0 A HOUSEKEEPING PLAN IN 1907; by Aunt Hannah

First, for the day's routine:

1. Before leaving your room in the morning open the bed and the windows.
2. Light the kitchen fire; put the breakfast to cook, fill teakettle with water, and place on kitchen table the things needed to prepare breakfast.
3. Sweep the sitting room.
4. Set breakfast table, make coffee and finish and serve breakfast.
5. Clear away breakfast, sweep dining room and kitchen and wash dishes.
6. Dust sitting room and dining room.
7. Make the beds and put sleeping rooms in order.
8. Do any special work, baking, ironing, washing or cleaning.
9. Prepare the noon meal.

When washing is to be done the boiler should be put over the fire before sitting down to breakfast, and the dusting and sleeping rooms may be left until after the washing is finished. Do not try to make washday cleaning day also, which is liable to greatly overtax the strength of the average housekeeper; wipe up the floor on washday with as little labor as possible, and give it a thorough cleaning on some other less trying day.

The Latest Fashions in 1907

The routine, which can be easily followed by the average housekeeper, will result in a well kept, orderly home, and leave the afternoons free for sewing, mending, shopping, visiting, reading and resting. The care of little children will, however, often overturn all plans, and the housewife must then just do the best she can. At our house the regular days for special work are: Monday, putting house to rights after the Sunday rest, getting the washing together and putting the most soiled articles to soak; Tuesday, washing; Wednesday, baking; Thursday, ironing; Friday, cleaning; Saturday, baking.

 As children grow old enough, teach them to open the beds and windows before leaving their room, and assign each such share of the household tasks as they are capable of assisting with or doing alone.

The Well-Dressed Girl in 1907

Very little tots, of two and three years, may learn to pick up and put away their playthings, to assist in clearing away the table, doing the dishes, and may sweep up with their own little brooms any litter they make in their play.

The mother should be queen of the home, but if she has no system her sovereignty will be unhappy and troubled, and her subjects will be restless and quarrelsome if she does not learn to rule them wisely and firmly, though lovingly.

This post has been shared at Simple Lives Thursday.