what was the average family like in the 1950s?

Question

such as who worked, who stayed at home, how many kids were there.etc.

Answer 1

I can only give examples from my parents' families....
Both of my grandmothers worked hard. My mother's mother ran a bording house and managed her 8 children on her own while her husband (my grandfather) worked 8 months of the year in the northern logging business. All of my mother's siblings had jobs at age 13 and some younger. Some of the girls even ran their own businesses. They all had anywhere from 2 to 10 children.
My father's mother worked a huge truck garden and orchard on her property and sold the produce to the local neighbourhood. My grandfather laboured in the local rubber factory. They had 8 children as well, and all of them worked and had anywhere from 2 to 7 children of their own as well.
You could say my grandmothers stayed home, but both had businesses of their own.
My aunts all worked outside the home or had their own businesses.

If you are making a comparison with the myth of "Leave it to Beaver" where mom was always home, I can tell you that wasn't the case for anyone I knew. It was quite rare.
the truth is, WW11 did a number on families. Men went to war, women then were conscripted to fill their places in the booming factories of the time. When the men came back, they were promised their jobs back, and the women were reluctant to give them up. In doing so however, the doors were open for women to surge into their own businesses and workplaces. As well, the streamlining of appliances and compactness of the "suburbs" created a much needed repreave for women whose household responsibilities were made so much easier. That and the invention of mass produced sliced bread...... (teehee)

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as for my own mother (married my dad in 1953) she did stay home for the first few years of marriage, but she also took in and took care of foster children (over 120 in 6 years). She had 9 children of her own by age 28 (2 of whom died in infancy). After her last was born, she began to work part time in the evenings to help make ends meet. She worked at various jobs, including her own restaraunt for awhile) until into her 60's.

My husband's family, however, was different. His mother did stay home from the beginning. She had 5 children (2 of whom died in infancy).

Answer 2

I loved the 50s

Dad worked, Mom stayed home


Many families had a lot of kids, it was a cultural thing.

Every family was different. There was a melting of cultures into an American experience.
No one had more than 1 TV , if you had one.

Grandma was also at home, not in a home.

We all ate dinner together and waited for Dad to get home. We played out side all day until Superman came on. We all had a dog.

It was wonderful. Everyday was beautiful.

Wish I was back.

Answer 3

Well we had beans every Saturday night for supper at 5pm and farted all night and the next day too! (except in church) The wife stayed home and the husband worked. I have 2 sisters and 1 brother. We had a dog and never tied him up. He could go anywhere he wanted and did to. Taking away a dogs freedom was never thought of then.

Good question Rachel, it sure was different then today. I read the other answers and they were right on.

Answer 4

Check out the classic 50s television family show "Father Knows Best" (used as a model for the more recent movie "Pleasantville" with Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon). Or "Ozzie and Harriet". Or even "I Love Lucy".
Dad worked. Mom stayed home. There were two to four kids who were polite, obedient and helpful. Everybody went to church on Sunday. And life was just a bowl of cherries(?)

Answer 5

My father was employed as factory worker mother was a housewife. Four kids. Only my father drove mother never had a driver's license. Most families in my neighborhood had kids. Only two families in my school had divorced parent. Parochial school education all 12 years. Grammar school class sizes ranged from low of 72 boys and girls to 108 in a single classroom with only one teacher. Entire school non teaching staff was Mother Superior (Principal) three part time volunteer high school girls as clerks/secretaries, one school nurse.

We had no air conditioning in the house, car, school or church. All families had only one car. We and all people we knew had one telephone, one TV and one record player. We were the only family we knew with a typewriter.

We ate dinner together every night. Vacationed one week per year in a rental bungalow at the Jersey Shore. (we lived in Newark, NJ)

We never locked the car or house. Mother had automatic washer no dryer (hung laundry on line), no dishwasher, ironed everything including bedding and underwear. Washed and waxed floors. Checked all homework every night.

Hope this helps you.

Answer 6

I was only a young kid in the 50's Daddy worked, mom stayed home and took care of the kids, my parents had 5 children including me. It was cool, kids didn't get in trouble, they respected others and especially their elders. Sounds like a dream huh?

Answer 7

They was like the leave it to beaver show.....dad worked mom stayed at home and they had like 2 or 3 kids

Answer 8

Most women stayed home at first, We bought houses. They were cheap. We were optamistic. Things looked good.