are so sweet. I love your blog too. Thanks for reading and keep being fabulous!

  • Reply
    mowilson
    June 2, 2013 at 5:19 pm

    Ditto as above. Feminism was about giving women choice and opportunity. You have the opportunity and the choice to stay at home, which is wonderful. Like you, I also found being a stay-at-home mum to be the hardest job I’d ever done (although now back working full-time after many years of part-time, I’d happily go back to being a housewife if I could afford it).

    With regard to the perfect home, hmm, I’d say forget the perfect bit, but have the best home you can have, for you and your family. Which might mean it’s not always spotless and tidy, but that you’re all comfortable and happy together.

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