Mother's Time And Mother's Money.
She Must Look After Herself.

The housewife and mother too often drags wearily through her day, her only outing the necessary household shopping trip, her only “rest” period the time when she sits down to mend, or shell peas or iron. Drearily she wonders how her life has become so drab. Her husband is just as fond of her, but she misses something in herself. She looks back, perhaps over only a few years, at the girl she used to be and marvels how she, who was so gay and happy, has now become so uninteresting, even to herself.

How has it happened? In her case it is true that “woman's work is never done.” With the advent of the children she has lost her leisure. From getting up to bed-time she goes from task to task, caring for her husband and children, their clothes, their meals, their surroundings. There is no one to do the same for her—unless she can afford a maid. Therefore the only help is in her hands. Somehow she must claim her share of attention.

Why should the children's hair be washed and brushed so thoroughly, while mother's is given a swift run through with a comb each morning, and a shampoo “when she has time”? Why should the children be dressed as well as any of their friends, while mother carries on with what she has, because “she has no time to do the rounds of the shops, and anyway she doesn't go out much”? Why should the rest of the family have time for books and magazines while mother contents herself with an occasional glance at the newspaper? Why? Why? Why?

Mother, in devotion to the needs of her family, is neglecting herself, and no husband, no children, however helpful, can prevent a woman robbing herself in this way.

The woman has to convince herself that she is as important as anyone else in the household, for their sake as well as for hers. Somehow she has to find time to devote to herself. It will require determination, and planning, and again determination, to manage this, once the “household drudge” state has been reached.

Early rising is a solution for many mothers. Morning energy can cope with page 58 the ordinary household cleaning before breakfast; and an early bird of a mother gets the family on the scene in time to do their share in the way of bedmaking, own room mopping and dusting, etc., before departing for school or office.

With breakfast over (and dishes washed by the young ones), mother can look round on a clean, tidy house and a morning to organize as she wishes, with extra household tasks and shopping, and time left over for herself. The afternoon, too, will have its freedom. Of course this time is stolen from the early morning when mother otherwise would have been sleeping, and it is up to her to see that she has a rest period, with feet up, either before or after lunch, in order that she may not be tired in the evening.

Having found how to gain an extra hour or two, the clever woman will use it to advantage, for herself.

As for the clothes problem, any married woman will tell you that her housekeeping money goes on food, and clothes for the children, and somehow there's very little left for herself. But why should she always be the last to dip into the purse? She has to fight her own self-denying instincts by setting aside her fair share, each pay day, for personal expenses, including clothes. It's the only way, isn't it, you mothers of families?