Return of the 1950s housewife?

Praise the Lord for women who embrace being a keeper at home.

I'm all for this move, as well as for men to develop practical maintenance and repair skills.

I would happily accept a smaller shared income and modest lifestyle, to be compensated with less expensive, but better home-cooked meals, and practical craftsmanship done the old fashioned way. Rips and broken zippers can be mended, upset appliances are often fixed with half an hour of tinkering; but so many people exchange that half-hour of labor at home - which can be joined to conversation with family, or passing these abilities on to children - for three hours at work, to pay for brand new items.

Let's not even factor eating out regularly, or going to a mechanic for routine checkups. Imagine the benefits, mentally and practically, of a husband and wife skipping evening television to pick up night classes on basic first aid and health. A spouse who recognizes symptoms accurately and diagnoses effective treatments may prevent sicknesses, not to mention the costs, which would occur in going to the doctor at a later time.

Two of my best friends, a married couple, see these benefits daily. His wife prepares food for five people, at hardly greater cost than her time in the garden and kitchen. The same meal would be no less than $40 at a restaurant. She receives the advantages of exercise and experience, which improve her personally and socially. Sitters are not constantly needed for children of such couples, as they are well cared for and reaffirmed of their parents' love through frequent interaction. A domestic mother can teach useful skills and hobbies instead of leaving kids each day to hours of mindless video games, or to be unnecessarily tempted by unseemly youth at one of those bays of parental neglect that we call commercial Day Cares.

So yes, I'm all for this move, but before I can speak to my wife about such matters, I'll have to know who she is! I am yet the unskilled bachelor. ;-)

I am woefully mechanically (and spelling) unskilled, but some basic knowlege in such things is very handy. We are blessed to have quite a few sisters in our fellowship that are avid gardeners, seamstresses, and mothers/wives. The best thing is that my wife, a new believer, is being guided and mentored by several of them, her lifestyle change is a wonderful testimony of God's transforming power. She came from a shallow, entertainment driven life in Long Beach, Ca to North Pole, Alaska, and was then saved by God two years later.

I had a learning experience just today, we have been having -50 tempatures this week with little snow for insulation, and my water froze up this morning. A light fixture, spotlight lightbulb, and and extension cord was lowered down the well pipe to (hopefull) warm a frozen pipe joint. Two hours later we had water again. I would have never thought of that. I am indebted to the friend that gave me the idea to try it and have tried to speak the gospel to him on several occasions, but he does not wish to talk about it. Anyway, to get back on topic, I would have been pulling my hair out (and my wallet) if it wasn't for some simple advice.

This is good news. While the writer is talking about Australia, I had friends tell me how home embroidery machines are selling like hot cakes here is the States. This is good news, indeed. To those of us who enjoy sewing, I was getting concerned that the day would come when home sewing machines would become obsolete because so many fabric stores are struggling financially and quiting.

On the personal level gardening, cooking, sewing all challenge a person's creativity. It is fun to discuss the latest discovery concerning these skills. A husband can help the wife greatly by encouraging her to expand her skills, take an interest in it and help her if needed. I know many males who love to garden and are the main person working it and do it with greater success: it becomes a family project with children helping and learning how to do it.

Good news, indeed...thanks for the sharing it.
ginnyrose