What is Expected of a Mother?

1919--

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF A MOTHER

In thinking over what is expected of the average woman who becomes a housekeeper, wife, and mother, it occurs to a recent writer that she must be master of all the arts and sciences in order to properly fit her position. Her education, to be complete, must be perfect along many lines.

She must be entertaining and accomplished, to charm her husband and her husband's friends; she must be a well-rounded housekeeper, understand cooking thoroughly, else how can she direct the energies of her domestic in that line?

She must be well acquainted with the sanitary code, to see that her house is well ventilated, properly heated, and the plumbing in good condition; must know how to attend to the marketing and general buying, so that sufficient economy may be practiced; must make all her own calls, and her husband's as well, to keep in touch with her social duties; her knowledge of sewing must be such as to keep the family mending done, if not to fashion the clothes; then, when the children come, she must be a trained kindergartner, and then, later on, she must remember all she ever learned at school or college, so as not to be put to shame by the girl or boy of the twentieth century, while at the same time she must be young again to enter into their joys and sentiments, and see that their companions are what they should be, and when sickness comes a mother is expected to be a trained nurse, ready to be up day and night, taking the temperature, giving the medicine.

--Ironwood Daily Globe, Ironwood, Michigan, November 20, 1919, page 10.